Conducting Surveillance in a Hotel

Going in cold on a surveillance at a hotel with interior room entrances -need to watch a particular room's door. Wont know which till I get thereand check the layout. Anyone got a tried'n'true excuse for requesting acertain room from the desk clerk on arrival (assuming the one i'll want isunoccupied)? Or at the very least, a good excuse for wanting a certainfloor and certain side of the hotel?Its a major chain - I assume their records would show I've never stayed, sosome "sentimental reasons" bit won't work.Any ideas would be appreciated... -BG


When you're booking a room, just ask the clerk "Is room xxx available?" Itdoesn't matter if you stayed there before, there's no way they're going tocheck anyway, and they won't care what your reasons are (because you're notgoing to give them a reason), nor will they ask you for one. They're alsonot going to notify the person in the room next to you (your subject) that BG specifically requested that room.If it's not available, just ask for a room on the floor you want.No need to make it complicated or try to be sneaky. Sometimes the simplestway to get what you want is just to ask for it. -JP


I agree with JP that the less said the better. However, if you areuncomfortable with that and feel compelled to give a reason for requesting roomnumber (- - -) just say it is your lucky number. -SC

How about using the pretext that it was the room where you spent your_____________ (Just fill in the blank,....honeymoon, anniversary, specialbirthday, where you stayed while on a business trip and found out you weregoing to be a Dad/Granddad for the first time, etc.) If the hotel has acasino, I like the idea of "Its your lucky number." -DR


I found that $50.00 and saying it's my lucky number, has worked everytime I have used it. -TA


I fail to see why there is any need whatsoever for a pretext here.

B: Hi, I'd like to book a room please; is room 256 available?
Clerk: Let me check... Yes, that room's available, sir.
B: Ok, I'll take that.

End of conversation.

Slipping $50 to the clerk is not only a waste of 50 bucks, but no one tips adesk clerk $50. All that does is make the clerk wonder why you're sodesperate to have that room. Next thing you know, the whole hotel staffknows you're an awesome tipper and everybody's talking about you. They'llbe cleaning your room 12 times a day and you won't be able to get into yourbed for all the mints on your pillow. -JP


One thing that I want to emphasize here is that the people in the room thatyou are surveilling have the right to the expectation of privacy. Youcannot legally use a snake cam, nor can you use anything that recordsvoices. what you can do is log their comings and goings (no pun intended)and you can take notes about what you hear with the naked ear (again no pun) through the walls.

Having been down this road of renting the room next to such and such I havefound that it works well if you keep it in perspective. One thing I ialsorecommend is to get by however means you can copies of the room serviceorders and bills. At some point your going to want a copy of theregistration. Not possible without subpoena unless you make a deal withsecurity which is increasingly difficult. Be prepared with considerableamounts of cash to talk to maids, bartenders and other service people. -EH


I haven't used it yet (haven't had the need), but according to a friend ofmine in Las Vegas, who gets a fair amount of domestic cases there, he asks"has my friend (subject) checked in yet I would like the closet room tohim/them.please." At least if the adjacent/opposite rooms are taken you havechance of getting on the same floor, which could be important if the roomkey is necessary to access that floor. Plus it solves the problem of tryingto determine their room number, which can be difficult. The clerk couldn'tcare less and is very unlikely to say anything to the subject. -BT