I booked a holiday for me and my boyfriend using Opodo, which turned out to be through an organisation called Holiday Express, who booked holidays for Thomas Cook (long winded aye!). Anyway, it was an allocation on arrival holiday, so we didn't know where we were staying until we got there (Wed 8 June). We were given a ground floor self-catering apartment. Every day, except Sunday, a cleaner woke us up at 10.30am with her relentless buzzing in the attempt to provide us with more towels we never even used. On a couple of occasions, the cleaner opened the door and came in, where we swiftly told her we didn't want her in there and we didn't want her towels.
On Tuesday, we had planned a day trip and decided to leave at 11 - this would give us time to tell the cleaner we didn't want her services, but she never came, so assumed she got the message and wouldn't come. We arrived back about 12:20am to find our luggage rummaged through and 2 MD Players, speakers and my hidden phone missing. The back door (sliding glass door) was slightly ajar, with which we instantly knew it was the cleaner because you cannot get in from the outside. Once you slide it it clicks shut and can only be opened from the inside and not by key, so no lock can be picked. They tried to make it look like it was someone from outside.
We went to hotel reception (didn't even think of contacting Thomas cook because we didn't know what room they were in and later when I read their information pack, they weren't available after hours) and the guy sent another guy to look at the apartment and woe and behold he spoke no English, so that was pointless. The other guy, although not that helpful, was a bit more friendly and spoke a little English, we asked him to call the police, who apparently don't ever leave the station, so we had to use the rest of our money to get a taxi there and back (because there would be no place open that would change money at that time). Wasted trip as we filled a report but because we were leaving the next day they told us, in not so many words, that we were having a fiddle.
The guy back at the hotel decided that because the cleaner spoke no English, it couldn't possibly be one of them and there are so many, it wouldn't be possible to find out. And that was it - no offer of another room, no offer to get to the bottom of it, no offer of compensation, they didn't even seem phased that one of their valuable staff was being accused of theft!
We're totally disgusted with their nonchalant attitude and I will be writing some strong letters to both the hotel (Hotel Vancouver in Cap Salou) and Thomas Cook, but I just wanted people to know NOT to use that hotel or even book with Thomas Cook. It doesn't matter where you stay, you can't trust the hotel staff, especially the cleaners. If the hotel is not even willing to accept responsibility for goods going missing on their premises, I wouldn't even be surprised if they were in on it. I've had to deal with insurance companies all day, but I'm sure the same cleaning lady is cleaning out more than just towels in the same hotel knowing she'll never be caught by an organisation who simply doesn't care.
Do you think it would be possible to ask for compensation from the hotel itself? Or Thomas Cook? I don't even know what to do, we had to check out less than 10 hours later, so not much could be done on our part and I wonder if it's too late. Any suggestions?
i would contact thomas cook as they were the agent in all of this and explain your situation. i doubt if you contact the hotel if they will do anything. i dont like thomas cook much either but im sure they wouldnt accept this sort of thing. phone thomas cook and see what they say.
what about your holiday insurance? arent you covered?
what about your holiday insurance? arent you covered?
Bit unfair to blame the hotel staff/cleaner without evidence isn't it?
If it was the cleaner - why would she/he simply not have entered your room using the pass key instead of the patio door?
Sadly tourist rooms in hotels and apartments are a soft touch and local criminals worldwide know of the frequent and ever changing supply of good pickings that can be had in guest rooms. That's why hotels and tour operators frequently advise that valuables are placed in the room safe or safe facilities at reception.
Would a claim on your holiday insurance (hope you had some) be possible? Your police report should support your claim.
If it was the cleaner - why would she/he simply not have entered your room using the pass key instead of the patio door?
Sadly tourist rooms in hotels and apartments are a soft touch and local criminals worldwide know of the frequent and ever changing supply of good pickings that can be had in guest rooms. That's why hotels and tour operators frequently advise that valuables are placed in the room safe or safe facilities at reception.
