A woman has revealed she felt violated after returning to her hotel room only to find herself locked out and her belongings removed to accommodate another guest.
Dominique Oldham, 38, said she did not feel safe at all after the incident during a trip to Glasgow last month. She and her cousin Cara had travelled to the city for Barry Manilow's concert at the Hydro on June 9.
Room mix-up ordeal
They had checked into separate rooms at the Premier Inn at Pacific Quay, which they claim to have booked last October, and prepared for the gig. The pair set off for what turned out to be a brilliant night.
But when they returned to the hotel at around 11pm, Dominique alleges her key card no longer functioned. She told Glasgow Live: "We had a brilliant time at the concert, and when we got back to the hotel, I was absolutely shattered. When I went up to my room, there was a 'do not disturb' sign on the door which I hadn't put there. We went back down to reception, and they said they were fully booked."
Belongings removed without consent
Dominique, of East Lothian, Scotland, said she then clarified that she was not attempting to book a room, but rather that she had been unable to access hers after checking in earlier that day. She added: "I told them the room number and they said 'you can't get into that room'. They then told me that my stuff wasn't in the room. They had gone into my room while I was out, taken the belongings and put them behind reception – and given the room to someone else."
Following a lengthy exchange with reception, during which Dominique claims she was informed no manager was available to resolve the issue, she was eventually offered a replacement room in a different section of the hotel.
Fury over empty rooms
Yet this only served to heighten Dominique's fury and exasperation, as she had previously been assured no rooms were available. She said: "So it wasn't fully booked – they could've put the person [who my room was given to] in an empty room. I got given a different room which was ages away from my cousin, and was worse than the room I was in before."
The nightmare experience left Dominique feeling violated. She explained: "I went from being completely relaxed and having a great time to being so angry. I just felt violated."
Premier Inn apologises
A spokesperson for Premier Inn apologised for the incident and offered Dominique a full refund after Glasgow Live contacted the company for comment. The spokesperson said: "We're really sorry for this issue which was unfortunately caused by an isolated case of team member error during the check in process. We've contacted the guest directly to refund the room in full and offer a complimentary stay at a hotel of her choice. We do hope to welcome the guest back soon."
