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Suite Steal
ChrisCrossings · October 4, 2002

Q: We have had no luck in resolving an appalling and deeply disturbing experience at the Radisson Hotel Portland. On April 25, 2002, we traveled to Portland, Ore., so that our two children could participate in a national chess tournament for elementary school children.

Our two connecting rooms were burglarized on April 27. Two laptop computers were stolen, among many other items. Because one of the computers contained data that enables me to operate my business, the loss was particularly devastating. In fact, it has forced me to lay off one worker.

According to the hotel's key log and its hotel manager, a housekeeping key was used to access our room on April 27 at 2 p.m., when our belongings were stolen. More than 24 hours passed before any employees were questioned, and only after we pressured the hotel to investigate the incident.

The Radisson organization not only failed to provide my family with secure lodging, but also handled a grand theft of our possessions with a remarkable, and singular, lack of response, making absolutely no attempt to recover or replace over $12,000 worth of stolen property. Can you help us?

-- Mary White

A: It seems as if the only thing you and the Radisson can agree on is that your room was burglarized. Mark Brennan, the hotel's general manager, insists your complaint was handled promptly and courteously.

"Once the hotel was informed of the matter, the staff immediately responded by trying to locate the missing items," he says. "We have and we will continue to fully cooperate with the police in its investigation."

As a "gesture of goodwill" the Radisson reversed your $645.12 room charge. Its insurance company also kicked in another $1,220, which is the limit of a hotel's per-guest liability under Oregon state law.

Does the hotel owe you more? In an ideal world it would reimburse you for your entire loss (after all, someone used a housekeeping key to enter your room). After several months of back-and-forth between you, the hotel and me, the Radisson agreed to a settlement that covered your loss.

What you should have done: Leaving $12,000 worth of property in a hotel room probably wasn't a good idea. The most secure place for your valuables is the hotel manager's safe. But you might as well have just taken the portable computers to the chess tournament. You should have also backed up all of your important data before you left on your trip. That way, your loss would only be limited to the hardware.

What the Radisson should have done: Even after hearing the hotel's side of the story, I'm not convinced it did everything it could to prevent the burglary or to handle your grievance professionally. Without going into details, let's just say that Chief Inspector Clouseau, the bumbling detective from the Pink Panther movies, could have probably done a better job. The hotel needs to take a hard look at its hiring practices to make sure its employees aren't likely to steal from its guests. It also needs to have better procedures in place for handling crimes against its customers.

The fix: Consider traveling with less hardware. You might even be able to get away with leaving your laptop at home. A service called GoToMyPC allows you to connect to your computer remotely and open programs, check e-mail and create files. You could also try to downsize your hardware by carrying a portable phone that has e-mail and wordprocessing capabilities. A cell phone is a lot harder to steal -- especially when you're wearing it. If you have to take your laptop on a future trip, don't leave it in your room.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on weekly on Ticked.com. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at chris@ticked.com. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.