WG 'fined' by hotel - is this legal?

[darkdeep]

Any advice welcome.
Nice, friendly regular WG was busted at a Travelodge hotel in Greater London.
Sitting in room alone. Knock on door. Security enters and grabs her handbag to look for condoms. They tell her to get out, pay £150 or they will call the police.
She loses her stuff in the room, pays them and ends terrified on the street.

Is this actually legal? Looks like extortion to me.

Thanks

[Hyperchicken]

Not legal at all, sounds like some chancers who managed to cotton on to what she was doing and took advantage.

[pumps]

sounds like she was scammed!

big time.

[Bangers and Gash]

That bull goes on all the time. I'm surprised he didn't ask for a free blowjob as well.

[madeinwales56]

A prossie getting scammed. Poetic justice ...

[Anadin]

Yeah either she was scammed by the security guard or she's possibly embellishing what actually happened.

[Bangers and Gash]

A prossie getting scammed. Poetic justice ...

 

[Dilly1]

So its now against hotel rules to have condoms in your possession?

[ayreon010]

Seems odd. Why would you set up in a Travelodge when your clients need a keycard to gain access.
There are loads of other hotels with no security

[Punting Valley]

Any advice welcome.
Nice, friendly regular WG was busted at a Travelodge hotel in Greater London.
Sitting in room alone. Knock on door. Security enters and grabs her handbag to look for condoms. They tell her to get out, pay £150 or they will call the police.
She loses her stuff in the room, pays them and ends terrified on the street.

Is this actually legal? Looks like extortion to me.

Thanks

That's absolute illegal. The security has no lawful authority to search her belongings, the police can't even do that without probable cause or a warrant.

Also when did having condoms = prostitution?? What year is it? This is probably one of the most unjustifiable crap I have ever heard.

[Taggart]

Got a funny smell about it.

You'd check the door spyglass before opening it. Security should show an SIA ID card. Why no scream if he burst into the room. Why claim looking for condoms - not illegal to posess.  Why no check with reception?

[darkdeep]

She has no idea how they knew (possibly her workmate who she argued with outed her).
Her English isn't good. Shy, genuinely nice girl. Police phobic (as many are).

Please PM me any recs for good hotels in Central.
I'm considering calling the police, I think it's extortion.

[muffherwell91]

Sounds like a mythical tale to me.

[Ben4454]

Actually security staff can search personal belongings if the person is asked and says yes when staying at a hotel. Just like when someone consents to a personal search before being given admission to the night club. When I do door work and I reasonably believe someone of having drugs I will ask to carry out a search. If they say no - I will call the police. However in the instance of condoms this is completely ridiculous. Perhaps the hotels policy was no escorting and if i was security i would have simply told her the rules of the hotel and that could she abide by them in future.

We do not know what happened although if the facts are true then yes this was illegal and if this was done in a public setting could be sued for defamation of character and security staff losing their licences. She would need evidence of this though which i doubt she might have.

[Ben4454]

On a further note - if she could prove that they fined her the hotel might be in serious trouble. Unless she was aware of the hotels policy against escorts and the fining she might get in the contract..she should not have been fined they do not have the authority.

[nigel4498]

I've never seen any staff at a Travel Lodge let alone security.

[jcdmj12]

When I do door work and I reasonably believe someone of having drugs I will ask to carry out a search. If they say no - I will call the police

That's the difference - you can't go searching people without their consent, only the police can do that.  You can only deny them entry, call the police, or perform a citizen's arrest if you reasonably believe they have committed a crime.  Security guards have exactly the same powers as any other member of the public.

If the story is true, it sounds like several offences were committed. Getting the WG to report them, or police to take them seriously is another thing altogether of course.

[Ben4454]

The thing with citizens arrest also is it can only be done for a indictable offence. But yes relating to the arena of performing one the rules are that citizens must reasonably believe that a crime has been committed but a police officer only has to suspect that one has been committed.

[spkmstr48]

I've never seen any staff at a Travel Lodge let alone security.

Yeah what security, in a Travelogue, really?

[Ben4454]

I suspect maybe the management was confused with security staff or an actual scam had just taken place. I think she should of asked them to see ID. If they are in-house security they do not need SIA licenses but contract type security they would have SIA licenses around their necks.

[JV547845]

I've had a handful of great punts in various travel lodges but this sounds fucking awful.  I've never even seen security in a Travelodge before, did she really do nothing to piss of any other guests?  I've never read the small print when making a hotel booking before but they can surely only charge damages to your credit card afterwards once they've inspected the room?  Even then you here about hotel cleaners having to clean up some fucking rank situations.

