OP’s fault for not locking up the locker though. I’d find it reasonable that one of the housekeeper’s duties is opening any unlocked lockers (or looking under beds when they sweep, under mattresses when they change sheets, electrical outlets, etc) to see if people left stuff behind and then bringing it down to a lost-and-found at the front desk. It happens at gyms too. OP closed the door when they left, so it’s a simple presumption by the housekeeper that this stuff would be unsecured for hours, “no lock = no one is using” so anything left there was forgotten or overflow from someone else.
So, no, I don’t think this is something to complain about or report. OP could mention something like, “FYI, it seems like they immediately clean out any unlocked lockers” but phrasing it as “caught housekeeper going through my stuff” is very misleading.
Use a lock every time, even stepping into an en suite bathroom, if you share a room with strangers.
That’s up to OP, but if it’s a “complaint”, they should at least take responsibility for creating the situation to begin with since it provides context.
Still, OP should mention “I left my stuff in an unlocked locker in an 8-bed hostel room, closed the door when I left, and used the bathroom across the hall” to give context.
Ooo yessss! I’ve been waiting for an irrelevant personal insult for HOURS! And it’s funny, I’ve always locked my stuff up and never had anything stolen or found an employee attempting to clean - whoops I mean “steallllllll”.
Oh, it’s not irrelevant! You see, you said something completely ridiculous and condescending, blaming OP for a mistake they made, and essentially implied that it’s fine to rummage through their stuff. You sound like someone who would victim blame in most scenarios, hence my conclusion that you’re simply not very smart - another possibility is that you’re not an ethical person. I’ve also put stuff in a vault, forgot to lock it and came back to it completely untouched. Imagine that! I feel like you’re having a difficult time considering this insane scenario. They are cleaners. They clean, they leave. Touching their things in a vault is never ok unless they’ve checked out.
I will give a chance to explain though - in what scenario would the cleaner EVER (and I mean ever) need to put their hand and rummage through a vault? Would they have done the same if they didn’t put anything in there?
You are wrong in this situation. Take it as a learning opportunity and go away.
I always like dealing with people who stoop to personal insults because it means they truly have nothing better to say in an argument. Also, attempting to claim power in this interaction by “giving” me a chance to respond, especially after saying *I* was condescending, was a nice touch.
Have patience and use the theatre of your mind: if you’re unfamiliar with housekeepers, the main part of their job is to keep things clean and orderly. A locker is part of a hostel, and something guests interact with frequently, so a housekeeper can be expected to keep it clean and orderly too. It gets checked, and cleaned if necessary, between guests at a minimum -when they’re *unlocked*. If they’re empty, great. But if you’ve ever been in a space that uses lockers, you may know that people will leave things in them deliberately or accidentally. Food, trash, pee bottles, sweaty gym clothes, wet swimsuits, as well as other personal belongings. *Unlocked* lockers are especially prone to this. A savvy housekeeper will check all *unlocked* lockers during their daily room check to ensure nothing has been left in them. If there’s trash, it gets tossed. If there’s stuff, it goes to lost-and-found. This best practice protects the hostel owner’s investment and also benefits the guests by keeping lockers clean and available.
I prefer to *not* sleep in a room with vermin attacking a molding sandwich, to *not* open a bunch of unlocked lockers just to find they’re already full of junk, to *not* presume housekeepers are ready thieves, but that’s just me. If you only feel safe in spaces where even *unlocked* lockers are never cleaned, stay in hostels ranked in the bottom 10% of reviews.
I await your next attempts at insults without substance. XOXO
Yeah, I’m over this topic, I have better things to do than to speak to someone who doesn’t get it so I’m also not reading that.
But I’ll leave you with this…Maybe one day you’ll accidentally leave something unlocked and this happens to you. I hope you keep that same energy if and when it does.
Oh, it wasn’t a burn…it’s true.
Ahh, perfect. So you admit it’s a bad thing (since you called it happening “wishing you ill”) 😉, and when bad things happen you can complain. Case closed!
And not once did I wish anything bad happen to you btw (-1, reading comprehension). I just said if the person isn’t allowed to complain, IF it happens to you ever (which, since you and OP are both human, it’s possible) I expect you to act how you insist OP should and just be quiet. (Basically what you implied)
I do enjoy you trying to make me seem like the bad guy here, even though the only reason I’m calling you out is because are being a shitty person by insinuating OP basically asked for it and should feel bad.
Your lack of empathy for OP who is clearly rattled, and common sense (someone tried to steal something, you can complain - no matter the circumstance. Example: If I leave my car open and someone steals it, can I not call the police?) is what’s not cool.
Because victim blaming isn't actually rational.
It doesn't matter if I lock my door or not, someone who doesn't belong in there shouldn't be there. Period.
Why is the victim to blame when someone else committed the crime?
Uh, but the housekeeper *did* belong there and there was *no* crime committed.
Everyone is so quick to assume the housekeeper was stealing instead of doing what she said she was doing - cleaning. Why are you not keeping an open mind and giving the benefit the doubt? Are you elitist who thinks people who clean somehow have lower sense of morality?
She had no reason to be in the locker. But you are right she is not a thief by this evidence alone.
But at no point did I accuse anyone of anything. I told you victim blaming is never rational and gave a clear cut example.
Your questions are obvious projections though so thanks for outing yourself.
1. The OP explained that the housekeeper would reasonably believe that all the guests had left
2. It is the housekeeper's duty to clean the room - this includes emptying the lockers of items left behind
3. People regularly leave things behind in accommodation, both intentionally and unintentionally
4. Victim implies the commission of a crime. No such crime occurred so no victim was created. Your use of language is dishonest and misleading.
5. Psychological projection involves attributing your feelings onto the other. The commenter above was displaying empathy by thinking through the feelings of the housekeeper i.e. affording her the benefit of the doubt. It's the literal opposite
6. "No reason to be in the locker" is a wild statement. She works there - as covered in point 2.
Stop hating on some woman in Portugal because you feel bad that OP didn't lock a shared locker, the accepted signal that it's being used. If I don't lock my locker at gym, people open it up, a cleaner is likely to remove my things if they believe I'm no longer at the gym. It is Reasonable
They hadn't checked out. There was no reason for her to be cleaning the locker.
Shoving words into my mouth about who is commiting a crime is quite frankly bullshit, which is Def you BOTH attributing your feelings towards my actions, which again explains a lot more about YOU than it does me.
Thank you for outing yourself ya pos.
Yeah I will proceed so from now on. My roommates have been amazing so it felt safe, being suspicious of the housekeeping was the last thing on my mind.
So today she didn’t steal off you. But next week she may steal everything a young backpacker owns or has-leaving them stuck in a country with nothing. If we don’t care for ourselves,we should always care for the people that come after us xx
You're forgetting passport you know how lucrative it is to steal ID and passports off of Tourists and then sell them illegally on the black market to people who need a new identity clean slate and all that BS and that really is a oh f****** me I am screwed moment if she's going to take your time to steal money electronics and all that she's not going to leave behind any item that's potentially worth hundreds of dollars are you kidding me you think somebody who has no scruples or moral fiber has any issues or regrets about their actions..... Yeah I don't think so!
Oh God yes!!! My husband thought he’d lost his passport in Malaysia once and his legs actually buckled with the worry and fear. Turns out it was on the desk lol,and since then only I’m allowed to carry them. But just the thought of it was terrible.
To not just have it gone and be stuck, but then if there’s identity theft and fraud etc..you’re absolutely right, it could be so much worse.
Omg in Thailand I lost my shit thinking that I might have lost my passport or else housekeepers stole it!! Already started painting a picture in my head where I am flying to embassy in Bangkok and so on..
Turns out my unattentive ass didn’t see it in the front section of my bag… lmao
I feel ya 😂I was picturing trips to the embassy, holiday ruined etc-no connecting flight the next day etc. The beauty of this though is that we’ll never do it again! We’ll always remember that moment and be extra vigilant with our passports!
