Have you ever been asked to prove you were a hotel guest while swimming in a hotel pool? If you refused, were the cops called?
Black Woman Carded At Hotel Pool, Accused Of Trespassing
A black woman was carded in the pool area at a Hampton Inn in Williamston, North Carolina. She claims she was singled out because she was black, stating that two white guests in the pool area were not approached by hotel staff. She began taking a video, which includes several clips spliced together, of her interaction with hotel staff and the police, who were called to deal with her.
In short, the woman claimed a hotel staff member had complained, “It’s always people like you using the pool unauthorized,” after she refused to disclose her room number. She did show her room key.
The police showed up, asked for her name, and she refused to provide it. They ran the plates on her (it isn’t clear how they identified her car, though there were only a couple cars in the lot). She then walked to her car as if she was leaving, but just grabbed something and headed back upstairs to her room.
Hilton Corporate Apologizes
As noted by One Mile at a Time, Shruti Gandhi Buckley, who heads Hilton’s Hampton Inn division, has already apologized for what occurred:
“Hampton by Hilton has zero tolerance for racism or discrimination of any kind. On Saturday, we were alerted to an online video of a guest incident at one of our franchise properties. We moved quickly to identify the hotel and the guest, so that we could make contact and review the matter.
“Even as we communicated our expectations to the ownership and management of the Williamston property on Sunday, we learned that the team member is no longer employed at the hotel. We have apologized directly to the guest and her family for their experience, and will work with them and the hotel to make this right. We remain in contact with the hotel’s ownership about follow up actions, and to ensure that in the future, their employees reflect the best values of our brand and are welcoming of all.”
Has This Ever Happened To You?
A question to you readers: have you ever been asked to prove you were a hotel guest when using a hotel pool or gym? If so, what was the interaction like? And if you were carded at a hotel pool, what was your skin color?
I’m asking for a reason…I have a particularly relevant anecdote that I will share tomorrow on this topic. But before I speak, I want to hear from others.
CONCLUSION
The “people like you” language is simply inexcusable. Based upon her understandable anger, I see no basis to conclude she should not be taken her at her word about what happened, even though that pejorative is not part of the video evidence.
But before I delve deeper into this issue, I would love to hear from you about your own experiences dealing with hotels in this manner. Please let me know if you have faced similar treatment in the comment section below.
I’ve actually found it a fairly common practice, especially at larger resorts. Generally when it happens, all guests entering the pool area have to show their room key to staff. White male here.
Never have had staff approach after the fact though.
yeah even the Hampton Inn type of hotels, you would usually need to swipe yourself in with the room card. Seen from the video that the pool is gated, I assume it’s the same case here. However once you are in then you are in
I’ve seen in Las Vegas that they have someone stationed so that you have to show a room key. The other way they handle it is to require a sign in for towels. But I’ve never seen someone approached after the fact. Hampton Inns don’t have the personnel to station someone at the pool, but if this were a concern, then many similar hotels have gates that require room keys to access the pool area. My guess is that one of the white guests complained, but once she showed a key, that should have been that.
I want to be clear that this was terrible, and I am aware that my experience is clearly a product of my privilege.
Never been asked to produce a key except in cases where all guests must do so, and I’ll take it one step further… I regularly pop in to hotels I’m not even staying at to use their printers while I’m on the road for work. Clean cut white male, 30s, usually dressed somewhat ‘professionally.’
Yes
100+ hotel nights per year (pre-COVID) with maybe 10% of the stays with a visit to hotel pool. Never ever been questioned. I wouldn’t be surprised if her being black is a factor here, but then I believe hotels do have the right to verify that you are a guest at the property.
Worked for many hotels you need the key card to open the pool door. No one else let her into the pool area also their is a keypad at the door to go back in. Just rewind the tape and see for yourself, were trained ask if the keycard dont work to let them in.
Nope. I can’t recall ever being “carded” while at a pool. I think some resorts might ask for our room number when we sit down on loungers at the beach at the first instance. But no, I don’t recall ever having an identity check to confirm I’m a guest once I’m already there.
A few times. Most recently, I was asked at the Waldorf Beverly Hills (with wife and daughter) after we entered and sat down.
What is your skin color, if you don’t mind answering?
Never, unless al guests had to prove they were staying there (wrist band, check in kiosk, etc.). This was clearly racially motivated.