Good knowledge Ben, thanks.

[smiths]

Any advice welcome.
Nice, friendly regular WG was busted at a Travelodge hotel in Greater London.
Sitting in room alone. Knock on door. Security enters and grabs her handbag to look for condoms. They tell her to get out, pay £150 or they will call the police.
She loses her stuff in the room, pays them and ends terrified on the street.

Is this actually legal? Looks like extortion to me.

Thanks

I have stayed at many Travelodges and none had any security that I have seen. If the WG had no punter in the room but was alone they had no evidence at that time that she was a WG unless she said she was so threatening to call the police wouldn't of resulted in the police doing anything as she hadn't broken any laws.

A hotel can ask a guest to leave but being thrown out on the street and money taken off this WG sounds well dodgy to me.

[fredpunter]

Is she a smoker?

[bunny84]

Stayed at travelodge docklands London . Security came to out room case my mate messed with a smoke detector . They seen weed (we had not even smoked it yet) and said there's a £150 fine or we call the police . My mate told them to call the police . They never

[myothernameis]

Any advice welcome.
Nice, friendly regular WG was busted at a Travelodge hotel in Greater London.
Sitting in room alone. Knock on door. Security enters and grabs her handbag to look for condoms. They tell her to get out, pay £150 or they will call the police.
She loses her stuff in the room, pays them and ends terrified on the street.

Is this actually legal? Looks like extortion to me.

Thanks

If true, I think the wg should contact the press, and let the press contact the hotel or even there head office, now I would assume the wg can prove she had stayed there overnight, and the hotel will have recorded her checking out

This would be bad publicity for the hotel chain...Newspaper headline: security force entry and search handbag, once the item appears in the paper, I think the police would take an interest in this story

I wonder what outcome the wg would get if she contacts the head office, but to do this she would have to admit, she was using this room to see clients, which would be against the hotels rules, but in saying this security entering her room and searching her bag, isn't going to go down well, and I could see the hotel offering compensation, for her not to tell her story

I don't think she has anything to lose by even going to the police, just be honest with them, tell them you were using the room for incalls, and security have robbed you; I think if anything hotel security are the ones who would be in trouble with the law

[Aspen]

Also when did having condoms = prostitution?? What year is it?

Back in the days when street girls were arrested in numbers and put in front of a magistrate next morning, the police *always* produced the condoms the girl was caught with in her possession as evidence. I've little doubt they still do the same today.

There's nothing new about it.

[darkdeep]

Her prior punter had been smoking apparently and left white powder on the table
So she doesn't want to pursue it.

Nevertheless - this is basically extortion.

Any other stories on this hotel chain?

[fredpunter]

Her prior punter had been smoking apparently and left white powder on the table
So she doesn't want to pursue it.

Nevertheless - this is basically extortion.

Any other stories on this hotel chain?

google and you should find similar stories of people being treated this way who were accused of smoking - even though some of them hadn't been

[Dani]

If she let a punter smoke in her room she will have been fined £150 by the hote and told to leave. Security will go to her room but only to ensure the manager was safe when asking her to leave.  She would not have had to leave her things in the room and probably misunderstood as they do wait for you to pack and you also pay the fine at the front desk when leaving

Smoking in the room sets off an alarm at reception and the manager would have been called for and would have gone to the room in less than 30minutes normally

It's not illegal and it is in the T&Cs that you sign when checking in that smoking in the rooms incurs a charge of £150 as the room is out of use for at least 24 hours due to the odour

Not many trace lodges have security so it was probably the manager and assistant manager and neither would have tried to search her handbag as they would know this is illegal although they would pick it up and give it to her whilst explaining the fine and to get her to get a move in in leaving the room

How do I know this?  Been there done that. If you book a hotel you cannot allow clients to smoke in the room

[smiths]

Her prior punter had been smoking apparently and left white powder on the table
So she doesn't want to pursue it.

Nevertheless - this is basically extortion.

Any other stories on this hotel chain?

NOW you add this crucial bit of information, why didn't you mention it in your opening post that the previous punter had been smoking and left white powder on the table.

[darkdeep]

Thanks Dani.
That's really clear and makes sense.

Smiths - she just told me now.

[HappyandLucky]

She has no idea how they knew (possibly her workmate who she argued with outed her).
Her English isn't good. Shy, genuinely nice girl. Police phobic (as many are).

Please PM me any recs for good hotels in Central.
I'm considering calling the police, I think it's extortion.

If you wish to get involved a simple call to the hotel Manager would confirm what took place. This story will not hold up IMO. 

