A doctor has shared a harrowing story, claiming that Marriott handed over a room key to access her room to a predator who claimed to be her husband.

Marriott Gave Room Key To Predator Who Claimed To Be Guest’s Husband Without Verification

Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos was staying at a Marriott hotel (she did not disclose which one) and had retired for the night. Hours later, without warning, a man entered her room. Startlingly, it was not an innocent mistake: the man had claimed to be her husband and the front desk had handed over a room key, even though his name was not registered on the reservation.

It’s unclear what happened next; Stamatopoulos says she is not ready to share what happened inside the room. She reached out to the hotel and received this response from the hotel manager, who claimed to have performed an investigation:

I sincerely apologize once again for the unfortunate incident you experienced at our hotel.

After investigating the situation with my staff, I would like to explain what transpired that night. A man approached the front desk requesting a key to your room. He claimed to be your husband and stated he needed the key to return and sleep. Upon verifying the reservation, my staff informed him that he was not registered for the room and that he would need to contact you for verification. He insisted that you were sleeping and requested that we not disturb you.

Is that the key to getting the key? Just keep insisting until you get your way?

She shared her story on X and is demanding accountability from Marriott:

She strongly urges people to use deadbolts–“I want to caution people to USE THE DEADBOLT AT HOTELS.”

We Live In A Different World…

I remember the first time I went to Rome. My brother and I stayed at a small independent hotel that still used those room keys with the heavy brass keychains.

The point was that you surrendered it at the front desk when you left the hotel and picked it up when you returned. Throughout our stay, we were never asked for ID or any other proof: we just said, “Camera nove” (room nine) and the clerk handed us the key.

Even then (15 years ago), that struck me as strange. More recently, I’ve stayed at many hotels where I’ve locked myself out of the room and it often surprises me how willing front desk associates are simply to create a new key, especaily when it is a person I have not previously dealt with at the hotel (in the USA, this is rarer…often I am asked identifying quetsions nad sometimes even escorted to my room so I can rpesent photo ID).

Sadly, we live in a world full of danger, surrounded by people who have nefarious intentions. This sort of security slip is unacceptable.

CONCLUSION

A woman found herself face-to-face with a predator in her room after a front desk associate handed him a key, even though he was not a registered guest. I love the human tendency to trust…it’s a window into the Divine…but we live in a fallen world filled with very sick and twisted people. This was a serious safety breach, and I hope that Marriott will not only make this woman whole but also use it as a powerful teaching moment across its hotels and franchises.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time