However, once I was staying in the Marriott in Waikiki for a long work trip. I was pretty young and went clubbing in the wrong part of Waikiki with my coworkers (I miss those days, in a good/bad way). Anyway, my coworker got mugged on our way back to the hotel and I was punched in the Face/nose bad. Totally unprovoked. The cops saw it and I filed a police report. Didn’t go to the hospital. Anyway everything was shut and wanted to take some ibuprofen before bed, so I stopped by the front desk to ask if they had some. The front desk agent insisted that I leave the hotel and actually called the police on me. I wasn’t drunk, nor acting badly. Just had a very bloody nose and shirt…. I was a Marriott Platinum at the time. I compiled with the agent showed proof that I was staying there and the police left us alone. Talked to the GM the next day and they comped my almost 2-week stay. Sometimes it’s better to cooperate (even if you shouldn’t and I understand why she didn’t) then to put up a fight, at least for me and my privilege
VERY common in Asia, even when walking up in swimming trunks.
So this may sound contradictory, but I (a white male) frequently both get “carded” like this, and am also constantly surprised how often hotel staff is able to greet me by name because they remember me. The alleged “people like you” is obviously not acceptable, but absent that remark, I don’t think just 2 others not being carded in front of this woman is evidence of pattern and practice of racism. They may have very well been known to be guests already.
Yes. I’ve been asked and so have my kids. Black female here. She didn’t jump the fence. I’m a Hilton Honors member and they will tell you the hotel is sold out. Call the 800 number and rooms will be available. This is the case for Black people. I am a professional, electrical engineer. That doesn’t matter. I can have a professional blue suit on and they think I’m there cleaning.
In the last 2 years I’ve been using airbnb/bookings because I haven’t had a problem domestic or internationally.
Her left front wheel is crossed over into the handicapped spot. She should have been confronted over that and that alone.
LOL
Carded yes !!! Tons of times … had the police called on me no, never …
The Grand Wailea cards everyone at least when I was there a couple of years ago ..
I was carded in the Park Hyatt in Tokyo where you have to go thru a door to get access …
and at the Peninsula hotel in Bangkok …. all were done discreetly and professionally.
In Bangkok the girlfriend and I were already in the pool and when the attendant came around we asked for drinks and he asked to see our room card .. but he had a small iPad and I just gave him my room number and name and he took our order and apologized for asking for a room card (it wasn’t a big deal since it was handled smoothly)
And not once have I ever felt offended
In Vegas they card everyone into the pool area which I think it’s standard !
@JaunCastro
Well I guess that you are proud to express the fact that you don’t at all relate to the racism or classify her experience as racism because in your mind, this is simply something that all people experience. The only thing is, you failed to internalize that this woman repeatedly called out her “YOU PEOPLE” classification, nor did she deny that white people sharing the pool area, were never approached. This is why the situation is not as cut and dry as willfully ignorant people would like to make it. Now ignoring and minimizing the actions of racist is willful ignorance and you should do better.
You will note that she went to her car before going back upstairs. That implies to me that she probably went to her car as well on her way TO the pool. A worker probably saw her coming from her car directly to the pool area, and suspected she was pool hopping. I’m sorry this happened to her, but not everything is about race, folks.
Everything before the “but” is always a lie, don’t you know? I love how you are just speculating that she must’ve gone straight from her car to the pool, and you take that leap of logic to side with the hotel employee… Maybe for once if people of color got that benefit of the doubt, we wouldn’t have all these incidents… Only a person coming from a place of privilege will use the phrase “not everything is about race”. If anything, events of the past two months are making people realize that just about everything IS about race
There is clearly a lot that neither of us know about this situation, so don’t jump to conclusions. I am simply offering an plausible explanation that could explain why the hotel employee was suspicious.
“If you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras”
Yes, but do you just not get it? You’re searching for reasons to side with the employee rather than the hotel guest. THIS is what implicit bias looks like…
And the horses represent the far more common bias/racism than zebras do…
You keep proving my point and don’t realize it
You keep proving *my* point that you think racism is the cause of every single bad thing that happens to a person of color. It’s obvious to me that racism (overt and systemic) is a cause of many problems but it is not the cause of all problems, nor is it necessarily the greatest or largest problem.
