I've been up at Flight Safety in Savanna, GA, for weeks, (home on weekends) staying at the airport Hampton Inn (a Hilton hotel)
I was short-booked. In other words, I planned on a Fri checkout, the front desk girl set it up for Thurs. (she also did this with a number of other, er, ah, victims)
After aviation training on Thurs, I'm stupidly tired and want to sleep. My door card won't work and someone else is in my room (room 402). Night front desk girl gets me a new room and I ask for my stuff. She says they don't have it and the cleaning staff claims the room was clearly empty and appeared I had checked out.
I call the national Hilton honors Diamond member help desk and complain, open a case and they tell me to "go to the front desk" from there call the manager.
Soooo, I go back down and, whoa, a bunch of angry people are there, all with missing stuff. One guy was able to track his Apple devices to a Parker truck stop about 100 miles away!
Cops come, we file reports.
Interestingly, the Hampton Inn is on "International Airport Property" and has it's own police department, along with federal crime ramifications. The cops were amazingly helpful, communicative and tell me that they are directed to fully investigate any felony.
So, the manager will not talk to me. First red flag. I then start thinking about how this happened. Clearly, it's an inside job, but the mechanism, size and scope of the theft ring is not fully clear. The cops tell me they are aware of a "couple" in a theft ring that looks like they belong there.
I start thinking about what I've noticed. In the AM, I did notice a middle aged couple, that had a lot of mismatched luggage on the cart. An empty cooler fell off while I was walking by. Thinking about it now, something was odd about the way the luggage was stacked and that the cooler was on the top. But they looked pleasant, smiled at me and I went on my way.
I also met the cleaning lady just about every morning. She was a petite girl and very nice, asked me if I needed anything, etc. Yes, she was the one who opened my room and said nothing was in it!
The cops plan to interview ALL hotel staff and are trying to set up meetings, along with what employee opened my room (they have named electronic keys). Well what a surprise that the hotel manager is refusing, and arguing with the cops. The lieutenant has called me a few times now, he mentioned they won't have a choice, as it's on international airport property. Will be interesting to see how this goes. I know I won't get my stuff back, but I want those people in jail.
They took everything! Not one item remained in the room. And, no I did not have a Rolex in my bag, I don't play that game. Just a weeks work clothes, eyeglasses, personal stuff.
When I was downstairs, the people from 3 other rooms were there. Each story was a little different as a couple of the rooms had not been re-sold. But in each case, the rooms were 100% empty, with not so much as a toothbrush left inside.
I needed my electronics for training, so they did not get my Laptop and iPad. But they did get my various chargers (ugh) and weeks worth of identical work clothes, along with my meds and personal items. Tru-Spec pants, Columbia shirts, all identical.
I'm purchasing all new stuff on the company credit card (it was a business trip) and we shall see how that goes. But I will be dammed if I have to pay for anything. Man this stuff ain't cheap! It will be in the thousands to replace everything.
Anyway, if Y'all have any thoughts on how to get reimbursed from Hilton, please let me know.
I had my firearms with me, as I never leave such in a hotel room. But one other guy lost his.
I was short-booked. In other words, I planned on a Fri checkout, the front desk girl set it up for Thurs. (she also did this with a number of other, er, ah, victims)
After aviation training on Thurs, I'm stupidly tired and want to sleep. My door card won't work and someone else is in my room (room 402). Night front desk girl gets me a new room and I ask for my stuff. She says they don't have it and the cleaning staff claims the room was clearly empty and appeared I had checked out.
I call the national Hilton honors Diamond member help desk and complain, open a case and they tell me to "go to the front desk" from there call the manager.
Soooo, I go back down and, whoa, a bunch of angry people are there, all with missing stuff. One guy was able to track his Apple devices to a Parker truck stop about 100 miles away!
Cops come, we file reports.
Interestingly, the Hampton Inn is on "International Airport Property" and has it's own police department, along with federal crime ramifications. The cops were amazingly helpful, communicative and tell me that they are directed to fully investigate any felony.
So, the manager will not talk to me. First red flag. I then start thinking about how this happened. Clearly, it's an inside job, but the mechanism, size and scope of the theft ring is not fully clear. The cops tell me they are aware of a "couple" in a theft ring that looks like they belong there.
I start thinking about what I've noticed. In the AM, I did notice a middle aged couple, that had a lot of mismatched luggage on the cart. An empty cooler fell off while I was walking by. Thinking about it now, something was odd about the way the luggage was stacked and that the cooler was on the top. But they looked pleasant, smiled at me and I went on my way.
I also met the cleaning lady just about every morning. She was a petite girl and very nice, asked me if I needed anything, etc. Yes, she was the one who opened my room and said nothing was in it!
The cops plan to interview ALL hotel staff and are trying to set up meetings, along with what employee opened my room (they have named electronic keys). Well what a surprise that the hotel manager is refusing, and arguing with the cops. The lieutenant has called me a few times now, he mentioned they won't have a choice, as it's on international airport property. Will be interesting to see how this goes. I know I won't get my stuff back, but I want those people in jail.
They took everything! Not one item remained in the room. And, no I did not have a Rolex in my bag, I don't play that game. Just a weeks work clothes, eyeglasses, personal stuff.
When I was downstairs, the people from 3 other rooms were there. Each story was a little different as a couple of the rooms had not been re-sold. But in each case, the rooms were 100% empty, with not so much as a toothbrush left inside.
I needed my electronics for training, so they did not get my Laptop and iPad. But they did get my various chargers (ugh) and weeks worth of identical work clothes, along with my meds and personal items. Tru-Spec pants, Columbia shirts, all identical.
I'm purchasing all new stuff on the company credit card (it was a business trip) and we shall see how that goes. But I will be dammed if I have to pay for anything. Man this stuff ain't cheap! It will be in the thousands to replace everything.
Anyway, if Y'all have any thoughts on how to get reimbursed from Hilton, please let me know.
I had my firearms with me, as I never leave such in a hotel room. But one other guy lost his.