A disconcerting event unfolded at the Premier Inn located in Stratford, London, where an elderly couple reported that their hotel room had been occupied by strangers engaging in sexual activities while they were out visiting family for the Christmas holidays. The couple, who are in their 70s, described their experience as shocking and distressing, particularly given the husband’s advanced Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

In correspondence to The Guardian, the couple recounted that they had booked an accessible room for a two-night stay during the festive period. Initially pleased with their room upon check-in, they returned from visiting their daughter around 9pm, only to discover remnants of sexual activity in their bathroom. According to their account, used condoms, party hats, and underwear were strewn about the room, which they found extremely unsettling.

They expressed their frustrations over Premier Inn’s response to the incident, stating, “Premier Inn insists there is no record of our room being accessed while we were out and has been dismissive.” The husband’s health conditions added to their distress, leading the wife to mention, “As you can imagine, my husband and I are not going to be having sexual relations in this manner at our age.”

In their efforts to seek resolution, the couple encountered difficulties in contacting hotel staff. The wife indicated that when she called reception, there was no answer, leaving her to tackle the cleanup herself with a towel. The following morning, she managed to locate a member of the bar staff, who only cleared away the items but informed her that housekeeping staff were unavailable to carry out a full clean, resulting in their discomfort with using the shower facilities during their stay.

The hotel chain responded to The Guardian regarding the incident, acknowledging their guests’ experience but reiterating that they found no evidence of anyone entering the room apart from the couple themselves. The spokesperson maintained that there was no CCTV monitoring in the corridors, thus limiting their ability to ascertain how the room was accessed. They did admit that there could have been an issue with the door not securing properly, allowing an opportunistic couple access to the room.

In light of the situation, Premier Inn offered an apology for the inconvenience faced by the couple and mentioned that they would be reaching out to arrange a refund as a gesture of goodwill. The spokesperson emphasised that the hotel would strive to prevent any similar occurrences in the future.

The incident has sparked discussions among readers regarding hotel safety and the reliability of room access systems, highlighting the potential vulnerabilities that may arise in hospitality environments.

Source: Noah Wire Services