Non-guests using hotel pool

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PolarGuy said:
Gee, LostWanderer, I don’t think there’s anything “ad hom” about i) pointing out what your screenname is and ii) calling attention to the fact that some of your comments about “my way of thinking” come across as harsh.
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It’s irrelevant to the discussion and a very immature response to your ideals not living up to other people’s lives compared to yours. 👍
 
This thread is ridiculous I keep waiting for the joke at the end. I have worked at a hotel believe me people would not get away with it for very long if they aren’t permitted to be there. Hotel staff are not stupid, they would notice this after a few times and problem solved.
I can’t believe the high handed moral outrage coming from people here.
 
PolarGuy said:
  1. As to the notion that we, for example, don’t call the cops on speeders - that attitude leads directly to, “I won’t call the police when I see a car accident,” which quickly becomes “I won’t call the police when I see an assault,” which is absolutely many people’s (wrong) attitudes these days.
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I’m having trouble following your argument here…are you recommending that we call the police every time we see someone speeding on the highway? Is this some kind of weird joke, or are you serious?
 
It’s been so hot here out west lately, I would let any non guest use my pool if I owned a hotel. So let the kids swim and don’t worry about it.
 
Don’t you think it’s better to question the person than jump to conclusions and talk about them behind their back?
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
Perhaps, call the hotel and ask, “Hello, I understand that your hotel has a policy if letting non guests use the pool. I was interested in visiting and using the pool, how do I go about that?”
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I like this approach. You’ll find out in about a minute whether the hotel permits this, and under what conditions.

The OP says the woman claimed “it’s free to go to The Inn.” Frankly, I have a very hard time believing that anyone can just walk in to an upscale hotel, get handed a keycard for free, and go have a party. I think you’ll be told either, “No we don’t permit that” or be quoted a price.

If it really is free, why did management bother putting the pool behind a locked door?

Something else: Management isn’t just going to suddenly fire an employee based on an outside tip. Management will do one of several things:
  1. Retrain the employees and remind them of company policy.
  2. Start tracking keycards and review the tracking reports.
  3. Monitor the employees for compliance with company policy.
  4. Post notices saying, “Pool and Fitness Center are for hotel guests only,” or "Daily fee for non-guests to use Pool and Fitness Center is $x.xx.
 
If I was a guest I would not like seeing a crowd of non- hotel “guests” at the pool where I was paying top dollar to relax. This scenario actually happened at an expensive San Diego hotel where I was staying at last month. In this case, locals just walked in and helped themselves to the pool and spa. I don’t think you need to worry if this is not sanctioned by hotel management because the manager will eventually notice this activity. Other guests will notice too and eventually someone will either directly complain or post a complaint on Trip Advisor or Yelp. When that happens the managers usually respond quickly to remedy the situation. It may be a perk for that employee or it may be that the employee is taking advantage of the hotel amenities. Either way if it irritates the guests and hurts business it will be stopped promptly. I don’t think you need to get involved other than to question why management would agree to that arrangement.
 
This just hit me. Can someone explain to me exactly how you can all tell a guest from a non-guest? :confused:
 
Please read Matthew 18, 15-17. KJV

Jesus says:-admonish the person directly between the two of you, and confirm the sin. If the sin coninues, go to the church, and if the person stll does not listen, treat them as a tax collector or heathen. My other bible- it futher states not to go to the Law, just the church.

Jesus makes perfect sense here-as you will not risk sinning yourself–through gossip, or planting a seed that the person you report will retaliate. This would cause them to sin yet again.

So if you just remind them it’s wrong a few times, in this case personally- I don’t think it’s a big enough deal to go to a priest, so I would drop it and just know,as I put in the other post, what your friend is capable of and be cautious.
 
Nan_S said:
Speaking in my capacity as a Certified Fraud Examiner, I can tell you with no hesitation whatsoever that, if this is done without the consent of the hotel manager, this is a form of occupational fraud. It’s called Theft of Service.

This is no different from getting an employee to open the back gate so that you can sneak into Disneyland for the day. This is no different from having a movie theater employee open the Emergency Exit door so you can get in to see a free movie. It’s fraud.