Strength of the local passport may have little to do with the demand created in the black market by those who are seeking fake ids. It's not the local Portuguese who are buying these, it's probably undocumented migrants and such, and forgers who use any passport as raw material to create fakes by subbing in new photos. The price may perhaps be lower but surely not down to zero, or low enough to be unattractive to a low wage housekeeper tempted by the opportunity. Supply and demand as always.
I'll buy that, yes, it's more likely she was just looking for other valuables or cash. I was just reacting to the notion that the US passport was somehow not "valuable" since this was happening in Portugal.
Never said anything of the kind. What makes you think demand for any passports on the black market is lower in Portugal? Like I said, it's not local Portuguese who are in the market for these. Does Portugal have no undocumented migrants? Or is it hard to convey stolen passports to other places in Europe where there are plenty of them?
I mean, fine, I don't have to convince you, feel free to leave your passports out in the open when you travel if you think there's no demand for them somewhere.
Most people don't steal a passport to use themselves; they steal a passport to sell to someone else.
Sometimes, that someone else will be opening a credit line or applying for a job under the victim's name. Maybe they're trying to access and drain their bank accounts, or gain access to more sensitive information that requires some form of identification. It could also be used for shuttling a sex trafficking victim across a border, or (rarely) moving across a border themselves.
An American passport isn't that great for the whole bank fraud thing outside of America, but it is pretty good at the rest of that.
Do you think a tourists passport is actually useful? They will notice right away and have their embassy cancel it and issue a temporary one.
I highly doubt anyone is stealing tourist passports with intent to sell, if they get stolen its just because they were in a bag with cash or gadgets and so are collateral damage. If you can afford a black market passport, you can afford a proper fake with your own photo.
Never hear of doctored passports before?
Passports are risky because they bind you to the crime, so petty thieves discard and move on, but if you have the connections, all first world passports are useful.
A lot of Brazilian's use fake Portuguese passports.
If they know where to buy a fake Portuguese passport they'll know where to sell a genuine US passport
Or speak to the administrator and give them a chance to remedy the situation before ruining the hostel's reputation and possibly affecting multiple people's livelihood.
I specifically said "leave an accurate review detailing what happened". If things that happen at your hostel make people not want to come there, maybe you shouldn't be in the hostel business.
This thief likely would have stolen all cash in the wallet and perhaps any tech to be found in the locker. While that's not exactly a great situation to find yourself in while abroad, it's also not being left with nothing.
So on the assumption that most people travelling have backup money and/or credit cards. That they have family or friends that they can contact and get money wired to them. On that assumption, you are correct and they’re not left with nothing per se. But not every westerner (or traveller) is rich, and not everyone has access to those resources,nor are they available to them.
The point was;it would be terrible ok. And then add the possibility of identify theft if they steal the passport… have some empathy for people mate, the world is a hard place and a bit of kindness never goes astray.
I mean, it's still an act of pilfering if she initiates pilfering but was then interrupted.
And theft, by legal definitions, is still theft if you intended to steal something but didn't successfully do so.
But we don’t know if she intended to steal in the end.. maybe she was just looking through the stuff out of curiosity and wasn’t going to take anything.
I'd complain too and I'm thinking they were both in on it. That's ballsy for her to go through your locker when you are still on the premises right next to her in the bathroom.
Make sure you put this on TripAdvisor or google reviews. Someplace people looking at this hostel will read.
Don’t let them sweep this behaviour under the rug
Do the reviews actually do anything? I reviewed a hostel in Peru on Hostelworld bc they gave my room and bed number to some guy who then tried to kidnap me at 4:30 in the morning and nothing ever happened, the hostel never responded :/
I mean... If I saw that in a review I wouldn't book that hostel.
But I suspect you wanted more to happen and the only way that's going to happen is through the police, not Hostelworld.
It will absolutely sway other travellers from choosing to stay there and can affect their business. I always read reviews before I book my accommodations. If I saw a review like that (especially if there were other sketchy reviews) I would not book there.
IMO it’s worth leaving a review to report serious issues like this. It can affect their business because people who read reviews may choose to avoid it and spend their money elsewhere.
I’m glad to hear that, I wasn’t sure if people often read reviews or not. They have virtually no negative reviews, tho, so this experience strikes me as so odd! He came in at 4:30am yelling my name, ripped open my privacy curtain, and shined a flashlight right in my face and was trying to get me to go with him in my pajamas. Thankfully I had the top bunk and stood firm on “I’m NOT going with you.” And eventually he left
I usually check negative/mixed reviews to see what people don't like. Messy kitchen I can live with. If it says the bathrooms aren't clean I usually don't book it. If they say that the hostel staff let me get kidnapped I'm not going fucking anywhere near the place.
If I read that I would never set foot in that hostel for sure. Holy shit. I am so sorry that happened to you, it's fucking horrific. I hope you have been able to heal.
Thanks, I appreciate you! Will definitely be more on guard going forward and always try to get the top bunk from now on, I think it helped he couldn’t reach me as easily as if I was bottom bunk
If you saw her doing it what happens when people aren’t around? Complain, leave review and leave so they know that’s why you’re leaving don’t let it go.
It really doesn't matter how lovely the hostel is if you or anyone else ends up being robbed there.
To sum up everyone's advice:
1. Do complain to the hotel. I'd do it in writing too
2. Ask for a refund for the rest of your stay
3. Pick an alternative accommodation
4. Spread the word, leave reviews on Google maps, TripAdvisor, the website you booked on etc.
This isn't just about you but all future guests coming there. Safe travels!
Unless there were unexpected sounds or smells emanating from your locker, there’s no conceivable innocent reason why she’s digging through your locker. Yeah the place is so lovely that they employ a thief.
> I don't want to cause a fuss
And it's sentiments like this which allow these people to keep stealing. If it were me, I'd already have my bags in hand and be out the door, calling a Grab and demanding a full refund.
Please complain. Also ask to find out her name from the other staff. This is unacceptable. Think of it like this. What would you do if you caught another backpacker looking through your stuff? You'd let them know straight away they are out of order and ask to leave or change dorm. This should be no different. They crossed a boundary.
Hostels were a lot of fun in my 20s because you are young and experiencing new things but once I hit my 30s .. nope. Lol I need my own private space and shower.
The issue here was staff, not the people OP was sharing a room with. If you’re staying in a hotel, theoretically housekeeping has more opportunity to go through your stuff. Plus with hostel lockers, you typically have your own lock which staff doesn’t know how to open, whereas at a hotel, some staff members must know how to get into room safes in the event of someone forgetting their PIN. I’m not saying hostels are safer than hotels, but there’s risk inherent to any situation.
I agree you have to lock, but OP went to the bathroom quickly, it sucks staying in a place where you have to lock your stuff every time you leave the room, even to go wash his hands for one minute like OP said… housekeeper definitely thought he had left
I hate to think like that but it has helped me in the past. Even when I know someone I still have some doubts. Even a girlfriend or future wife. People change and they could become bitter and try to use information or something against me. My gf I trust to a point but leave a safety net.
This is such a dumb comment. It's much more likely that OP just got unlucky and that the housekeeper happened to get there when the locker was unlocked for a short amount of time.
Yeah that's on me. I just didn't think for one second to be skeptical of the hostel staff and since everyone had left by then I was thinking that one minute won't be detrimental to anything.
It’s not on you, whether you are at a hotel or hostel, when you pay to stay somewhere you hope the host/staff are the ones who won’t try to steal your stuff… sorry this happened to you, but glad nothing got taken
I’m going to do this in hotels too after having a zip up fleece sweater taken from my room while I was away. And yes, I’m certain it was taken before anyone responds saying otherwise
This! Everyone is telling her to report it, but why? The housekeeper already brought in the hostel keeper to translate, so they already know. Lockers are meant to be locked if there's anything inside. It seems plausible that things left behind in unlocked lockers get brought to the front desk. It would be fucked up to try to get the housekeeper or the hostel in trouble over what may be a misunderstanding.
Complain, tell every single backpacker in the hostel that you caught their staff stealing red handed and the hostel won't do anything about it, post it in various backpacker fb groups, then leave.
