Hotel imposes radical anti-punter measures

[Sedlmayer]

The Britannia International Hotel, Canary Wharf, which has been a mecca for prostitutes and punters seems to have imposed radical new measures to deter punters from entering.
According to a message received from a girl that I have known for 3 or 4 years who I trust and see fairly regularly, they had guys on the door yesterday, asking non-guests for ID and making them sign a guests' register.
I have visited girls there many times, and always thought they knew but didn't care - maybe there has been a change of management.
I have no interest in this in any way except to inform punters of this radical change, which could cause considerable inconvenience and embarrassment to some - ie I have no grudge against this hotel and I am not a pimp for another hotel or anything stupid like that. This is just for information.
The scene around Canary Wharf has been deteriorating over the last year or so, and this is quite a blow.

[raylondoner]

The Britannia International Hotel, Canary Wharf, which has been a mecca for prostitutes and punters seems to have imposed radical new measures to deter punters from entering.
According to a message received from a girl that I have known for 3 or 4 years who I trust and see fairly regularly, they had guys on the door yesterday, asking non-guests for ID and making them sign a guests' register.
I have visited girls there many times, and always thought they knew but didn't care - maybe there has been a change of management.
I have no interest in this in any way except to inform punters of this radical change, which could cause considerable inconvenience and embarrassment to some - ie I have no grudge against this hotel and I am not a pimp for another hotel or anything stupid like that. This is just for information.
The scene around Canary Wharf has been deteriorating over the last year or so, and this is quite a blow.

Can the Britannia afford to turn away working girls though? They must make megabucks from them!

Also, just wondering how the Britannia can control this when they have a bar, restaurant and gym that are used by non-guests and they badly need the revenue - I certainly would not take kindly to taking clients for a drink or lunch and being asked for ID (this would only happen once!).

[James999]

Lots of vuildings have a visitors register, it's useful in case of a fire 

[raylondoner]

Lots of vuildings have a visitors register, it's useful in case of a fire 

Not busy London hotels though unless it's a one-off exercise 

[James999]

Not busy London hotels though

The fact that it's charging £89 a night for a double room would suggest it's perhaps not that busy 

[raylondoner]

The fact that it's charging £89 a night for a double room would suggest it's perhaps not that busy 

Trust me, it is busy, often fully booked, especially with coachloads of foreign tourists - I've been there lots. Also hopelessly inefficient, check in is a joke and the staff are well positioned to talk to EE WG's in their own language! 

[shagbambi]

Thanks for the tip.

[raylondoner]

I will take one for the team on Monday and report back!   

[Sedlmayer]

I will take one for the team on Monday and report back!   

Fine, thanks, but the girl I have been seeing there over the last few months won't be booking in there again anytime soon   

[laidbackasiandude]

Thanks for the tip and warning Sedlmayer, I was there for a punt just the other day but
no-one asked me to sign anything or being intrusive as to the purpose of my visit.

Guess this new policy of "vetting guests" literally has come into force either today or yesterday
at the earliest. My session took place on Wednesday 8/10/14 at this establishment.

[raylondoner]

Suggest that we don't add any further comments on here as hotels are known to monitor sites such as this, so further commentary could f*uck it for both seller and buyer.

I will still take a look on Monday so send me a private message if you are interested in what I discover.

[Steve2]

A bit late now Ray

[raylondoner]

Better late than never Steve, plus it could be a lost cause anyway but WTF!

[Tailpipe]

When I book a hotel for a punt I also book two adults I have never booked any hotel in London that asks for a second name.

I had over 50 rooms in 2013.

I say my Girl friend will be a arriving later so I will take her key never a problem.

However if the Girl is collecting her key you would need to know her name and she would have to prove ID to get the Key.

[hockogrockle]

Trust me, it is busy, often fully booked, especially with coachloads of foreign tourists - I've been there lots. Also hopelessly inefficient, check in is a joke and the staff are well positioned to talk to EE WG's in their own language! 

By London standards, where you can pay several hundred pounds a night for a room, that's dirt cheap. Even a Travelodge in London will set you back £60 or more, in a room identicalto one that would have cost you about £23 in the likes of Barnsley.

[peewee]

The last time I saw a lady at the Ibis near Adlgate East she said the hotel was considering making it difficult for non-residents by making the lifts  operate on room cards.

[Sedlmayer]

The last time I saw a lady at the Ibis near Adlgate East she said the hotel was considering making it difficult for non-residents by making the lifts  operate on room cards.

That's a piece of piss - if that puts you off, take up fly fishing mate

[peewee]

Did I say it puts me off?

I was giving a piece of information for the benefit of others.

Perhaps if you had read the post more carefully you would have understood that.

