Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

drumbear

2011-01-25 18:23:19

I have just got back from a couple of weeks staying at the Nizmar Hotel in Calangute. Was having a really good break until the last couple of days when unfortunately some cash and jewellery went missing from the LOCKED security box ( obviously not that secure ) £60 and a silver pendant and chain bought for my 5 year old grandaughter. £20 taken from each of three bundles of £100, so not a smash and grab, more a sneaky theft. I am aware that I had the option of putting a padlock in place, and am now suitably chastising myself for having faith in human nature.
Dissapointing and sad enough that this should happen, but the NON action and the deny and deflect position taken by the senior management of the hotel beggars belief and was the real kick in the b******s.
When I asked to speak to a manager I was told he would be on site by 9am so waited for an hour ( I had a taxi booked for Ashwem beach for 8am so put him back an hour ) only to be told at 9 that it would be 10.30. I arranged to see him at 4pm after the day on the beach, turned up to be told he had gone home, only to discover he was outside reception on his phone ( by my taxi driver )
After confronting the guy he agreed to " hold an investigation " with his staff and meet myself and the Thomas Cook rep at 6.30. I turn up Arron the TC guy turns up, manager goes home !!!
I was never to see this MANAGER ( how he calls himself a manager is beyond me as he obviously could,nt, manage that is ) again. However I did get in front of a guy who I believe to be the Night manager, I asked him to review the security camera footage that covers the safe room, he tells me it doesnt work even though the young counter clerk had already told me that it does and that they keep the tapes, I mention this and the manager balls out the poor clerk in konkani, all the while the N. manager can not look me in the eye, and I start to wonder about his very guilty look ( do you see where I,m going with this ) who I wonder would have either access to a master key or the nous to have a copy made up, and also the opportunity to have a little wander in to the security room when no one is around.
Anyway by the following day a "signing in" book for the security room

appears on the reception counter for the GUESTS to sign in for access to the security room

( do you see where THEY are going with this ) If another guest had got into my box they would have had the lot away, not slid out a few notes hoping that it would,nt be noticed, The only bit I dont get is why take the 500r necklace ( must be a kleptomaniac type )
So if you must stay at the Nizmar, please dont put your trust in human nature and buy and use a padlock on your unsecure security box.

Regards,

drumbear

ps I will do a post about my holiday which was in the main enjoyable and memorable

fredthedog

2011-01-26 16:28:21

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Exact same thing happened in a hotel I have stayed in - so I know exactly the modus operandus about which you speak!! It to was kept very hush hush but they did catch the culprit in the end - staff not tourist!!!.

Also a couple of years ago I had some money taken from our room, my fault for leaving it around. So spoke to head rep of tour op (who I know) and as I did not want a huge fuss made, she spoke to the rep in the hotel who then liased with the hotel management. They seem to like to keep these things under wraps (I wonder why haha) -which was fine by me as was recovering from serious illness and did not want stress but really irritating if you feel you are being ignored, as you did.

drumbear

2011-01-26 17:18:54

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Fred, the only silver lining in this cloud was that I had only a couple of days left of my time there, if the Pink Panther had visited at the beginning of my stay then it could have made me even grumpier than usual.

Anyone staying at the Nizmar MUST use a padlock, dont allow the PP to spoil your holiday.

Thomas Cook have promised to look in to the theft and get back to me here in the UK and I will repost if/when they do

HAPPY HOLIDAYS :cheers

simmey

2011-01-27 08:44:14

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Thanks for the advice Drumbear, I'm staying in this hotel in a few weeks, what size padlock would you advise - say a 1 or 2 inch? I don't want to get anything too big that it won't fit. How much do the security boxes cost?

KJF

2011-01-27 12:15:17

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Drumbear we had a similar experience in Kenya, we went on a 2 day safari and when we got back to the hotel £800 was missing from the safe. What was worse was the safe was in the room and there were no signs of the safe being damaged, a key was definately used to open it.What follwed was horrendous we were dragged off to some police station/prison, there were people actually chained to the walls in full view of anyone walking past. It was clear to us they did'nt believe us and there line of questioning was forceful to say the least. The rep (Hayes & Jarvis) was as useful as a pocket on a string vest and did nothing but advise us to contact someone back home to forward us some money. It is such a horrible thing to happen to anyone but glad to see you still had more positives than negatives on your hols....cheers Keith

PS
On a more positive note the system at the Marinha Dourada is best, both you and reception have a key and the safety boxes can only be opened with both keys. Last year I went to get some documents from the box in the morning, when we returned late afternoon there was a message for me to contact the reception desk. I went to the desk and the young girl asked me to check the box, I discovered I was missing some money. When I got the documents in the morning because Iwas rushing I had left £1000 on the window ledge :yikes

and one of the staff picked it up and took it to reception they then checked the register to see who had used the safety boxes last

del949

2011-01-27 13:39:25

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

both you and reception have a key and the safety boxes can only be opened with both keys.