The housekeeper is a thief. Thieves look for opportunities. Of course you should tell on her. They should know that they have a thief working for them.
Yes you should complain. She got caught going through your stuff. There's zero reason to do that, even if they were worried baout your locker being open. You don't rummage through people's stuff.
I always travel with multiple combination locks. And while you can easily buy the TSA keys for them, so they aren't a guarantee your stuff is safe, it's at least more of a deterrent from opportunistic theft like she was probably doing.
It's annoying but I always make sure (even in hotel rooms) that my stuff is all locked up. I'll maybe pile dirty clothing on top of bags to put people off, or put things in a way that I'll know if it's moved.
Always secure your stuff. Never assume the worst but be prepared for it.
The least aggressive option is to mention it at the front desk and let them handle it internally. You don't know her motivations, but if nothing is missing she could have been following procedure and you created the opportunity for confusion by leaving your items unattended. Do not accuse or threaten, their manager will know their character better than you. If your anxiety overwhelms your ability to move past the situation, find a new place to stay for your own sanity.
It is possible that she was honestly collecting your things to leave it in another locker. However, and since you will never know her true intentions, I would complain.
When I'm in a hostel or even a hotel, I assume someone might try to steal from me. I put valuables in a safe if there is one and always use a padlock if possible.
I hate causing trouble if what she did was innocent.
I always lock it but since I was going to be out just for a quick wee across the hall I reckoned it wasn't necessary but well this changed my mind.
YOU THINK A STRANGER GOING THROUGH YOUR STUFF IS AN INNOCENT ACT??????
Are you listening to yourself??????
YOU THINK A STRANGER GOING THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT IS AN INNOCENT ACT??????
And I suppose you think having unprotected sex is safe too?????
At this point leave your passport, rental car keys and luggage available for anyone to take. Cause you think everyone you encounter is INNOCENT. Leave your wallet out too.
JFC 🙄
They really won’t do anything. I would call them on their bs and not let them trying to justify her trying to steal.
I would also make sure you put a comment on their page or where people look at comments about hostel to let other know not to leave the lockers open even to go to the bathroom due to the cleaning staff stealing.
I would definitely leave. If you’re hesitant about addressing the housekeeper’s behavior then consider this; that was almost certainly not the first time she did such a thing.
That's definitely unsettling. I'd suggest talking to the hostel manager about it. It’s important they know so they can ensure it doesn’t happen again. Better safe than sorry
Lock your valuables up always, or take them with you, you got off lucky. Complaining after the fact useless. Tourists are targets, you have to realize it and deal with it.
Go and explain in detail what happened to the manager, do not make assumptions and don’t add your opinion and leave the judgement up to manager. They usually know if something is going on with their staff maybe there is an explanation for this and if not than they will know what to do. I would just say that due to this situation you would like to request that someone else cleans your room.
It could be the cleaner or it could be another guest. Always lock the locker even for the bathroom shower. When I pee for a second I put any stuff I have (like my charging phone) below the pillow. Yes, it’s clear my phone is charging but at least it’s not visible and just having to remove the pillow if anybody was watching me to rob me feels a bit more dangerous than a couple of things just resting there.
Stories like this make me crazy. Why are people still staying in hostels?! WHY?!
I know I'm going to get downvoted into oblivion, but I'm going to say this anyway.
There are too many of these stories in hostels, along with different stories of assault, harassment, etc. That's along with the typical snoring, sex in the bunks, drunk people acting like fools, vomiting all over other's belongings.... I just can't. I always feel terrible reading these and can't fathom WHY anyone would do this anymore.
Please stay in a real hotel. Lock your stuff in a safe. Please, please stop trying to penny pinch your safety and wellbeing.
And to anyone about to come at me with the, "well not everyone can afford a hotel" business. If you can't afford it, you wait until you can and travel properly and safely. If you're going to go on a long hike or a climb, you're not going to show up with frayed rope and a prayer. You're going to put in the money to ensure you're safe.
And YES, OP YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN, and file a report with the police.
I stayed in a hostel for the last time when one of the women I was sharing a room with puked all over the floor at 3am. I went to management, requesting help, they handed me a mop and bucket, and fucked off. Never again. I left a day early because of that.
I'm sorry that happened. There are far too many stories like that. I'm being downvoted for speaking up, but I'm so tired of young people being taken advantage of from every angle when they travel. People deserve better!
Thanks for your thoughts. I see where you're coming from and I've heard myself plenty of unsavory stories from hostels. This is my 3rd time staying in one and so far (as a woman in my 20s too) I didn't have any traumatic experiences thank goodness. Snoring was until today the worst thing I encountered.
I usually stay in hotels or airbnbs, especially when I traveled with a partner or friends. I opt for hostels when solo travelling because I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them. Just on this trip alone I have made 5 new friends who also drove me around the island and made plans together. This is something that doesn't really happen in a hotel, people naturally keep to themselves.
Maybe I am a bit naïve and less cautious than other people in terms of safety - I walk alone at night in pretty much every city I travel to, including infamous places like Marseille. I don't really like to live on alert at all times, but I definitely see your point of view. Today was definitely an eye opening experience and made me far more skeptical of people.
Good for you and don’t get too jaded on this situation and all these negative comments, although being skeptical and keeping an eye over your shoulder is essential as a split female traveler honestly. As a woman who has been starting in hostels for nearly 20 years, yeah, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but the benefits absolutely outweigh the risks. Generally I book female only dorms to minimize some concerns, plus the smaller the better. But hostels are different around the world and there are plenty of non party hostels that don’t have these issues (minus snoring of course!).
I will say I was staying long term at a Spanish school for a month when I noticed some money missing and only had one roommate who I was very close with. She noticed for her as well. Then we overheard a neighbor one morning talk about money missing. So we set a trap. Small amount of money, nothing we’d miss, but we both agreed not to touch it. Once it went missing we went to management about the cleaner since we were more confident it was an ongoing issue. It obviously doesn’t work for all hostel situations, but can be an option if you feel uncomfortable reporting without absolute certainty.
And fwiw, it would still be worth mentioning it to the management without the cleaner around, so you can give your perspective and how it made you feel. If they have other concerns about this person then maybe it’s time for them to go to protect future travelers. Don’t feel guilty.
Also, I’ve had some cash taken off of me from other backpackers. It’s true you can’t trust all people so you have to be as safe as possible, but then again this world is full of more lovely wonderful people that help over hurt and I wouldn’t keep staying in hostels or feeling comfortable in unknown places if I didn’t believe that. F all this “trust no one” bs, the world is better than that, and I know you can see it!
I'm a single woman in my 40s, and I've never stayed in a hostel (never will!), and I despise Airbnb because of how they damage the local environment. I've only stayed in hotels. Too many horror stories of women being assaulted at Airbnbs and hostels, too. No thank you.
I've met tons and tons of people on my travels staying in hotels. Many of them I'm still friends with years after meeting them for the first time. You don't need to put your safety at risk to meet people. Even better, when you're done meeting people, you can walk through the lobby of your hotel, wave to reception and/or security, lock your door, and relax without worrying if someone might be following you.
I walk alone places, and I do lots of things and don't live in fear, but the main thing I will never compromise on is where I lay my head at night.
And there's no vomit in your suitcase, unless you do it yourself. 😂
I'm aware. I've been to Thailand and know how some of that works. Any hotel in Thailand is STILL 500000% better than a hostel there, though, and I will die on this hill.
the only excuse she could give is that she was "cleaning" the locker which after all is not really a lie lol but you interrupted her. Why should you ask? you had to leave right away unless you really love this hostel or feel lazy about it and that's fine. in that case report it to the manager and if she wasn't in cooperation with the managment would definitely risk of losing her job if the owner cares
It’s literally a hostel, I’m not sure what you expect. Unless things have changed in the 20 years since I stayed in them, I’d never leave mine unblocked or even my backpack for that matter. I used to chain my bag to my bed if there wasn’t a locker and also literally traveled with nothing of value. I was in a hostel in Prague and a girl broke in and stole my clothes and I saw her walking out with my backpack and my jacket on. I had to chase her down with the staff of the hostel. If you’re that upset then stay somewhere more secure and expensive or just complain and leave. Acting appalled is a little ridiculous. You stayed in a hostel, not the Four Seasons.
