Our Hotel Sonya room was broken into while we were enjoying the Trastravere Eating/Walking Tour. The owner reimbursed the cash stolen from the locked suitcase, and our hotel room rate for our 3 night stay. Here are my concerns: 1) It did not seem to be that unusual a situation, as an employee immediately told us we would receive the reimbursement, 2)The electronic doors appeared to be very easy to break into, there were just a couple of screwdriver nicks in the door, and 3) anyone can enter the hotel rooms without passing thru the lobby, and the lobby door to the stairs and elevator are often shut. We were not reimbursed the approximately $1,500 of items taken (electronics, luggage, clothes- yes they took a lot of my husbands clothes (shirts, shoes, underwear), etc.). The owner only spoke to my husband and acted as if I had no right to be involved. He counted out the money in front in the police, said that is all you will get and I don't want to hear from you again. We were grateful to get that. We have no way of knowing if this was an inside job. But, the desk knew we would be out for the 4 hour tour, as they called a cab for us. The maids knew we kept our case locked. (My husband has never trusted the hotel safe box, we have always just locked our bag.) The thief also "broke into" an empty room down the hall were they took the locked bags and picked what they wanted, leaving the rest - interesting the other room broken into was empty. Hall cameras would be such an easy solution. Fortunately this was our last night in Rome, we were ready to move on after that! The Trastravere tour was great fun!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
So sorry this happened to you.. but I have never ever understood locking money or valuables in a suitcase.. all a locked suitcase says to me is " there is money and valuables in here" .
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16562 posts
I'm very sorry to hear about your experience as well, Carolyn. I'm curious why you didn't trust the in-room safe? Those seem to me to be much, much better options than a locked suitcase. That lock is not much of a deterrent at all as a case can be so easily picked up and carried away.
We always make use of in-room safes (setting our own codes) and have never had a problem.
Posted by
OP
Mission Viejo, Ca
33 posts
We did use the hotel safes the rest of the trip. Our concern is that the hotel staff have keys to those safes. The only one that knows there is a locked case in the room is the maid, it just seemed safer to us. Also, the safe would not have held the shaver, kindle, cell phone, adaptors, chargers, tennis shoes, shirts, underwear, duffle backpack, etc. that were taken. We consider ourselves fortunate to have traveled a lot and, until now,
never had a problem. I wanted to share this because there are things that could be done to avoid future loss for others. If I was a single female, I would not stay here. The owner does not show respect for women. One piece of Italian culture I will skip if I can!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16562 posts
Just IMHO but because keys to the safes are ONLY accessible to staff, it puts the onus of any loss there directly on the hotel management. It didn't happen in your situation but items can be lifted very quickly by persons passing in the hallway while the room is being cleaned. A maid in the process of scrubbing the tub may be oblivious to someone darting through the open door to snatch up a suitcase or valuable left in plain view.
When I think about it, I can recall any number of times I've passed hotel rooms obviously in the process of being cleaned - cart parked outside; door open - but with no staff in plain sight.
Posted by
Washington
470 posts
Carolyn,
So sorry this happened to you. Be sure and post this review on TripAdvisor as well. I have found that because the "readership" on that site is so large it may actually cause hotels to change their procedures.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
Just my two cents, but with regards to maids, frequently when in a hotel for a few days we will forgo the maid service and let the front desk know that it's not necessary. If I see a maid on the floor in the morning, I may ask for an extra towel or two, and confirm that our room is fine and that they don't need to do anything. I keep it light and friendly, and it keeps some or all people out of our room. In addition to the security aspect (we don't leave valuables behind..) it is our preference to simply have our space to ourselves, without others coming through.
I realize that maid service is a desired I'm on vacation perk for lots of people, but it is not important enough to us to "risk it".
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
I am amazed that the hotel reimbursed for cash in your suitcase -- maybe I will use Hotel Sonya on my next trip and claim I was carrying beaucoup euros. Usually nobody will reimburse without a lot of proof, and cash is almost impossible to prove.
Posted by
OP
Mission Viejo, Ca
33 posts
We are accountants and had quite a detailed budget which the thief did not take, and we shared with the owner and police.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Shavers and running shoes.. you lock those things up.. wow.. I learn something new everyday. It would never occur to me that anyone would steal those items.. a shaver?? lol Perhaps if you have travelled a lot you are thinking about items that might be desirable in more 2 or 3 rd world countries.. but I don't think I have ever read about those types of items ever being stolen in Europe.
I am a safe using person. As said.. if stuff goes missing from a locked safe .. it would seem obvious staff were involved.. and therefore less likely they would do anything like that..
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14767 posts
The way I read the post was that the shavers and running shoes were part of the goods that were stolen along with underwear and other items.
Carolyn, so sorry this happened to you. I appreciate your posting about it.
Posted by
TN, USA
2160 posts
Someone help me remember...........is this the hotel that also has private condo units sharing the same building? So a combination of hotel guests and residents, and I wonder (key word) if Airbnb, etc. rentals may take place in those condos?
We stayed there several years ago on our Rick Steves Heart of Italy Tour. I remember liking the experience there, but someone I "think" I remember the building was a combo of hotel rooms and condos. And, somehow I am remembering entering from the hall a smaller entry area that was then shared by 2-3 rooms, which then would make sense that possibly in the condos the entry from the hall would just open into one much larger condo area.
Am I remembering correctly?
If so, that could explain (possibly) if the hotel does not have complete control over building security...maybe?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
If you got three nights lodging and 1500 E in cash, that seems like a fair settlement. I am not sure you would have received that from a US hotel. Looks like they were be very reasonable in helping to settle your loses.
This will just be added to the perpetual discussion about carrying your valuables or lock 'em in your room. I personally would never leave cash in the room.