Thats great unless they have a duplicate of your key :que

I prefer using my own good quality padlock where possible.
Heard reports of things going missing etc but not been affected myself so far (touch wood!)

drumbear

2011-01-27 16:40:56

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Simmey, Any small padlock would suffice, I told as many other guests about the PP as possible and one guy put on the small padlock from his suitcase, reasoning ( quite correctly ) that it was enough because if it was snapped off then the PP would be giving the game away, as I strongly suspect this was down to a member of the senior staff scuttling about at night like an avaricious "cockroach"
You can easily pick up a 2" padlock in Calangute for buttons, I think the hotel charged me 1000r for the non secure box for 2 weeks.

When at the Nizmar please try the food at the little bar by the front of the hotel "Fernandos Hideaway" Pradeep the young chef knocks up a belting chicken jalfreizi with jeera rice and give my regards (my name is Ronnie) to Kerin the nepalese manager, it was our stop off for late night eats and honeybees, also if you are in need of a friendly and clued up taxi driver ask for Mahesh just outside the hotel under the Nizmar signs.

Happy Holidays

drumbear :tup

drumbear

2011-01-27 17:04:02

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Keith,

I think that because the amount of loss was,nt too great ( £60 and a 500r necklace ) then its a lot easier to be magnanamous about it, certainly most of the staff where pleasant and vey helpfull and I think its important to make that clear ( one bad apple and all that )

If I had lost what you did then I,m sure I would be haunting the hotel and denouncing them as thieves and vagabonds forevermore.

Where you covered on your travel insurance ? I hope so mate

Regards,

drumbear

simmey

2011-01-28 07:59:47

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Thanks for the tips Drumbear.

juune66

2011-01-28 10:11:58

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

hi sorry to hear about the theft, we are going to nimar on tues, now worried alittle, will get a padlock though. when we went to highland beach my husband though someone had stolen from our safe (with lock on) as there was less money in than we thought, we did ask the manager about this but also got no where. i will ask them about people getting robbed and cctv and what they do about it, so i will keep you posted.

del949

2011-01-28 10:16:36

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Putting a cheap flimsy lock on lets you know if you have been robbed OK, but surely the intention is to prevent being robbed.
So a good strong lock, preferably bought in UK as there is less chance of similar keys being available in Goa.
Aldi have some good locks at present for about £6.

ssharonuk

2011-01-28 10:47:25

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

I think its better that if anyone who is going to the Nizmar in the next week to tell them that because of a 500rp necklace and £60 cash being taken from there safety deposit boxes there name is being blacked on the internet It wont help in getting the money back but it might give them a kick in the backsides to stop it happening again well hopefully anyway

drumbear

2011-01-30 19:52:34

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Good sensible comments all round, hopefully the outcome being that no one else gets thier goods pilferred. Its the last thing you need when being charmed by the paradise that is Goa.

Happy holidays to one and all,

Regards,

drumbear :sun2

ukbill

2011-01-30 20:32:35

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Agree all the comments about taking your own decent padlock - particularly when you have to use those awful "security room" boxes.
However I've recently come across another little tool which can help your security - even though nothing can make you 100% secure.
I found Argos sell (only on the internet) a "Travel Safe" manufactured by Yale - it's a decent size box with 4 digit combination lock and a steel cable which can loop around something fixed. It's less than 10 quid - I aim to use mine to keep my valuables inside the "security room" box in Indian hotels.
It might also be useful travelling on Indian trains?

noggin

2011-01-30 21:17:11

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Hi All.... :cheers

Last year when we did our mini tour, we travelled alot around India by train.
So off the intrenet i purchased a pair of handcuffs :yikes

...fastend one side around holdhall and the other around wifes wrist while see slept, so if anyone was going to try and steal our belongings, they would have to take the wife aswell... :rofl

untidytdi

2011-01-31 08:14:04

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

A few years ago we stayed at the Highland Beach Resort, and were advised by the staff to buy a padlock for the safety box, from a little stall just up the road..
The only problem was all their locks had the same key :think

I still wonder whether they were trying to help us or a thief. :que

We did buy a lock but not from their "convenient" stockist.

Gaz

Betty Boop

2011-01-31 10:34:03

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Exactly untidytdi!

We always take a 4 digit combination lock from UK.

goanaddict

2011-01-31 12:40:39

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

sorry to hear you've been robbed drumbear, a friend of my had a simliar experience when they stayed at alor, they discovered money had been taken as they emptied the security box to leave for airport for flight home so not a nice experience. Since then we have bought small metal ''petty cash tins' and all money passport ticket etc are locked away and the only keys are kept with us all the time....this cash tin is then locked in hotels security box.......if they want to steal anything they will have to talk the lot which of course would be awful but like whats happened you and my friend it must deter those who just take a little bit so hopefully you wont notice.

The cash tin is one of the first things in the case when we go on holiday anyway

Regards

Jules

Gooorooo

2011-01-31 16:47:01

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

Stories like these make me really sad

We've packed a padlock to take to the Silver Sands. I feel a bit bad really as using it basically says "I don't trust the staff here". But I'd rather that than lose our spending money.

Betty Boop

2011-01-31 16:58:55

Re: Advice re security boxes at the NIZMAR HOTEL CALANGUTE

, a friend of my had a simliar experience when they stayed at alor, they discovered money had been taken as they emptied the security box to leave for airport for flight home so not a nice experience.

that's when they'd normally 'hit'...hoping that because you're leaving there won't be time to kick up a fuss etc.

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