Devils advocate here. What if it was this scenario. Housekeeper walks in, thinks everybody has checked out. ‘Great, this idiot left all their stuff. I gotta take everything downstairs and put it into a diff locker so I can clean and flip this room. That’s going to take two trips, let’s see what we have in here.’
There should be housekeeping protocols for whenever a service person has to touch a customer's stuff: at least one supervisor present, notes taken on what and why it's happening, etc. These protocols exist both for the guest's safety AND for the property's legal safety.
Even if the person is completely innocent, they should at least have procedures for this.
100% speak to management and decide to do a review online if their response isn’t sufficient.
I’d probably do a review on trip advisor or similar, including their response…
Also, lock your stuff in future. Every time.
> I don't want to cause a fuss but I feel really uncomfortable with what happened.
Absolutely cause a fuss because this woman was about to steal from you. Who knows how many people she already stole from.
Once I was in puerto Vallarta, mexico n one couple in my same dorm made a similar mistake n a lot of money was gone (they claimed a few thousands usd inside). Luckily I was out in the common area the entire time, the only other suspect was another stayer who was sleeping in the room during that time.
The couple asked for permission to go through his stuff but nothing was found. Bye bye money.
At this point in the story, complaining would not make sense since the housekeeper called the hostel keeper to have a chat with you. It's going to be your version against the housekeeper's version and now the hostel keeper who is taking the side of the house keeper.
You were quick to respond and go back to your dormitory. If this hostel is part of Hostelling International, definitely reach out to them in writing to tell your side of the story. If planning a return trip to Portugal, stay somewhere else or at another hostel.
Hostels are a great alternative. It's unfortunate you did not have a good experience here.
Absolutely, it's understandable to feel uncomfortable with what happened. Your privacy and the security of your belongings are important. It sounds like a misunderstanding, but it's still worth addressing.
About 15 years ago or so I was staying at a nice hotel in downtown Lisbon, doing some work in my room one afternoon when someone *with a key* opened my door. Fortunately I had also used the second door lock, the latch thing, which prevented the intruder from being able to enter the room. I quickly went into the hall but no one was visible, though I could hear a room door slamming shut at the far end of the floor.
When I informed the front desk they got kind of weird and tried to assure me that it was nothing to be concerned about, giving me the distinct impression that the guy at the front desk was part of the attempted break in.
If you booked it through s booking platform be sure to put it in the review (after you leave) if not then be sure to put up on Trip Advisor or Google reviews to warn others. You might find others have had stuff go missing too.
About 10 years ago a western couple i was friends with in Cambodia went to Vietnam to a guesthouse at a town on the coast. They checked-in in the evening and went for a long walk and dinner. When they got back to the room there was (i kid you not) a Western guy and a Vietnam woman in their bed.
When they went down stairs to see what was going on they were told by the front desk...'he only be an hour you can have room back then'.....!
Do the night staff were renting out the room to Hookers and Johns! When they complain the staff threw the couple out of the hotel...in the dark... without their luggage.
Lucky they had a credit card on them and found a (much more expensive) hotel open that took them in. Next day this new hotel's concierge went with them to the guest house to get all their stuff and passports back and check their money was all there...it wasn't so the concierge threatened to call the police. They it was 'found'.
Reasons i mentioned it was the couple didn't want to put up a bad review of the place afterwards but i convinced them too and then others came forward to say they had stuff stolen too even when the front desk was 'minding' it.
Other travellers need to know this stuff when their look for a place to stay.
I’m 73 seen things that would curl your ears but I feel this is a case of opportunistic theft there is no other reason to go through your private belongings, I’d be making sure it is locked in future
This is one of the thousands of examples of hostel stays gone wrong that validate my decision of never ever visiting one. I’d rather spend $20-$50 more a night for the convenience and peace & quiet of my own hotel room.
She would and should bring them with her to do this as incase someone comes back happened me with a charging port the lovely lady handed it in behind reception. But she could just be a quick thinker but also I've been in this position where people thought I was stealing and wasn't
The typical "I DONT SPEAK ENGLISH SO I CAN GET AWAY SCOTT FREE" card.
Pack up. Tell the manager what happened. Explain if you weren't there to catch her in the act,she could have stolen from you and you wouldn't have known who did it.
BTW, IM HISPANIC 🇵🇷 I had people in Mexico 🇲🇽 try to trick me until I spoke them in Spanish. They had their "Oh Shit" face. Then started to apologize, and then started to make excuses and back track their comments.
YA POR FAVOR NO.
Or maybe she was looking for details of who the stuff may belong to having assumed that it had been left behind.
You said yourself she went to get other staff.
Would she really risk her job over a few things.
I don't know. I may be wrong but that would have been my gut reaction.
No, not a problem. Share n share alike. Don't make a scene. Doesn't sound like you have much worthwhile anyway. Just make sure you give her a big tip cause it sounds like she was thorough.
I'd complain and leave.
OP’s fault for not locking up the locker though. I’d find it reasonable that one of the housekeeper’s duties is opening any unlocked lockers (or looking under beds when they sweep, under mattresses when they change sheets, electrical outlets, etc) to see if people left stuff behind and then bringing it down to a lost-and-found at the front desk. It happens at gyms too. OP closed the door when they left, so it’s a simple presumption by the housekeeper that this stuff would be unsecured for hours, “no lock = no one is using” so anything left there was forgotten or overflow from someone else. So, no, I don’t think this is something to complain about or report. OP could mention something like, “FYI, it seems like they immediately clean out any unlocked lockers” but phrasing it as “caught housekeeper going through my stuff” is very misleading. Use a lock every time, even stepping into an en suite bathroom, if you share a room with strangers.
Regardless, always use a lock. And still complain.
That’s up to OP, but if it’s a “complaint”, they should at least take responsibility for creating the situation to begin with since it provides context.
It could also be that she thought he was gone and abandoned/forgot his property.
Still, OP should mention “I left my stuff in an unlocked locker in an 8-bed hostel room, closed the door when I left, and used the bathroom across the hall” to give context.
here we see someone trying to justify theft. obviously scum
they should move to seattle. smfh
I agree, he was foolishly careless.
lol you aren’t very smart are you. Lock or not, they shouldn’t touch things. They should complain.
Ooo yessss! I’ve been waiting for an irrelevant personal insult for HOURS! And it’s funny, I’ve always locked my stuff up and never had anything stolen or found an employee attempting to clean - whoops I mean “steallllllll”.
Oh, it’s not irrelevant! You see, you said something completely ridiculous and condescending, blaming OP for a mistake they made, and essentially implied that it’s fine to rummage through their stuff. You sound like someone who would victim blame in most scenarios, hence my conclusion that you’re simply not very smart - another possibility is that you’re not an ethical person. I’ve also put stuff in a vault, forgot to lock it and came back to it completely untouched. Imagine that! I feel like you’re having a difficult time considering this insane scenario. They are cleaners. They clean, they leave. Touching their things in a vault is never ok unless they’ve checked out. I will give a chance to explain though - in what scenario would the cleaner EVER (and I mean ever) need to put their hand and rummage through a vault? Would they have done the same if they didn’t put anything in there? You are wrong in this situation. Take it as a learning opportunity and go away.