What is surprising me is that this is happening already even at a Hampton Inn. I would consider that a Four Seasons or such hotel would be having such inappropriate actions, mostly because you are not seeing as often such black people at those properties on the basis of economic status.
Are you trolling Holger?
This incident was completely racist. I know it and so does every other black person who has been racially profiled and discriminated against in America. It happens ALL the time. People with white privilege know what this is too whether they admit it or not. Until we can call this what it is and stop teaching our children this learned, racist behavior, we will never get past these issues and America will never be great.
I have been asked to verify my room number innumerable times when using hotel facilities, and these were fully enclosed ones, not a pool that is easily accessible to the public by virtue of being next to an open parking lot. if you investigate the incident just a bit, you will find that the hotel employee saw two children were playing in the pool unsupervised. She located their mother, who was sitting in her car in the parking lot. Would it not be reasonable to ask someone who is sitting in a car in a parking lot while her children are using the pool whether she was a guest at the hotel? The woman then didn’t want to identify herself. The question I want answered is whether there was a noose by the pool.
You can see the police report here:
http://www.townofwilliamston.com/
For what it’s worth, the result on the first page of a Google search for this woman reveal that she was recently arrested for larceny, that she has also been arrested for driving with a revoked license and speeding, and that she is registered as a Democrat. This record doesn’t indicate a history of pro-social behavior (such as identifying yourself when using private resources on private property).
If you look for racism in every interaction in life, surely you will find it. That doesn’t mean others will see things the same way and it only serves to diminish the actual cases of racism that do exist.
Professional-looking white male here. I’ve only ever been carded in situations where everyone is carded as they enter, never once in a pool or gym area.
So is the rule now: Don’t EVER question a black person ever again about anything? I’ve been asked before so what. She wanted it to blow up and it did. The hotel has every right to ask her room number and name….hell a lot do when you go to the free breakfast. Room key….I have a drawer full of them. I hate to say it but a lot of black people look for trouble now because they know even if they’re wrong, all they have to say is “RACISM” and boom! These companies will give them everything they want. Also, I’m black before you ask. Not African American, black.
Just because you choose to live in ignorance and denial of racism doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent, and that other Black people are “looking for trouble” when they get fed up with being profiled. As you have stated, you are a Black person who is not African American, therefore it may be easier for you to dismiss the long and complicated history of racism towards Black people in America, but it is very real. This took place in a very small town in North Carolina with a history of racial tension (as is true in most southern states). My mother was among the first black children to integrate schools in this town, and she is only in her 50s. Chris, assimilating into a racist system and justifying the views of white supremacy will get you nowhere. You may think this kind of self-hating rhetoric will separate you from the “African Americans” but white people see the same black skin. Educate yourself.
Gina, it’s being reasonable. That’s all it is. I dont lose my mind and I don’t look for trouble. I’m I’m staying at a hotel, yes I do have an interest in the pool being reserved for registered guests. As for the white lady that wasn’t asked. Maybe she checked in an hour ago and the employee remembered her. Either way, it doesn’t matter. It wasnt the black ladys business. I didnt hear the employee saying “because you’re black is the reason I’m asking you”. That leaves only speculation on the black ladys part. Look, there are black people who think every little setback in daily life is a direct result of racism. If the clerk at walmart checks your receipt, its racism, if the flight ttendant doesnt smile at you, its racism, if a pigeon shits on you, its racism. Those people who are so wound up that the world is racist against them will never get ahead. THEY are the ones holding THEMSELVES back. Is there racism in the world? Sure there is and theres a lot of other equally stupid things too.
Frankly, all of the examples you gave of little setbacks are nothing like this situation. I have stayed at that hotel before and there is no policy in place that requires guests be preemptively or retroactively checked for pool use. The employee clearly said “people like you” and called the cops on this black mother and her two young children. This is way beyond any of the petty situations you described as setbacks. If this was a white mother and her two young children, I can guarantee the cops wouldn’t be involved. The cops are rarely called on white individuals in situations like this. This is a fact. Notice that Andy K agreed with you. Look at Andy K’s previous comments. Automatically assuming innocence on the white employees part by concocting imagined scenarios that explain away her racism. Sure, people who would get upset about a Walmart receipt check may be holding themselves back, but you hold back the progress of fair treatment for Black individuals when you give white people an excuse to ignore blatant racism and/or micro aggressions. Research implicit bias.