Would a claim on your holiday insurance (hope you had some) be possible? Your police report should support your claim.
hi there, thanks. I'll give them a call and see what they say. Yes, I'm covered by insurance and I was on the phone for most of today sorting that out, but because of excesses etc it's still going to cost me to get things replaced.
It could be seen as unfair, but when looking back we should have seen the signs, I honestly doubt anyone could have broken in from outside because there would be no way of telling if we were in or not. We suspect the cleaner because it was the only day they actually got into our room (because we weren't there to tell them to get lost) and that's the same day we got robbed. And she did use the pass key, the point I made was that she probably opened the patio door slightly to make it 'look' like it had been entered from the back, which was directly next to the sofa, strange that someone would jump over the sofa to get out when the door opened at the other end with no restrictions.
It could be seen as unfair, but when looking back we should have seen the signs, I honestly doubt anyone could have broken in from outside because there would be no way of telling if we were in or not. We suspect the cleaner because it was the only day they actually got into our room (because we weren't there to tell them to get lost) and that's the same day we got robbed. And she did use the pass key, the point I made was that she probably opened the patio door slightly to make it 'look' like it had been entered from the back, which was directly next to the sofa, strange that someone would jump over the sofa to get out when the door opened at the other end with no restrictions.
does sound suspicious but it could have been anyone from the hotel. good luck with your insurer. why wasnt your valuables in your safe though?
I know this sounds a bit silly, but was the holiday with Thomson (as the title says) or Thomas Cook as stated in the post? I just wondered as they sound really bad at helping you and I will try to avoid them if I can.
Sarah
Sarah
oops - sorry, yes its thomson (as the title says). Got loads of forms to fill out for insurance companies - could do without the hassle.
Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Of course it was the cleaner... yeah okay so there is no direct evidence but, come on, we all know she did it.
My wife and I had an unpleasant experience with a cleaner in Majorca a few years back. Nothing to do with anything being stolen, fortunately, but she tried to force her way into our room. My wife and I had just finished showering so were half naked and the cleaner tried to barge in. No knocking, she just tried to open the door with her key. We held the door shut and told her in English and Spanish to go away, but she kept trying the door, kept trying to force her way in. It was all very unpleasant and it literally took several minutes before she went away.
Never trust the cleaners: they are often on minimum wage and have nothing to lose by stealing, especially if the manager is in on it. It's hard to prove who did it and they make a tidy profit. Great for them but a major headache for those on vacation.
My wife and I had an unpleasant experience with a cleaner in Majorca a few years back. Nothing to do with anything being stolen, fortunately, but she tried to force her way into our room. My wife and I had just finished showering so were half naked and the cleaner tried to barge in. No knocking, she just tried to open the door with her key. We held the door shut and told her in English and Spanish to go away, but she kept trying the door, kept trying to force her way in. It was all very unpleasant and it literally took several minutes before she went away.
Never trust the cleaners: they are often on minimum wage and have nothing to lose by stealing, especially if the manager is in on it. It's hard to prove who did it and they make a tidy profit. Great for them but a major headache for those on vacation.
Come_to_california,I am sorry but we have left money out,and other personal items and NEVER had anything stolen.Please dont tar ALL cleaners with the same brush.
We had this problem a few years back at the Flamingo Oasis in Benidorm, when some costume jewellery went missing. It was only worth a few quid and the excess on the insurance meant that it wasn't worth claiming for it. However, I am convinced that it was another holidaymaker who took it; not the cleaner.
Be aware that when cleaners clean rooms in hotels they sometimes leave other doors along the corridor open, giving thieves carte blanche to sneak in and rifle through your belongings while the cleaner is busy elsewhere. After my stuff got lifted, I came up to our room and found the cleaner cleaning the bathroom with the door shut, and the door of the room next to ours propped wide open! I could have easily had a quick rummage through either room had I been a guest who was that way inclined, without her seeing me.