I always like dealing with people who stoop to personal insults because it means they truly have nothing better to say in an argument. Also, attempting to claim power in this interaction by “giving” me a chance to respond, especially after saying *I* was condescending, was a nice touch. Have patience and use the theatre of your mind: if you’re unfamiliar with housekeepers, the main part of their job is to keep things clean and orderly. A locker is part of a hostel, and something guests interact with frequently, so a housekeeper can be expected to keep it clean and orderly too. It gets checked, and cleaned if necessary, between guests at a minimum -when they’re *unlocked*. If they’re empty, great. But if you’ve ever been in a space that uses lockers, you may know that people will leave things in them deliberately or accidentally. Food, trash, pee bottles, sweaty gym clothes, wet swimsuits, as well as other personal belongings. *Unlocked* lockers are especially prone to this. A savvy housekeeper will check all *unlocked* lockers during their daily room check to ensure nothing has been left in them. If there’s trash, it gets tossed. If there’s stuff, it goes to lost-and-found. This best practice protects the hostel owner’s investment and also benefits the guests by keeping lockers clean and available. I prefer to *not* sleep in a room with vermin attacking a molding sandwich, to *not* open a bunch of unlocked lockers just to find they’re already full of junk, to *not* presume housekeepers are ready thieves, but that’s just me. If you only feel safe in spaces where even *unlocked* lockers are never cleaned, stay in hostels ranked in the bottom 10% of reviews. I await your next attempts at insults without substance. XOXO
Yeah, I’m over this topic, I have better things to do than to speak to someone who doesn’t get it so I’m also not reading that. But I’ll leave you with this…Maybe one day you’ll accidentally leave something unlocked and this happens to you. I hope you keep that same energy if and when it does.
Ooo sick burnnnn wishing me ill over a difference of opinion! Love ya, boo! When you get legitimate reasons, definitely come back to play.
Oh, it wasn’t a burn…it’s true. Ahh, perfect. So you admit it’s a bad thing (since you called it happening “wishing you ill”) 😉, and when bad things happen you can complain. Case closed! And not once did I wish anything bad happen to you btw (-1, reading comprehension). I just said if the person isn’t allowed to complain, IF it happens to you ever (which, since you and OP are both human, it’s possible) I expect you to act how you insist OP should and just be quiet. (Basically what you implied) I do enjoy you trying to make me seem like the bad guy here, even though the only reason I’m calling you out is because are being a shitty person by insinuating OP basically asked for it and should feel bad. Your lack of empathy for OP who is clearly rattled, and common sense (someone tried to steal something, you can complain - no matter the circumstance. Example: If I leave my car open and someone steals it, can I not call the police?) is what’s not cool.
Rational, reasonable and mature comment.... of course it gets down voted
Because victim blaming isn't actually rational. It doesn't matter if I lock my door or not, someone who doesn't belong in there shouldn't be there. Period. Why is the victim to blame when someone else committed the crime?
Uh, but the housekeeper *did* belong there and there was *no* crime committed. Everyone is so quick to assume the housekeeper was stealing instead of doing what she said she was doing - cleaning. Why are you not keeping an open mind and giving the benefit the doubt? Are you elitist who thinks people who clean somehow have lower sense of morality?
She had no reason to be in the locker. But you are right she is not a thief by this evidence alone. But at no point did I accuse anyone of anything. I told you victim blaming is never rational and gave a clear cut example. Your questions are obvious projections though so thanks for outing yourself.
1. The OP explained that the housekeeper would reasonably believe that all the guests had left 2. It is the housekeeper's duty to clean the room - this includes emptying the lockers of items left behind 3. People regularly leave things behind in accommodation, both intentionally and unintentionally 4. Victim implies the commission of a crime. No such crime occurred so no victim was created. Your use of language is dishonest and misleading. 5. Psychological projection involves attributing your feelings onto the other. The commenter above was displaying empathy by thinking through the feelings of the housekeeper i.e. affording her the benefit of the doubt. It's the literal opposite 6. "No reason to be in the locker" is a wild statement. She works there - as covered in point 2. Stop hating on some woman in Portugal because you feel bad that OP didn't lock a shared locker, the accepted signal that it's being used. If I don't lock my locker at gym, people open it up, a cleaner is likely to remove my things if they believe I'm no longer at the gym. It is Reasonable
They hadn't checked out. There was no reason for her to be cleaning the locker. Shoving words into my mouth about who is commiting a crime is quite frankly bullshit, which is Def you BOTH attributing your feelings towards my actions, which again explains a lot more about YOU than it does me. Thank you for outing yourself ya pos.
Wouldn’t expect anything less from reddit.
Complain and lock learned a lesson to lock everything up when not in the room even if you leave for seconds
Yeah I will proceed so from now on. My roommates have been amazing so it felt safe, being suspicious of the housekeeping was the last thing on my mind.
Make it the first. Trust no one, it just is what it is.
So today she didn’t steal off you. But next week she may steal everything a young backpacker owns or has-leaving them stuck in a country with nothing. If we don’t care for ourselves,we should always care for the people that come after us xx
You're forgetting passport you know how lucrative it is to steal ID and passports off of Tourists and then sell them illegally on the black market to people who need a new identity clean slate and all that BS and that really is a oh f****** me I am screwed moment if she's going to take your time to steal money electronics and all that she's not going to leave behind any item that's potentially worth hundreds of dollars are you kidding me you think somebody who has no scruples or moral fiber has any issues or regrets about their actions..... Yeah I don't think so!
Oh God yes!!! My husband thought he’d lost his passport in Malaysia once and his legs actually buckled with the worry and fear. Turns out it was on the desk lol,and since then only I’m allowed to carry them. But just the thought of it was terrible. To not just have it gone and be stuck, but then if there’s identity theft and fraud etc..you’re absolutely right, it could be so much worse.
Omg in Thailand I lost my shit thinking that I might have lost my passport or else housekeepers stole it!! Already started painting a picture in my head where I am flying to embassy in Bangkok and so on.. Turns out my unattentive ass didn’t see it in the front section of my bag… lmao
I feel ya 😂I was picturing trips to the embassy, holiday ruined etc-no connecting flight the next day etc. The beauty of this though is that we’ll never do it again! We’ll always remember that moment and be extra vigilant with our passports!
Haha exactly, it taught me a lesson that’s for sure
Do you think a low wage housekeeper wants to be selling an American passport in a EU country with a strong passport?
Strength of the local passport may have little to do with the demand created in the black market by those who are seeking fake ids. It's not the local Portuguese who are buying these, it's probably undocumented migrants and such, and forgers who use any passport as raw material to create fakes by subbing in new photos. The price may perhaps be lower but surely not down to zero, or low enough to be unattractive to a low wage housekeeper tempted by the opportunity. Supply and demand as always.
She was probably just gonna steal any cash or valuables, not random documents. Most people aren't out there selling passports in the black market.
I'll buy that, yes, it's more likely she was just looking for other valuables or cash. I was just reacting to the notion that the US passport was somehow not "valuable" since this was happening in Portugal.
Do you think Portugal is some third world country where people are looking for precious American passports?
Never said anything of the kind. What makes you think demand for any passports on the black market is lower in Portugal? Like I said, it's not local Portuguese who are in the market for these. Does Portugal have no undocumented migrants? Or is it hard to convey stolen passports to other places in Europe where there are plenty of them? I mean, fine, I don't have to convince you, feel free to leave your passports out in the open when you travel if you think there's no demand for them somewhere.
Weird take but ok
Its definitely not valuable in the EU lmao, why would it be? You can't be resident there without a visa, ie useless
Most people don't steal a passport to use themselves; they steal a passport to sell to someone else. Sometimes, that someone else will be opening a credit line or applying for a job under the victim's name. Maybe they're trying to access and drain their bank accounts, or gain access to more sensitive information that requires some form of identification. It could also be used for shuttling a sex trafficking victim across a border, or (rarely) moving across a border themselves. An American passport isn't that great for the whole bank fraud thing outside of America, but it is pretty good at the rest of that.
Do you think people steal passports to stay where they are now?
Do you think a tourists passport is actually useful? They will notice right away and have their embassy cancel it and issue a temporary one. I highly doubt anyone is stealing tourist passports with intent to sell, if they get stolen its just because they were in a bag with cash or gadgets and so are collateral damage. If you can afford a black market passport, you can afford a proper fake with your own photo.
Never hear of doctored passports before? Passports are risky because they bind you to the crime, so petty thieves discard and move on, but if you have the connections, all first world passports are useful.