[agcnospam]

This is not entirely new for that hotel, this happened to a WG who visited me there in July this year. I think she said that she had been there many times previously and that it was known for being used by WG's/punters alike, so she was surprised.  It could be some kind of health and safety/fire drill BS, however as a guest I would not tell the reception when I was leaving or entering the building, and I wouldn't entertain the thought of explaining my movements to some goons on the door (paying customer and all that jazz).  So it's probably just them trying to deter punters and I for one will not be going back there - there are still plenty of other decent options in London to choose from without this potential hassle.

 

[the lurker]

When I book a hotel for a punt I also book two adults I have never booked any hotel in London that asks for a second name.

I had over 50 rooms in 2013.

I say my Girl friend will be a arriving later so I will take her key never a problem.

However if the Girl is collecting her key you would need to know her name and she would have to prove ID to get the Key.

Very true TP but I think the OP means when a girl books a room and then sees multiple punters there, so you are the one arriving with no key.

[JV547845]

they had guys on the door yesterday, asking non-guests for ID and making them sign a guests' register.

Were they asking who you were there to see or which room you were heading to?  If not then fuck them, tell them you're there for a job interview.

They're probably only doing this in reaction to complaints mind.  Complete waste of staff time otherwise.

[undercoverpunter]

Used it for punt a couple of weeks ago.  Even asked where the lift was.  No ID asked for, or even what the purpose of my visit was. 

[west8]

Worry not folks. The likely scenario was that they had a foreign dignitary in residence - probably attending a conference.

This is often the norm at many of the central hotels. Sometimes everyone - even paying guests - are told to carry their passport by some hotels when a foreign royal or VIP is in residence.

Had this a few times at The Dorchester, Claridges and The Ritz. Easy to know when as you can spot the diplomatic security entourage scoping the hotel lobby.

It's a piss-take, but if they have a large royal party booking an entire floor or two, it's understandable.

[Sedlmayer]

Worry not folks. The likely scenario was that they had a foreign dignitary in residence - probably attending a conference.

This is often the norm at many of the central hotels. Sometimes everyone - even paying guests - are told to carry their passport by some hotels when a foreign royal or VIP is in residence.

Had this a few times at The Dorchester, Claridges and The Ritz. Easy to know when as you can spot the diplomatic security entourage scoping the hotel lobby.

It's a piss-take, but if they have a large royal party booking an entire floor or two, it's understandable.

Thanks for that, and of course it's possible, but, although the Britannia is fit for (punting) purpose, it ain't exactly The Dorchester, Claridges or the Ritz.....

[Sedlmayer]

Did I say it puts me off?

I was giving a piece of information for the benefit of others.

Perhaps if you had read the post more carefully you would have understood that.

Anyone who punts in London hotels knows that some hotels have keycard systems for the lifts etc - this is perfectly simple to get around and has been discussed here many times. I understood your post perfectly well and I stand by what I said. If keycards represent a problem to you only use hotels that don't have them.

[JV547845]

I had some fun before with a well known WG throwing her key card out the window to me in the hotel car park.

[Tailpipe]

Very true TP but I think the OP means when a girl books a room and then sees multiple punters there, so you are the one arriving with no key.

Sorry got wrong end of the stick there 

[Rickrabbit]

I wouldn't be surprised what with the Cumberland Hotel murder trial now in progress and grabbing news attention if some hotels carry out an audit of their visitor/resident procedure. I would also be surprised if it wasn't a cosmetic and short-term action, a bit akin to a fire drill, so that the action is logged, most likely to meet public liability insurance terms and conditions.

[Sedlmayer]

I wouldn't be surprised what with the Cumberland Hotel murder trial now in progress and grabbing news attention if some hotels carry out an audit of their visitor/resident procedure. I would also be surprised if it wasn't a cosmetic and short-term action, a bit akin to a fire drill, so that the action is logged, most likely to meet public liability insurance terms and conditions.

To be honest, this strikes me as more likely than the foreign dignitary scenario given this particular hotel. We'll see how things develop, but some prostitutes and punters will be put off this venue now.

[Jumping Jack Flash]

That's quite surprising. The Britannia hotels in the West Mids are the sort of places where they rent rooms by the hour!

[hockogrockle]

Anyone who punts in London hotels knows that some hotels have keycard systems for the lifts etc - this is perfectly simple to get around and has been discussed here many times. I understood your post perfectly well and I stand by what I said. If keycards represent a problem to you only use hotels that don't have them.

Not just London. Over the last few months, I've used hotels in the likes of Bolton, Blackpool, Worcesterand Sheffield that use them. They're pretty popular with chain hotels in particular, both because of the added security and also because it doesn't matter a damn if the guest leaves with the keycard in his pocket: they can simply re-program a new one with a different code.

[boywonder]

I never realized there were lots of escorts in canary wharf.....where do you find the wg ads?

[Urban_G]

I didn't read the entire thread, but maybe that particular hotel had an incident with a w/g and or punter, or maybe it's for some other reason?

Either way, I hope this doesn't become normal practice everywhere.