The only way to guarantee this doesn't happen to you on holiday is to rent a safe and lock everything valueable that can't be nailed down inside it.
Be aware that when cleaners clean rooms in hotels they sometimes leave other doors along the corridor open, giving thieves carte blanche to sneak in and rifle through your belongings while the cleaner is busy elsewhere. After my stuff got lifted, I came up to our room and found the cleaner cleaning the bathroom with the door shut, and the door of the room next to ours propped wide open! I could have easily had a quick rummage through either room had I been a guest who was that way inclined, without her seeing me.
The only way to guarantee this doesn't happen to you on holiday is to rent a safe and lock everything valueable that can't be nailed down inside it.
I'm afraid the 'guarantee' of a safe does not work. The thieves in our hotel room simply jemmied of the safe door and stole everything.
Unfortunately, that is something that can happen. I was more referring to things disappearing from rooms where there is no evidence of a break-in, rather than burglary.
I was staying at the Louis Princess Beach Hotel Larnaca Cyprus three weeks ago and had 80 pounds stolen from the room. No sign of a break-in but the cleaner regularly left doors open when cleaning. As a fellow holiday maker said to me its better to carry everthing of value with you (something I have never done - always locked everything in the safe) as they had the safe forced open on a previous holiday.
Surely if the hotel safe in your room was broken into then the onus is on the Hotel in question. They have provided you with a service (the safe) which you have paid, and this service has failed. Presumably it is up to the hotel to make the necessary claims on thier insurance? I maybe wrong though?
Of course it was the cleaner... yeah okay so there is no direct evidence but, come on, we all know she did it.
come_to_california have you ever heard of innocent until proven guilty, a lot of accusations here with NO evidence.
It could have been anybody - another member of the hotel staff, a local or even an other guest.
Ive been following this thread with interest, and whilst you MAY be correct in your assumption that it was the cleaning staff, I agree with quite a few others on here that you cannot just make that assumption.
I really do sympathise with you having your valuables stolen and your personal possessions rifled through, it must have been a horrible experience, and the hotel should take responsibility if the room was left unsecure whilst it was being cleaned. However I think it is very important, whilst emphasising to our members travelling abroad about the security issue, and the necessity of hiring a safe to keep valuables in -- it is also important to stress that there are good and bad people in every profession, and the fact that they earn a minimum wage does not necessarily mean that they will be any more dishonest than the next person.
Another point was made about cleaners coming into rooms. Of course they should not just come in unannounced, or if you dont want your room cleaned for whatever reason, but please remember that their jobs are to clean a certain number of rooms on a certain day, and they are only trying to do their jobs. So many people complain when the room is not cleaned often or thoroughly enough (how many holiday reviews have you read with that remark), maybe they get pulled up about this one minute, and then told off for going in to clean when someone is out! They can be in a no win situation.
To conclude, I think that hotels and complexes tend to avoid responsibility when something like this happens, unfortunately its the innocent holidaymaker that suffers. But what is the solution....anyone have any ideas?
Thank you very much for bringing it to our attention and I hope your Insurance Company comes up trumps.
I really do sympathise with you having your valuables stolen and your personal possessions rifled through, it must have been a horrible experience, and the hotel should take responsibility if the room was left unsecure whilst it was being cleaned. However I think it is very important, whilst emphasising to our members travelling abroad about the security issue, and the necessity of hiring a safe to keep valuables in -- it is also important to stress that there are good and bad people in every profession, and the fact that they earn a minimum wage does not necessarily mean that they will be any more dishonest than the next person.
Another point was made about cleaners coming into rooms. Of course they should not just come in unannounced, or if you dont want your room cleaned for whatever reason, but please remember that their jobs are to clean a certain number of rooms on a certain day, and they are only trying to do their jobs. So many people complain when the room is not cleaned often or thoroughly enough (how many holiday reviews have you read with that remark), maybe they get pulled up about this one minute, and then told off for going in to clean when someone is out! They can be in a no win situation.