@Chris. I truly feel sorry for you…that you had to grow up being the only black person in many of your classes. I would bet your small paycheck that you were the only black person in your entire school. That would explain your thought process. You’re either stupid or terribly misguided, and I don’t think you’re stupid…just lost and very confused. You should take @Gina’s advice and educate yourself. And please, whatever you do, stop shucking and jiving for @Andy K. types. It’s not a good look. And besides, he’s never going to like you no matter what you say or do.
@Chris, thank you for adding needed nuance to this situation.
@Andy K, no nuance was added. Don’t thank @Chris for making it easier for you to turn a blind eye to blatant racism and/or micro aggressions; allowing you to continue blissful ignorance because it doesn’t impact you, and discussing it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. Research implicit bias. Educate yourself.
I’ll make one more observation before I go to bed. Look how the kids are reacting? If your mother is talking to two police officers and getting a bit heated would you be as unconcerned?Especially since police are bad and will probably kill her? If we should have an opportunity to learn more about this lady in the coming days, I’ll bet my next paycheck that this kind of stuff is a regular occurrence for her and the kids witness her nonsense frequently. And no, not because the whole world is racist either. I think she challenges people a lot. Just remember I said that and we’ll see. Of course, you dont really the media would publish it anyway do you?
I am an American of Indian origin. I like traveling to luxury hotels, and am lucky enough to afford them with cash and points.
People of south asian origin are often singled out in nice resorts and hotels in the Middle East.. not so much in Dubai, but most everywhere else in that region. Besides being carded, I have been asked if I am staying at the hotel and asked to provide additional details when charging meals/drinks to my room. That has happened in Doha, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. In fact, it happens so often, it’s almost routine.
Also not just there but also at hotel check in when the authenticity of my passport has been questioned.
I am a white woman. My husband and I have stayed in many different hotels in lots of places in and out of the US and yes I have been ask to show my card and give my name. I comply and it’s over. This is very common. Not everything is race. I have noticed that when you comply they thank you and usually apologetically say for the safety of their guest that they are required to check if they do not recognize you. We have also been robbed at a nice hotel as well and personally I would rather be inconvenienced and safe then left alone and robbed.
Not at a hotel pool, but since I like to fly comfortable (old sneakers, hoodie), I was asked to provide my boarding pass multiple times during lounge stays. The key is always smiling and be kind to these people, who are just doing their job. After providing the proof of legal staying in the lounge, they always apologized and thats it. It happened in SYD QF lounge, also BA T3 lounge (thats quite easy to sneak in) and KL’s AMS lounge (also very easy to sneak in). I am white.
I trend to go everywhere with a moderate-sized backpack, and when I go to a store and don’t buy anything, upon leaving, security guards often ask me to open my bag. Once it made me very angry, because multiple other people didn’t go through this procedure, also that specific security guard was very rude, and told him that I am not obliged to do that for him, so he shall call a police officer to enforce that. He did that, and while we waited there for 10-15 minutes, I’ve explained him, why this is so inappropriate, and that I would have showed my bag if he asked it nicely. Needless to say, I did not steal anything, police officers were very friendly, and afterwards I’ve asked for the manager and explained him the situation, why he should not employ rude security guards. Also I will never ever buy anything in MediaMarkt.
One more thought, I don’t know how is this happening in the US, but in my country, if you refuse to identify yourself to a cop, that gets you in big trouble. That’s just something you don’t ever do.
In the United States, if you’re not committing a crime and the officer has no reason to believe that you are, you generally have no obligation to say anything to the officer.
Being a black person in a swimming pool is not reasonable suspicion of commiting a crime, despite what the hotel clerk may have thought.
I am a white woman. My husband and I have travelled to many places both in and out of the US. I have been ask several times to show my card and give my name. I comply with the request and then I get a thank you and the person usually very apologetically says that they are required to do this for guest safety if they do not recognize you. It is not always about race sometimes it’s just policy. We have also been robbed at a very nice hotel where they didn’t ask and to be honest I would rather be inconvenienced and comply than not be bothered and robbed.
Is that you Erin?
Yes, it is a frequent thing. Hotel staff regularly cards people who use facilities that can be accessed from the lobby.