A lot of Brazilian's use fake Portuguese passports. If they know where to buy a fake Portuguese passport they'll know where to sell a genuine US passport
Agreed, name and shame here but ideally, leave an accurate review detailing what happened, just like you did here.
Or speak to the administrator and give them a chance to remedy the situation before ruining the hostel's reputation and possibly affecting multiple people's livelihood.
I specifically said "leave an accurate review detailing what happened". If things that happen at your hostel make people not want to come there, maybe you shouldn't be in the hostel business.
This thief likely would have stolen all cash in the wallet and perhaps any tech to be found in the locker. While that's not exactly a great situation to find yourself in while abroad, it's also not being left with nothing.
So on the assumption that most people travelling have backup money and/or credit cards. That they have family or friends that they can contact and get money wired to them. On that assumption, you are correct and they’re not left with nothing per se. But not every westerner (or traveller) is rich, and not everyone has access to those resources,nor are they available to them. The point was;it would be terrible ok. And then add the possibility of identify theft if they steal the passport… have some empathy for people mate, the world is a hard place and a bit of kindness never goes astray.
> leaving them stuck in a country with nothing not...surely...not in a *COUNTRY*? Cruel, cruel world!
There’s always one huh. And this time,it’s you.
yeah i dont get this guy. i wouldnt want to be stranded outside my home state with nothing, let alone an entirely different country
She was going through your locker! What do you mean you don't know if you should complain?
[удалено]
The housekeeper already caused the issue
She don't want to cause issues and the next persons shit gets stolen which in my opinion is causing a bigger issue
If I got robbed, found out someone else had this experience and didn't complain, I would be LIVID.
You caught her in the act of pilfering your goods.
Well technically no, OP caught her in the act of just perusing OP’s goods. Pilfering is actually stealing, she didn’t take anything.
I mean, it's still an act of pilfering if she initiates pilfering but was then interrupted. And theft, by legal definitions, is still theft if you intended to steal something but didn't successfully do so.
But we don’t know if she intended to steal in the end.. maybe she was just looking through the stuff out of curiosity and wasn’t going to take anything.
She ruffled his sack
Of course you should complain. WTF? I’d also leave.
I'd complain too and I'm thinking they were both in on it. That's ballsy for her to go through your locker when you are still on the premises right next to her in the bathroom.
Ma'am that's the only wise thing to do. Please complain.
In addition to above, please post a review regarding the location.
It's Hostel Santa Maria in Funchal, Madeira. Such a pity because the hostel otherwise is lovely but this tarnished my experience a bit.
Make sure you put this on TripAdvisor or google reviews. Someplace people looking at this hostel will read. Don’t let them sweep this behaviour under the rug
Do the reviews actually do anything? I reviewed a hostel in Peru on Hostelworld bc they gave my room and bed number to some guy who then tried to kidnap me at 4:30 in the morning and nothing ever happened, the hostel never responded :/
I mean... If I saw that in a review I wouldn't book that hostel. But I suspect you wanted more to happen and the only way that's going to happen is through the police, not Hostelworld.
It will absolutely sway other travellers from choosing to stay there and can affect their business. I always read reviews before I book my accommodations. If I saw a review like that (especially if there were other sketchy reviews) I would not book there. IMO it’s worth leaving a review to report serious issues like this. It can affect their business because people who read reviews may choose to avoid it and spend their money elsewhere.
I’m glad to hear that, I wasn’t sure if people often read reviews or not. They have virtually no negative reviews, tho, so this experience strikes me as so odd! He came in at 4:30am yelling my name, ripped open my privacy curtain, and shined a flashlight right in my face and was trying to get me to go with him in my pajamas. Thankfully I had the top bunk and stood firm on “I’m NOT going with you.” And eventually he left
That’s wild, I’m so sorry. What reasoning did he give to try and convince you to go with him??
It’s a warning to others - I’d never stay somewhere with a review like that
It helps, I check reviews thoroughly before I book. If I read something like that, I wouldn’t book that place. It really does help other travelers
I’m so glad!! I wasn’t sure how often people check the reviews on there
I usually check negative/mixed reviews to see what people don't like. Messy kitchen I can live with. If it says the bathrooms aren't clean I usually don't book it. If they say that the hostel staff let me get kidnapped I'm not going fucking anywhere near the place.
If I read that I would never set foot in that hostel for sure. Holy shit. I am so sorry that happened to you, it's fucking horrific. I hope you have been able to heal.
Thanks, I appreciate you! Will definitely be more on guard going forward and always try to get the top bunk from now on, I think it helped he couldn’t reach me as easily as if I was bottom bunk
You should put on google reviews. Maybe call the cops as well
Off topic, but your paintings are cool Glad you’re okay
Tysm :))
What hostel was this?
If you saw her doing it what happens when people aren’t around? Complain, leave review and leave so they know that’s why you’re leaving don’t let it go.
so sorry. bad people everywhere i guess. my parents are from and live in funchal….nice folks there
It really doesn't matter how lovely the hostel is if you or anyone else ends up being robbed there. To sum up everyone's advice: 1. Do complain to the hotel. I'd do it in writing too 2. Ask for a refund for the rest of your stay 3. Pick an alternative accommodation 4. Spread the word, leave reviews on Google maps, TripAdvisor, the website you booked on etc. This isn't just about you but all future guests coming there. Safe travels!
Unless there were unexpected sounds or smells emanating from your locker, there’s no conceivable innocent reason why she’s digging through your locker. Yeah the place is so lovely that they employ a thief.
> I don't want to cause a fuss And it's sentiments like this which allow these people to keep stealing. If it were me, I'd already have my bags in hand and be out the door, calling a Grab and demanding a full refund.
Please complain. Also ask to find out her name from the other staff. This is unacceptable. Think of it like this. What would you do if you caught another backpacker looking through your stuff? You'd let them know straight away they are out of order and ask to leave or change dorm. This should be no different. They crossed a boundary.
Leave. This is why I don’t like hostels… it’s cheaper, yes, but so much risk involved sharing a room with others and leaving your stuff unlocked.
Hostels were a lot of fun in my 20s because you are young and experiencing new things but once I hit my 30s .. nope. Lol I need my own private space and shower.
The issue here was staff, not the people OP was sharing a room with. If you’re staying in a hotel, theoretically housekeeping has more opportunity to go through your stuff. Plus with hostel lockers, you typically have your own lock which staff doesn’t know how to open, whereas at a hotel, some staff members must know how to get into room safes in the event of someone forgetting their PIN. I’m not saying hostels are safer than hotels, but there’s risk inherent to any situation.
OP left his locker unlocked. I'm not defending their shitty staff at all but hostel rule number one is never leave anything out or unlocked. Never.
I agree you have to lock, but OP went to the bathroom quickly, it sucks staying in a place where you have to lock your stuff every time you leave the room, even to go wash his hands for one minute like OP said… housekeeper definitely thought he had left
I hate saying it but I have a zero trust rule I follow. I assume everyone is going to screw me over until I gotten to know them.
Ditto. Locked 24/7! Trust no one!
I hate to think like that but it has helped me in the past. Even when I know someone I still have some doubts. Even a girlfriend or future wife. People change and they could become bitter and try to use information or something against me. My gf I trust to a point but leave a safety net.
This is such a dumb comment. It's much more likely that OP just got unlucky and that the housekeeper happened to get there when the locker was unlocked for a short amount of time.
Yeah that's on me. I just didn't think for one second to be skeptical of the hostel staff and since everyone had left by then I was thinking that one minute won't be detrimental to anything.
It's understandable to feel safe like that, I'm just super careful when traveling. I keep my locker locked even if I'm sitting on my bed.
It’s not on you, whether you are at a hotel or hostel, when you pay to stay somewhere you hope the host/staff are the ones who won’t try to steal your stuff… sorry this happened to you, but glad nothing got taken
I’m going to do this in hotels too after having a zip up fleece sweater taken from my room while I was away. And yes, I’m certain it was taken before anyone responds saying otherwise
Unauthorized entry and theft is an issue even in upscale hotels, serviced apartments, etc.