To conclude, I think that hotels and complexes tend to avoid responsibility when something like this happens, unfortunately its the innocent holidaymaker that suffers. But what is the solution....anyone have any ideas?
Thank you very much for bringing it to our attention and I hope your Insurance Company comes up trumps.
WEll for starters we could be given the choice when booking or at reception of the holiday place, to have cleaning or not. Or the choice of how often. That would sort that little issue out.
On holiday our place had a cleaner every other day- which we felt was too much, especially when you are in and want some peace, or other!!!
That is one thing, no where does it say when you book how often to expect cleaners visiting. It's always a guessing game to a new place on when the cleaner will come- and are always on guard from the shower and sleep etc!!
The holiday companies should deal with situations like this, who tehn in turn should hold the hotel responsible. If the holiday company can sell you a holiday, then trust comes with it, especially if you had not any prior experience with them. The holiday company has, and in addition, has someone who can speak the local language. They are the ones who have a contract with the hotels, and with the holiday maker, so they should be the ones you complain to. It's then down to them to make good the claim on behalf of the hotel, and to reconsider their contract with them.
If this became a serious thing, then hotels would pull their act together, for fear of losing the tourist trade.
Well, that's my tuppence worth anyway
On holiday our place had a cleaner every other day- which we felt was too much, especially when you are in and want some peace, or other!!!
That is one thing, no where does it say when you book how often to expect cleaners visiting. It's always a guessing game to a new place on when the cleaner will come- and are always on guard from the shower and sleep etc!!
The holiday companies should deal with situations like this, who tehn in turn should hold the hotel responsible. If the holiday company can sell you a holiday, then trust comes with it, especially if you had not any prior experience with them. The holiday company has, and in addition, has someone who can speak the local language. They are the ones who have a contract with the hotels, and with the holiday maker, so they should be the ones you complain to. It's then down to them to make good the claim on behalf of the hotel, and to reconsider their contract with them.
If this became a serious thing, then hotels would pull their act together, for fear of losing the tourist trade.
Well, that's my tuppence worth anyway
Yes I have to admit thats a good idea, some people dont want their rooms cleaned often, others every day!!! I am like you in that if I am lounging around in my nightie having a cuppa coffee on the balcony there is nothing worse than someone barging in to clean the room, and maybe the cleaners should be better trained in the way to respect people's privacy, they should knock a few times before entering, and even then when they open the door, they should be calling out to make sure people are aware of their presence.
Also agree that responsibility for petty theiving is just brushed aside, I think a lot of hotels think that when people go home and claim from their Insurance Companies that will be the end of it. They should be taking more responsibility instead of shrugging their shoulders!!!! Tour Operators should be taking a stronger view and taking action in removing hotels from their brochures if it turns out that there are a lot of complaints of thefts and nothing is being done about them.
Also agree that responsibility for petty theiving is just brushed aside, I think a lot of hotels think that when people go home and claim from their Insurance Companies that will be the end of it. They should be taking more responsibility instead of shrugging their shoulders!!!! Tour Operators should be taking a stronger view and taking action in removing hotels from their brochures if it turns out that there are a lot of complaints of thefts and nothing is being done about them.
Agree with you there, Tootsie, when we were in Tunisia, I was struggling one hot sweaty afternoon to remove my swimsuit, when without warning a cleaner walked in 
Our maid came & cleaned our room five times per week. One day, we were all by the pool & hubby had urge to go to loo. While he was sat there, cleaner walked in on him - no lock on bathroom door. Sorry, but I cry with laughter every time we broach this subjectl. Can you imagine the look on his face - gutted I wasn't in the apartment to witness it.
But on a serious note, each apartment should have a door sign that you attach to the handle outside saying that you do not wish to be disturbed - our hotel had them, but, unfortunately it was missing from our room.
But on a serious note, each apartment should have a door sign that you attach to the handle outside saying that you do not wish to be disturbed - our hotel had them, but, unfortunately it was missing from our room.
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