I had about 25 euros in coins stolen from a small bag in which I had been accumulating change. At 12 noon on the way out to sight see I grabbed a fistful of coins from this bag and saw that many more remained, including many 1 and 2 euro coins. I returned at 3PM and saw that my room had been cleaned and that the bag was open in an odd position, so I looked inside. All of the 1 and 2 euro coins were gone and only smaller coins remained, which I suppose had been left to cover up the fact that anything had been taken. I had by chance counted these larger coins before leaving for my trip, so I knew that I had lost about 25 euros. I was only gone for three hours and there is no question that the coins disappeared during this time.
I reported this to the manager, who told me that during those three hours only one person had been in my room, the cleaning person, and that it couldn't possibly be her because she had worked for the hotel for a long time and there had never been any problems with her. I asked how long she had worked there and well ok actually she started working not long ago, but before that she had worked at another hotel and they would have said something if there had been any problems. They told me that she had left for the day already, but that I could confront her the next morning. I said that I had to leave by 10 AM the next morning in order to get back to the airport to catch a flight and was told that she would be there when I came down for breakfast.
When I went downstairs at 9:30 AM the next morning with my bags it was learned that now this housekeeper doesn't come to work until 10 AM, so in fact I wouldn't have a chance to confront her. (I didn't have time to stay past 10 to talk, assuming she would even show up on time, which I was starting to suspect she wouldn't.) The manager continued to insist that there was no possibility that it could have been her.
I can't say for sure that nothing else was taken. I didn't notice anything else missing. However I did notice that my computer bag also seemed to have been searched. I hope I'm not going to have any surprises later (credit card charges?). It MAY not have been a big theft, but I wasn't happy with the response.
There was a safe in the room, but it is not a combination safe; you have to go downstairs and ask for the key. Plus I didn't think someone would steal small change.
The room was ok, but expensive. The bathroom wasn't heated so it got very cold unless I left the door open and the toilet was right next to the door. The rooms are soundproofed from outside noise, but the steam radiators in the room make noises. It's also not located in the center of town.
- Grand Hotel Reims