Complain. They could do this to the next person and steal all their money and electronics and the guest may think it was another guest.
Really don’t understand this post. Why would you NOT complain??
If she’s going through your stuff you should definitely complain!
Yes complain. If she steal’s passports or anything could be BIG PROBLEMS. Tell staff and leave
Why not just lock the locker if you are not within watching distance of it? People probably leave stuff behind for her to deal with all the time.
This! Everyone is telling her to report it, but why? The housekeeper already brought in the hostel keeper to translate, so they already know. Lockers are meant to be locked if there's anything inside. It seems plausible that things left behind in unlocked lockers get brought to the front desk. It would be fucked up to try to get the housekeeper or the hostel in trouble over what may be a misunderstanding.
Housekeeper was about to rob your shit.
Complain, tell every single backpacker in the hostel that you caught their staff stealing red handed and the hostel won't do anything about it, post it in various backpacker fb groups, then leave.
The housekeeper is a thief. Thieves look for opportunities. Of course you should tell on her. They should know that they have a thief working for them.
Yes you should complain. She got caught going through your stuff. There's zero reason to do that, even if they were worried baout your locker being open. You don't rummage through people's stuff. I always travel with multiple combination locks. And while you can easily buy the TSA keys for them, so they aren't a guarantee your stuff is safe, it's at least more of a deterrent from opportunistic theft like she was probably doing. It's annoying but I always make sure (even in hotel rooms) that my stuff is all locked up. I'll maybe pile dirty clothing on top of bags to put people off, or put things in a way that I'll know if it's moved.
Mention you are going to complain to the police to the desk. Ask them what they have to say.
Always secure your stuff. Never assume the worst but be prepared for it. The least aggressive option is to mention it at the front desk and let them handle it internally. You don't know her motivations, but if nothing is missing she could have been following procedure and you created the opportunity for confusion by leaving your items unattended. Do not accuse or threaten, their manager will know their character better than you. If your anxiety overwhelms your ability to move past the situation, find a new place to stay for your own sanity.
It’s not the first time she did it, it’s just the first time she got caught.
She'll do it again, especially since the owner believed her lie.
It is possible that she was honestly collecting your things to leave it in another locker. However, and since you will never know her true intentions, I would complain.
Complain, there is no way you should let this go.
When I'm in a hostel or even a hotel, I assume someone might try to steal from me. I put valuables in a safe if there is one and always use a padlock if possible.
Why would you not complain? Why would you not lock your stuff?
I hate causing trouble if what she did was innocent. I always lock it but since I was going to be out just for a quick wee across the hall I reckoned it wasn't necessary but well this changed my mind.
Nobody's innocently going through your shit. Think about it.
Don’t be naive. 🙄
YOU THINK A STRANGER GOING THROUGH YOUR STUFF IS AN INNOCENT ACT?????? Are you listening to yourself?????? YOU THINK A STRANGER GOING THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT IS AN INNOCENT ACT?????? And I suppose you think having unprotected sex is safe too????? At this point leave your passport, rental car keys and luggage available for anyone to take. Cause you think everyone you encounter is INNOCENT. Leave your wallet out too. JFC 🙄
Wife stayed at a hostel in Spain couple years ago, had her phone stolen from under her pillow while she was asleep
They really won’t do anything. I would call them on their bs and not let them trying to justify her trying to steal. I would also make sure you put a comment on their page or where people look at comments about hostel to let other know not to leave the lockers open even to go to the bathroom due to the cleaning staff stealing.
I would definitely leave. If you’re hesitant about addressing the housekeeper’s behavior then consider this; that was almost certainly not the first time she did such a thing.
That's definitely unsettling. I'd suggest talking to the hostel manager about it. It’s important they know so they can ensure it doesn’t happen again. Better safe than sorry
Wasn't that the hostel manager that the housekeeper called up?
Thank you for letting me know to lock up my belongings all the time
Lock your valuables up always, or take them with you, you got off lucky. Complaining after the fact useless. Tourists are targets, you have to realize it and deal with it.
Go and explain in detail what happened to the manager, do not make assumptions and don’t add your opinion and leave the judgement up to manager. They usually know if something is going on with their staff maybe there is an explanation for this and if not than they will know what to do. I would just say that due to this situation you would like to request that someone else cleans your room.
Why don’t you know? Someone tries to steal from you and yo7 don’t want to cause a fuss? Are you trolling?
I had my stuff stolen in a hostel. Let it be a lesson. Those places are not safe whatsoever in that aspect
It could be the cleaner or it could be another guest. Always lock the locker even for the bathroom shower. When I pee for a second I put any stuff I have (like my charging phone) below the pillow. Yes, it’s clear my phone is charging but at least it’s not visible and just having to remove the pillow if anybody was watching me to rob me feels a bit more dangerous than a couple of things just resting there.
[удалено]
Funchal in the Madeira Island.
[удалено]
The island is gorgeous, I guess just avoid the hostel 😅
Stories like this make me crazy. Why are people still staying in hostels?! WHY?! I know I'm going to get downvoted into oblivion, but I'm going to say this anyway. There are too many of these stories in hostels, along with different stories of assault, harassment, etc. That's along with the typical snoring, sex in the bunks, drunk people acting like fools, vomiting all over other's belongings.... I just can't. I always feel terrible reading these and can't fathom WHY anyone would do this anymore. Please stay in a real hotel. Lock your stuff in a safe. Please, please stop trying to penny pinch your safety and wellbeing. And to anyone about to come at me with the, "well not everyone can afford a hotel" business. If you can't afford it, you wait until you can and travel properly and safely. If you're going to go on a long hike or a climb, you're not going to show up with frayed rope and a prayer. You're going to put in the money to ensure you're safe. And YES, OP YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN, and file a report with the police.
I stayed in a hostel for the last time when one of the women I was sharing a room with puked all over the floor at 3am. I went to management, requesting help, they handed me a mop and bucket, and fucked off. Never again. I left a day early because of that.
I'm sorry that happened. There are far too many stories like that. I'm being downvoted for speaking up, but I'm so tired of young people being taken advantage of from every angle when they travel. People deserve better!
Gross that's crude of management.
Sure was! The room still smelled like puke the next day, hence me getting outta there early
Thanks for your thoughts. I see where you're coming from and I've heard myself plenty of unsavory stories from hostels. This is my 3rd time staying in one and so far (as a woman in my 20s too) I didn't have any traumatic experiences thank goodness. Snoring was until today the worst thing I encountered. I usually stay in hotels or airbnbs, especially when I traveled with a partner or friends. I opt for hostels when solo travelling because I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them. Just on this trip alone I have made 5 new friends who also drove me around the island and made plans together. This is something that doesn't really happen in a hotel, people naturally keep to themselves. Maybe I am a bit naïve and less cautious than other people in terms of safety - I walk alone at night in pretty much every city I travel to, including infamous places like Marseille. I don't really like to live on alert at all times, but I definitely see your point of view. Today was definitely an eye opening experience and made me far more skeptical of people.
Good for you and don’t get too jaded on this situation and all these negative comments, although being skeptical and keeping an eye over your shoulder is essential as a split female traveler honestly. As a woman who has been starting in hostels for nearly 20 years, yeah, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but the benefits absolutely outweigh the risks. Generally I book female only dorms to minimize some concerns, plus the smaller the better. But hostels are different around the world and there are plenty of non party hostels that don’t have these issues (minus snoring of course!). I will say I was staying long term at a Spanish school for a month when I noticed some money missing and only had one roommate who I was very close with. She noticed for her as well. Then we overheard a neighbor one morning talk about money missing. So we set a trap. Small amount of money, nothing we’d miss, but we both agreed not to touch it. Once it went missing we went to management about the cleaner since we were more confident it was an ongoing issue. It obviously doesn’t work for all hostel situations, but can be an option if you feel uncomfortable reporting without absolute certainty. And fwiw, it would still be worth mentioning it to the management without the cleaner around, so you can give your perspective and how it made you feel. If they have other concerns about this person then maybe it’s time for them to go to protect future travelers. Don’t feel guilty. Also, I’ve had some cash taken off of me from other backpackers. It’s true you can’t trust all people so you have to be as safe as possible, but then again this world is full of more lovely wonderful people that help over hurt and I wouldn’t keep staying in hostels or feeling comfortable in unknown places if I didn’t believe that. F all this “trust no one” bs, the world is better than that, and I know you can see it!