[AnthG]

Its all over the internet that if you smoke in a travelodge you get £150 fine. They even issue civil proceedings against people to get that £150 fine if they find out they have done it after you have left the room. It was nothing to do with her being a prostitute and working from their rooms.

e.g

External Link/Members Only

External Link/Members Only

It even made a Watchdog episode where Travelodge made a formal response to it

External Link/Members Only

But I get the feeling now that she has been foolish enough to have allowed this to have occured when she was working from the rooms they will have cottoned on to what is going on and possibly start taking measures against this too.

[AnthG]

In my opinion - if this doesn't exist already, which I am surprised if it doesn't. (edit--I just did a google search and unless its in a members only section, I couldn't find it).

But Saafe should start a guide topic of what you can and cannot do in all the various hotel chains.

And include in it in bold letters. "Don't ever smoke in a Travelodge as you will have management burst into the room and will be thrown out and fined £150".

And another thing, if this has happened to WGs before. You would think they would be up immediately starting a topic on Saafe warning other girls of what just happened for the benefit of the community too. This is the only topic I could find any mention of travelodge and smoking in it. A small passing comment.

External Link/Members Only

I don't mean to be disrespectful to that forum, but you kind of think 'what is the point' as this is the sort of thing that should have been right near the top of any FAQ's and help topics on a forum for help/support and advice to WGs.

[yorkshire123]

Silly cow fucked up, paid the price then gave the OP a sob story.

Quite frankly if I knew who she was I would avoid her like the plague as she is risking putting other punters into quite an embarrassing situation.

By the way OP has she asked for a loan yet 

[AnthG]

Reading my post back after the time to modify has expired. The post does come across as a bit aggressive. So am sorry about that. But the point does still stand. Someone - i.e one of the mods of Saafe need to start such a topic as it screams out as relevant.

Include which hotels have smoking policies, and which vigorously enforce them if they do.

Also include stuff like the cut off times of when you can re-enter the hotel from going out for a drink - i.e if the hotel does a if its after 10pm thats it you are not allowed back in for the night.

Include which use keycards and which don't.

A pooling of information would sort this for the major chains very easily.

Quite frankly if I knew who she was I would avoid her like the plague as she is risking putting other punters into quite an embarrassing situation.

This is the worst part of this from a punters perspective as management could have shown up halfway through a subsequent punt when the smoking guys booking had ended.

[smiths]

Silly cow fucked up, paid the price then gave the OP a sob story.

Quite frankly if I knew who she was I would avoid her like the plague as she is risking putting other punters into quite an embarrassing situation.

By the way OP has she asked for a loan yet 

Yep, and only after the OP posted initially did she tell him the whole story so he has now posted. I simply wouldn't get involved in this crap with any WG as its fuck all to do with me. ALL I want to do is punt and leave, I don't want to know their personal problems or shit like this.

[Daffodil]

Never ceases to amaze me how many punters get involved with prostitute's sob stories 

So she embellished her story, neglecting to mention the smoking and hard drug use. What a surprise 

Did the rest even happen as she claims? Who would believe her?

In terms of hotels imposing fines for prostitution, I imagine they can. They can fine you for damage, smoking, etc. How likely are they to inforce the fine though? Bit like parking fines, they may bluff and posture, but drag it through the courts? Don't know.

[Daffodil]

If true, I think the wg should contact the press, and let the press contact the hotel or even there head office, now I would assume the wg can prove she had stayed there overnight, and the hotel will have recorded her checking out

This would be bad publicity for the hotel chain...Newspaper headline: security force entry and search handbag, once the item appears in the paper, I think the police would take an interest in this story

I wonder what outcome the wg would get if she contacts the head office, but to do this she would have to admit, she was using this room to see clients, which would be against the hotels rules, but in saying this security entering her room and searching her bag, isn't going to go down well, and I could see the hotel offering compensation, for her not to tell her story

I don't think she has anything to lose by even going to the police, just be honest with them, tell them you were using the room for incalls, and security have robbed you; I think if anything hotel security are the ones who would be in trouble with the law

Do you really think the press would give a shit? Prostitute allows punter to smoke in room and is involved in hard drug use, so gets fined and kicked out?

I imagine most of the community would commend the hotel 

[Jimmyredcab]

The Dorchester would employ security, not a Travelodge, if they had a serious problem they would simply phone the police.

[arthur]

Whole thing seemed very far-fetched at first but just spent a while on google looking through all the similar stories from as early as 2010 and seems Travelodge have been doing this a while, specifically with this 150 pound charge.