If the hotel manager wants to grant the employees free access to hotel facilities, that’s fine. It the hotel manager wants to grant the employees permission to bring guests to use the facilities, that’s also fine. Permission to bring guests usually has certain stipulations: the employee must remain with the guests, and only a limited number of guests are allowed. But if the employee takes it upon himself or herself to issue hotel keycards to unregistered visitors without permission, that’s a form of fraud.

Pools and fitness centers are hazardous areas. The hotel is required to carry liability insurance that covers accidents - and worse - that can happen with the use of its facilities. Part of the room charge paid by the guests covers the cost of that insurance.

If any one of these 13 unauthorized gate-crashers admitted by the employee had gotten hurt, getting fired would have been the least of that employee’s problems.

**What can you do? **Find out if the hotel has a phone number or locked box for anonymous comments and tips. Then report it. Keeping silent is a sin of omission.
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That sounds about like what I’d think right. Granted, if I am a guest of a hotel enjoying the amenities of said hotel (which I might have selected because of those amenities), I might not know whether others coming in are also guests. However, even other guests of the hotel are bound to certain behavior standards, and being obnoxious can be reason for complaints. If the complaint then uncovers the fact that the obnoxious individuals aren’t even guests of the hotel–that could create a whole slew of problems, and the employee who made it possible might be lucky to not quickly turn into an ex-employee.

If it were being offered to me, I would turn them down. Unless there is clear signage indicating that day use by non-guests is permitted, it is not ok.

I would also think that the employee was rather foolish–it probably isn’t much at all to track key cards (it’s all electronic info), and unless it’s a slow time (which wouldn’t be the height of summer), I can’t see what advantage the hotel would gain from people using their services and increasing their costs without making any payment.
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
This just hit me. Can someone explain to me exactly how you can all tell a guest from a non-guest? :confused:
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Other than if they are obviously there for a birthday party or a swim lesson, both of which I’ve seen take place at a large hotel pool before, I have no idea.
 
Some hotels do allow employees and family members use of the pool. My current neighbor works at a hotel here and is able to bring her family to swim and for a small fee she can bring her kids’ friends as well. My sister lives in another state and works at a hotel there. She also is allowed to use the pool and so can her guests. Her immediate family can go anytime, others can go as long as she is there as well. My sister and her guests do not pay anything at all. My sister in law cannot use the pool at the hotel she works at though so not all places allow that I guess.

And really, how are kids in the pool any more disruptive or annoying or whatever simply because they aren’t “guests” in the hotel? Kids that are guests are less disruptive somehow? Or are kids not allowed to be guests? How would the guests know who else is staying at the hotel and who isn’t?
 
I’m seeing some very disproportionate responses here. They’re using a pool at a hotel, not robbing a bank. If its being done without permission the they’ll probably get in trouble for it. If they don’t get in trouble for it- it’s not as if they’ve gotten away with murder, or even theft. The idea that you owe something to the hotel guests, even in principle, is a bit much. They aren’t being stolen from. Did you know that friends of the hotel owner get to stay over for free? Is this unjust? Did you know that people get wildly different prices on identical airplane tickets? It this a mortal sin?

I don’t think you’re being uptight to question the morality of the situation, or by not joining in. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t either. But I do question people’s motives when they go all crazy because others break some rules in some trivial situation. It’s almost like the prodigal son story- there’s a type of jealousy in that “I can’t believe others break the rules and get to have more fun than I do! I must stop or punish them!”

But isn’t our reward with being good with God enough? Isn’t doing the right thing and being spiritually sound reward in itself? Or are we jealous of the worldly rewards of breaking the rules?

Disruptive children, code of conduct? This is a hotel, not a monastery. Please, let the hotel worry about insurance, lawsuits and people sneaking in to the pool. Sin of omission?

Sin of omission implies that you could gain a greater good by doing something. This is very doubtful in this case. I think you should be very careful about interfering. Ask your co-working if this is really allowed, if she is sure she won’t cost her relative her job. Maybe let her know you don’t want to know about these things if they aren’t being done in a legit way. But for the love of decency, don’t go behind your co-worker’s back and report some kids possibly sneaking into the pool.

Written in love and charity.
 
bluerose said:
However I have decided that if she mentions it again or if she says she’s going to do it again, I will notify the hotel management after telling her it’s taking advantage of the business (and her relative) and that I will take action.
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It sounds like this lady is very confused on the finer points of morality and likes to justify it. But are you sure you are treating her, in spite of her sins, with the love and charity Christ commanded? Are you really going to act for her own good and out of moral principle, or because it bothers the hell out of you? Or maybe because you want the job?