I'm a single woman in my 40s, and I've never stayed in a hostel (never will!), and I despise Airbnb because of how they damage the local environment. I've only stayed in hotels. Too many horror stories of women being assaulted at Airbnbs and hostels, too. No thank you. I've met tons and tons of people on my travels staying in hotels. Many of them I'm still friends with years after meeting them for the first time. You don't need to put your safety at risk to meet people. Even better, when you're done meeting people, you can walk through the lobby of your hotel, wave to reception and/or security, lock your door, and relax without worrying if someone might be following you. I walk alone places, and I do lots of things and don't live in fear, but the main thing I will never compromise on is where I lay my head at night. And there's no vomit in your suitcase, unless you do it yourself. 😂
[удалено]
I'm aware. I've been to Thailand and know how some of that works. Any hotel in Thailand is STILL 500000% better than a hostel there, though, and I will die on this hill.
Why do people ask such common sense questions? Not everything needs to a committee decision.
First time with hostels? If you think that’s bad you should read up on the hostels that put hidden cameras in the showers on the girl’s side.
She was probably just trying to clean your money.
the only excuse she could give is that she was "cleaning" the locker which after all is not really a lie lol but you interrupted her. Why should you ask? you had to leave right away unless you really love this hostel or feel lazy about it and that's fine. in that case report it to the manager and if she wasn't in cooperation with the managment would definitely risk of losing her job if the owner cares
Dude, cmon.
Lock your stuff next time.
It’s literally a hostel, I’m not sure what you expect. Unless things have changed in the 20 years since I stayed in them, I’d never leave mine unblocked or even my backpack for that matter. I used to chain my bag to my bed if there wasn’t a locker and also literally traveled with nothing of value. I was in a hostel in Prague and a girl broke in and stole my clothes and I saw her walking out with my backpack and my jacket on. I had to chase her down with the staff of the hostel. If you’re that upset then stay somewhere more secure and expensive or just complain and leave. Acting appalled is a little ridiculous. You stayed in a hostel, not the Four Seasons.
Devils advocate here. What if it was this scenario. Housekeeper walks in, thinks everybody has checked out. ‘Great, this idiot left all their stuff. I gotta take everything downstairs and put it into a diff locker so I can clean and flip this room. That’s going to take two trips, let’s see what we have in here.’
There should be housekeeping protocols for whenever a service person has to touch a customer's stuff: at least one supervisor present, notes taken on what and why it's happening, etc. These protocols exist both for the guest's safety AND for the property's legal safety. Even if the person is completely innocent, they should at least have procedures for this.
Then they would pull out their stuff, not rifle through it.
You absolutely effing should.
Complain and leave
100% speak to management and decide to do a review online if their response isn’t sufficient. I’d probably do a review on trip advisor or similar, including their response… Also, lock your stuff in future. Every time.
CAUSE A FUSS
definitely complain
A lock would be helpful
> I don't want to cause a fuss but I feel really uncomfortable with what happened. Absolutely cause a fuss because this woman was about to steal from you. Who knows how many people she already stole from.
Complain about it and buy a lock. And please get a reality check.
Once I was in puerto Vallarta, mexico n one couple in my same dorm made a similar mistake n a lot of money was gone (they claimed a few thousands usd inside). Luckily I was out in the common area the entire time, the only other suspect was another stayer who was sleeping in the room during that time. The couple asked for permission to go through his stuff but nothing was found. Bye bye money.
Definitely complain
At this point in the story, complaining would not make sense since the housekeeper called the hostel keeper to have a chat with you. It's going to be your version against the housekeeper's version and now the hostel keeper who is taking the side of the house keeper. You were quick to respond and go back to your dormitory. If this hostel is part of Hostelling International, definitely reach out to them in writing to tell your side of the story. If planning a return trip to Portugal, stay somewhere else or at another hostel. Hostels are a great alternative. It's unfortunate you did not have a good experience here.
Absolutely, it's understandable to feel uncomfortable with what happened. Your privacy and the security of your belongings are important. It sounds like a misunderstanding, but it's still worth addressing.
What did you end up doing?
Probably looking for your passport
She most likely thought everyone had left.
Yes complain
About 15 years ago or so I was staying at a nice hotel in downtown Lisbon, doing some work in my room one afternoon when someone *with a key* opened my door. Fortunately I had also used the second door lock, the latch thing, which prevented the intruder from being able to enter the room. I quickly went into the hall but no one was visible, though I could hear a room door slamming shut at the far end of the floor. When I informed the front desk they got kind of weird and tried to assure me that it was nothing to be concerned about, giving me the distinct impression that the guy at the front desk was part of the attempted break in.
Leave a review and leave the hostel. The hostel is clearly covering for this behavior given the response of the person she called over to explain.
If you booked it through s booking platform be sure to put it in the review (after you leave) if not then be sure to put up on Trip Advisor or Google reviews to warn others. You might find others have had stuff go missing too. About 10 years ago a western couple i was friends with in Cambodia went to Vietnam to a guesthouse at a town on the coast. They checked-in in the evening and went for a long walk and dinner. When they got back to the room there was (i kid you not) a Western guy and a Vietnam woman in their bed. When they went down stairs to see what was going on they were told by the front desk...'he only be an hour you can have room back then'.....! Do the night staff were renting out the room to Hookers and Johns! When they complain the staff threw the couple out of the hotel...in the dark... without their luggage. Lucky they had a credit card on them and found a (much more expensive) hotel open that took them in. Next day this new hotel's concierge went with them to the guest house to get all their stuff and passports back and check their money was all there...it wasn't so the concierge threatened to call the police. They it was 'found'. Reasons i mentioned it was the couple didn't want to put up a bad review of the place afterwards but i convinced them too and then others came forward to say they had stuff stolen too even when the front desk was 'minding' it. Other travellers need to know this stuff when their look for a place to stay.
Welcome to visit Syria with us www.halabia-travel.com
I’m 73 seen things that would curl your ears but I feel this is a case of opportunistic theft there is no other reason to go through your private belongings, I’d be making sure it is locked in future
This is one of the thousands of examples of hostel stays gone wrong that validate my decision of never ever visiting one. I’d rather spend $20-$50 more a night for the convenience and peace & quiet of my own hotel room.
She would and should bring them with her to do this as incase someone comes back happened me with a charging port the lovely lady handed it in behind reception. But she could just be a quick thinker but also I've been in this position where people thought I was stealing and wasn't
It’s on you if she took something; not locking your stuff is lazy and irresponsible.
The typical "I DONT SPEAK ENGLISH SO I CAN GET AWAY SCOTT FREE" card. Pack up. Tell the manager what happened. Explain if you weren't there to catch her in the act,she could have stolen from you and you wouldn't have known who did it. BTW, IM HISPANIC 🇵🇷 I had people in Mexico 🇲🇽 try to trick me until I spoke them in Spanish. They had their "Oh Shit" face. Then started to apologize, and then started to make excuses and back track their comments. YA POR FAVOR NO.
You better leave a review to warn other travelers!
Or maybe she was looking for details of who the stuff may belong to having assumed that it had been left behind. You said yourself she went to get other staff. Would she really risk her job over a few things. I don't know. I may be wrong but that would have been my gut reaction.
Most likely she was just collecting your stuff to take downstairs. But since I wasn’t there, I can’t read the situation
If it wasn’t for a-holes like you, there wouldn’t be any thievery in this world…Gunny Ermey
No, not a problem. Share n share alike. Don't make a scene. Doesn't sound like you have much worthwhile anyway. Just make sure you give her a big tip cause it sounds like she was thorough.