We live in two Americas. One is for people who are forced to follow rules. The other is for blacks, gays, Muslims, and non white latinos who break rules and can say they were discriminated against to gain special privileges and excuse their behavior. Blacks can commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime (and a disproportionate amount of interracial crime) but don’t get called out for it. America is becoming more and more intolerable for decent people. Something needs to change drastically.
So when the US become a majority minority country (not too near in the future), what pristine white paradise will you be hightailing it to?
Must be interesting to permanently dream of the 1950s.
In the US, once, when I was maybe 12 years old. I was walking around the lobby with two friends when an employee asked what we were doing and if we were guests in the hotel. Since then, nada. Even when I’m obviously taking photos. Ironically, my one “profiling” incident happened in India of all places. A bouncer at the club at the Taj Krishna in Hyderabad was about to stop me from going in until one of the white co-workers I was with said “he’s with us”. Awkward… (Indian male here.)
For the record, this incident does appear racially motivated to me.
Yes I have been carded at a hotel pool, multiple times as a hetero white male. Granted, I tend to dress and present a little more slovenly than perhaps the finest specimens of my kind.
I do love how “people like you” is assumed to be racist. Could have just as easily been meant to as mothers who show up with their kids, etc. Also super cool of the lady to get righteously indignant instead of just verifying her status as a guest. If she forgot her room# she coulda just given the employee her room key and told her to swipe it at the front desk and bring it back. But no, way better to get belligerent and invoke the race card. Predictably, Hilton was quick to kowtow, ironically this encouraging actual racism.
Never. Not even once. In fact, I’ve gone to hotels where I didn’t have a reservation (but a friend did) and used their facilities and even convinced the staff to make me an extra key, without proof of ID or with my friend present. I’ve turned in my keys before (but still had access, technically, to the pool) and been able to have pool staff give me access. I’ve been given access to restricted floors when visiting someone who wasn’t answering their phone — again, no ID requested.
I’m white. And I’m absolutely positive that is why I’ve never even had to ask myself this question.
In fact, if someone demanded my room number after I’d already shown my key, I would be absolutely livid. If that person then called the cops on me, a paying customer? I honestly don’t even think I can conjure up my response, because my inner-Karen would be so angry, I wouldn’t be satisfied until people were fired and I was justly compensated.
I’ve been carded many times at hotel pools or other common areas throughout the US and in Asia, especially Japan. I am Asian. It doesn’t bother me and I don’t notice whether or not everyone gets checked, only tall people, orange people, Etc.
I can think of maybe five incidents when I was asked to prove I was a guest. I am a white woman and this occurred at Rosewood resorts in the VIs. There I think it was more of a keep all non-resorts guests off the property measure.
I have stayed at many higher-end/luxury city hotels where I had to show my room key when returning in the evening. Although after two days I am usually familiar to the door staff.
@Chris. I truly feel sorry for you…that you had to grow up being the only black person in many of your classes. I would bet your small paycheck that you were the only black person in your entire school. That would explain your thought process. You’re either stupid or terribly misguided, and I don’t think you’re stupid…just lost and very confused. You should take @Gina’s advise and educate yourself. And please, whatever you do, stop shucking and jiving for @Andy K. types. It’s not a good look. And besides, he’s never going to like you no matter what you say or do.
I have been asked for my room number and / or keycard on several occasions. Upon providing it, the person asking has thanked me & moved on. Even when requiring a card insertion to get in, it is easy to just wait & follow someone in. I have done that several times, & ironically, those times I haven’t been asked.
I will admit that in my younger years, my friends & I routinely sneaked in to get the best pools where w knew we couldn’t afford the hotel. We never did get asked then.
I am a white female
I was just at a hotel the other day… during COVID restrictions. My husband and I admittedly ignored the sign saying to sign up in the lobby, before going into the pool, because there was only a few other people in the pool and it was a big pool, it was 100 plus degrees out and we were uninformed of the pool rules before walking barefoot on the hot ground to the pool, the sign said our ID was needed to sign in and that was left way back in our hotel room and we didn’t think they would actually care. A few minutes later a staff member entered the pool area to ask if we signed up and had wrist bands. We told them no. So they had my husband go in and sign us up and gave us wrist bands. He showed his ID. That was it. They didn’t call the cops, they didn’t target us, and we actually did do something wrong. Both my husband and I are white.