While I wouldn’t want this lady for a co-worker, I would also be concerned with having a co-worker with your attitude. I might say the wrong word one day, be misunderstood and find myself “reported”. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe this is how we Catholics should behave.
 
I agree with SecretCatholic.

You also have to think what the fruit of reporting them will be. Yes, they will not be using the pool and tresspassing anymore. But someone will lose their job perhaps, and the next thing your friend will be boasting about is how she or the fired employee retailiated against you for reporting them, or start gossiping and so on. Life is like that-things come back to you. Whenever in doubt-keep silent, or in this case just tell your friend you think it’s wrong, and move on.

I just wanted to add if you report her anonmously, she will figure it out if you told her it’s wrong to her face.
 
anglewannabe said:
with all due respect,** i don’t think this is about your co-worker sneaking into a hotel pool half as much as it is about your personal resentment against her.**
i can see how a person like this can easily get on your nerves and must been horrid to work with. Nonetheless, i think it is time for you to learn to accept that not everyone we meet is pleasant and some people will make us pray daily for patience

angie
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bingo!!!
 
bluerose said:
Sorry I dropped off the radar (I was at work.)

Well, this person has often told everyone at work that she regularly “buys” her daughter’s food stamps when her daughter is low on cash (“What’s the big deal?” she asks) and that her son routinely downloads movies illegally (which infuriated her when I told her that it was piracy.) So the possibility that she knew this was wrong or might be and didn’t think it was “a big deal” is very real.

She made the repeated comment that it was “so Mexican of them” to do what they did. I find the implication that Mexicans (and I am Hispanic, as is she and her family) are gate-crashers offensive. She thought it was hilarious, “like a bunch of Mexicans in a George Lopez act!”

I don’t think this was cleared with management. She must have seen some look on my face (shock, probably, that someone would have the audacity to bring a dozen members of the family and friends into a hotel pool when they’re not a guest) and said, “Oh, calm down, what’s the big deal?” which is her usual response to anyone who questions her actions (see above re: food stamps.)

She can be quite vindictive when she feels someone crosses her. Of course as stated it’s all hearsay and I have no proof other than her comments that they “crashed” the pool. However I have decided that if she mentions it again or if she says she’s going to do it again, I will notify the hotel management after telling her it’s taking advantage of the business (and her relative) and that I will take action. My days at this job are probably numbered anyway (I’m actually considering a job at this particular resort) and I don’t want to be considered complicit in anyway by knowing this is taking place and saying nothing. They apparently did this without problem this time but I will say something should it happen again.

Thanks to all who replied.
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“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matt. 7:6

Even if you admonish the sinner and are simply rebuffed, there gets to be a point where you shake the dust off of your feet and move on. This is especially true if someone is vindictive when they are crossed and do not have a conscience or empathy about how their actions affect others. That is a major “do not toss your pearls before swine” situation. Just stay off of her radar; you will not mend her by confrontations.

This person is not under your authority. Be thankful for that, because those who take on moral authority are held to a stricter account. If she brags on a matter you’ve already admonished or educated her about, just check out of the conversation when she starts bragging about her wrongdoing. You will have done your duty. You are not complicit, and this is not a capital crime that requires you to report the matter. Hotel managers are quite capable of handling such difficulties on their own.

If I were the owner, I’d not think that people who had only hearsay knowledge of the situation were in any way “complicit.” You have done your duty. Do not overstep your authority. There is a manager I would have paid to oversee the facilities. Let this go.
 
You know, what botherd me most about this was it seemed like OP jumped to conclusions and gossiped behind her friends back instead of asking her directly. It seems she did ask directly and I appreciate that in a person.
I doubt this person would really care if they got caught. Becuase I don’t know the person I wouldn’t know if they would feel bad if someone got fired for it . I get the feeling OP is irritated at this friend in general ( I likely would be too) maybe you can distance yourself from this friend???
 
Allegra said:
It is my experience that it is very common for employees to be allowed to use the hotel pool and to invite guests free of charge. I’ve also known many hotels who allow community members to use the pool. (for a fee) This really wouldn’t bother me.
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Yes, mine too. And frankly, it is none of the OP’s business. It’s not like the person is committing a grievous sin.
 
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