In every Italian hotel I stayed in, I noticed a long string hanging high on the wall above the shower head, attached to a small plastic box. Would anyone know what this is?
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1893 posts
It's an emergency call cord. Should you fall or have an accident in the shower/bathroom, you pull it to call for help.
I know that it works because last fall I took my daughter to Rome and she pulled the cord, not knowing what it was. I got the call from the front desk of the hotel asking if there was an problem. I didn't know my daughter had pulled the cord - she was just curious to see what it did.
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
135 posts
That's an "in case of emergency" string, and will ring at the hotel desk (i believe)
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
Yup, very similar to the ones common in retirement homes in the United States. They are if you fall and cannot get up. You pull the cord and it sets off an alarm.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
My guess is that they're required under the law (since they really are everywhere) but there's no requirement as to the length. The shorter they are, the less likely they are to get wet and mildew. Welcome to Italy.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
But...as described, the string is quite high up. You would need to be standing in order to reach it, wouldn't you?
Posted by
la frette sur seine
448 posts
I was wondering about "the string" too..there was one in our apt bathroom, but not near the shower or toilet..i pulled it a few times in the first hour "at home", but didn't touch again..i thought it was an alarm of sorts if one got locked in...
Posted by
Seattle, WA
1317 posts
David, I had the exact same question when I saw the cord in our hotel room! There's no way you could reach it once you've fallen. Maybe you are supposed to grab it on the way down?