External Link/Members Only

Reading their press release I kinda agree with a harsh stance on smokers given the dangers of having hundreds of people under one roof and smokers putting them at risk, but I suspect the primary reason for these charges is pure profit. Very similar to the clamping rackets that made fortunes hiding behind peoples fear of authority/T&C's.

[Diehard]

If she let a punter smoke in her room she will have been fined £150 by the hote and told to leave. Security will go to her room but only to ensure the manager was safe when asking her to leave.  She would not have had to leave her things in the room and probably misunderstood as they do wait for you to pack and you also pay the fine at the front desk when leaving

Smoking in the room sets off an alarm at reception and the manager would have been called for and would have gone to the room in less than 30minutes normally

It's not illegal and it is in the T&Cs that you sign when checking in that smoking in the rooms incurs a charge of £150 as the room is out of use for at least 24 hours due to the odour

Not many trace lodges have security so it was probably the manager and assistant manager and neither would have tried to search her handbag as they would know this is illegal although they would pick it up and give it to her whilst explaining the fine and to get her to get a move in in leaving the room

How do I know this?  Been there done that. If you book a hotel you cannot allow clients to smoke in the room

Actually the 150 fine is unenforceable if someone refuses to pay it. You can't demand payment and prevent someone leaving, that is kidnap and extortion.

All a girl needs say is I'm not paying the fine as you are asking me to leave the hotel, which is within the rights of the management. If they wish to fine her then they can issue a civil claim for breach of contract.

However, given costs are not recoverable, it would not be worth the hotels while doing so.

I've no idea whether the op is telling the truth but if what is claimed to have happened did happen then the girl in question shout issue a civil claim against the hotel for harassment and claim damages plus a refund of the room. There is no proof she was an escort. Condoms in a bag would simply be evidence she practices safe sex.

I agree what others have said, if what op has said is true then it is most likely girl got scammed by some lads who clocked on what was happening.

[Jimmyredcab]

Actually the 150 fine is unenforceable if someone refuses to pay it. You can't demand payment and prevent someone leaving, that is kidnap and extortion.

I agree, but if they have your credit card details they might just take the £150.     

[arthur]

I agree, but if they have your credit card details they might just take the £150.     

If someone were to smash up a hotel room we'd all agree that the hotel can charge the damages to the card, they are trying to use the same principle saying extra cleaning is needed and they have to cancel bookings in order to get the room smoke free and habitable again.

[adindas]

A car clamping on private land is illegal. Let alone in the Hotel room in which you have paid ...
External Link/Members Only

I am pretty sure this is illegal and could be challenged. The hotel wll be thinking twice not to refund as if the case went to  public domain it would give them a bad publication ....

If I were in this situation I would complain to the manager and I was not just asking for refund but also compensation ....
I wouldl threathen them to go public and /or esclate complain to OFT if they did not do or at least negotiate to what I was asking ....

[spkmstr48]

A car clamping on private land is illegal. Let alone in the Hotel room in which you have paid ...
External Link/Members Only

I am pretty sure this is illegal and could be challenged. The hotel wll be thinking twice not to refund as if the case went to  public domain it would give them a bad publication ....

If I were in this situation I would complain to the manager and I was not just asking for refund but also compensation ....
I wouldl threathen them to go public and /or esclate complain to OFT if they did not do or at least negotiate to what I was asking ....

Lest we forget, we are talking about a profession where publicity is generally not a good thing.

Just read a couple of newspaper articles about parlours that have been closed down and owners are in court. The tone and way of describing prostitution serves as a reminder of the "general public's" attitude.

[Tony Montana]

It is always worded as a cleaning charge, not a fine and you automatically agree to it when you check in

[Simplysimon]

As far as the £150 charge for smoking in the room is concerned it is enforceable , as it is in the t&c's which you agree to when confirming your booking , a member of my staff smoked in a Travelodge room when on a course last year , we challenged the charge initially citing good will and the fact that we booked 100+ nights accommodation per year , no dice.
Trouble is legal recourse , if successful which is unlikely, would cost more than the "fine", and if the case was lost then legal costs could be sought also.

[riskytimes]

lets not get too excited about this story !!! have any of you thought that the " security " was actually a pissed off punter or punters mate ? getting his money back ? apparently she speaks little English so may have just been frightened enough to comply and get the hell out ?



   

[willbred]

Can we have a name & shame of the Travelodge location and the girl,please|?

Appreciate mods might not want the hotel info posted but punters on here might be seeing girls there. What about these goons trying it on mid-punt??

We might want to give the place a swerve.