Thefts @ Desire RM ? Is this a real problem?

[desireaddict]

I was just reading trip reports from TripAdvisor.com
A post entitled "The Good the Bad & the Ugly" on Sept 29th says there were at least 3 guests rooms/safes that had something stolen from them that week. This particular guest says cash was stolen directly from their safe (100s of dollars).

This is alarming.
I was under the impression that the safe with the digital lock required upper management to open (or perhaps even TWO), but we found out that was not true when we arrived and found that our safe was locked by the previous guests. It was no big deal for the employee who escorted us to the room to get it opened. That worried me in fact. But now to read the report of money stolen from a safe causes great concern. When we travel anywhere, I feel more comfortable if I have a moderate amount of cash with me for some emergency. My wife typically locks her jewelry in the safe when going to the hot tub, etc. but now I question if that is really secure?

I recently read the post here of cash stolen at the hot tub. Personally, I've never seen the need to carry nearly a significant amount (what constitutes that is subjective) of cash while planning to be naked on the resort property. If I'm planning on a generous tip to a special resort employee for their outstanding service (think Sylvia), I usually do it before I'm drinking enough to lose it on my own without someone stealing it.

IS THERE A REAL ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THEFT FROM THE GUEST ROOMS AT DESIRE?

[CandyLou]

NO!!!!! We just got back last week. We left all our valubles and money in the safe. It was never touched. Also we left a camera and camcorder out setting on top of the safe, it also was never moved. As far as taking money to the hot tub, WHY......

[bobjeannj]

Hi
I wouldn't be discouraged from going. We have been to RM and DLC several times. I posted about the theft at the hot tub in Cabo. Aside from this past trip we have never had any money taken. Sunglasses once but that was the first trip long ago, nothing since.
I won't debate the possibility of theft. I have driven in Mexico often and never had a shake down by police but you hear about it happening quite a bit. No one wants to think that the wonderful people who work there that we talk to would ever do something like this. Oddly, people are quick to blame other guests. It's the real world and people are capable of taking something. I don't think the guests or employees here are any more likely than anywhere else. The real problem with our experience wasn't who did or didn't take it but how it was handled by management and police. We were never contacted by the hotel manager during or since our trip several weeks ago. He seems to have spent more time putting up fake reviews on tripadvisor than the ten minutes it would have taken to speak to us. The accounts in RM had the same theme.

We will go back, we already have a trip scheduled. We won't trust our valuables the same as we used to. ( I won't tell you how but it will be handled differently ) Do a search on YouTube about hotel safes. If this or any hotel was concerned about guests they would provide a secure hotel safe at the front desk.

Sorry if we made you overly concerned, but you can't be overly trusting either. You should definitely still go.

Bob

[dnbinmi]

We have just returned from our 14th trip to Desire. In those trips we have never known anyone to have anything that was secure stolen. Lots of items misplaced, heck last May a woman found the sunglasses she lost the prior year in the lost & found.

Just read the report and I don't understand why anyone would take that kind of cash to the hottub. You definitely wouldn't do it in the US why would you expect management to be responsible there? Why would an employee steal a room key?? Sounds more like something another guest would do.

I wouldn't be concerned, but I would use common sense. Almost anything in the resort you can charge to your room. The only thing we carry cash for is tips and only the amount we are expecting to use in the next few hours.

[bobjeannj]

The question was about multiple reports including theft from room safes at multiple hotels. You can’t really know all the facts about my personal incident so it seems incredibly presumptuous and judgmental to offer an opinion about what happened. Victim blaming is never the answer. My complaint was about management’s initial reaction and non-reaction since. It seems the complaint was the same for the people whose room safes were affected. The amount isn’t the point, it could have been any amount and it would have been unwelcome. My complaint is the refusal of the manager to call police as requested or to give me the number so that I could do it myself. By the way 066 is the general equivalent of 911.
I still think the original poster should consider that this can happen anywhere and take caution with valuables.

[Cali_desire_cpl]

For what it's worth, we have made over a dozen trips to Desire properties and have NEVER had anything stolen. We never lock up cameras, ipods, laptops etc. The only thing we use the safe for is jewelry and wallets. I am not saying that thefts don't occur. Hell, there are bad apples in all walks of life. We have talked to numerous employees about thefts and proper behavior and they all say their jobs are way to important to them to ever risk losing them.

[olderII]

We have been to Desire RM 12 times, and have never had anything stolen!!!! The only bad thing that can happen to you at Desire is a bad sunburn.

[dnbinmi]

bobjeannj

I read the report on Trip Advisor:
"We are at desire Cabo now it is 4:30 am. we had $140 dollars and our room key stolen while we were on a bed at the hot tub. we went to the front desk to ask them to call the workers who were up there. Eugenio was at the bar. Marco at the front desk was unhelpful and obviously complicit in allowing the employee time to leave. He refused to call the police as requested for 45 minutes. The one tall person who acts as a security guard pretended to not speak English although we had had many conversations during the week in English. they probably assumed I was drunk and wouldn't notice right away, but I wasn't drinking. when the police finally came they refused to even take a report after the security guard spoke to them.
The desk manager Marco seemed to forget the name of the company or the owner or manager of the property. I will post more as I think of what to say, but with reports of theft at riviera maya and now here, I would strongly suggest rethinking any travel plans you have for any of these properties

When you post in public forum and don't give all of the details you are open to "presumptions" My post was based on the statements about having $140 at the hottub. That is not usually the norm and to assume it was an employee is just wrong unless there was no one else there. IMO in the US the police would not take a report in a similar situation, I'd be interested in what others think. We take precautions with items we value wherever we go, especially in foreign countries. Also, you state in your previous post that you have booked back already but you don't state that in the trip advisor report.

Dnbinmi
The question was about multiple reports including theft from room safes at multiple hotels. You can’t really know all the facts about my personal incident so it seems incredibly presumptuous and judgmental to offer an opinion about what happened. Victim blaming is never the answer. My complaint was about management’s initial reaction and non-reaction since. It seems the complaint was the same for the people whose room safes were affected. The amount isn’t the point, it could have been any amount and it would have been unwelcome. My complaint is the refusal of the manager to call police as requested or to give me the number so that I could do it myself. By the way 066 is the general equivalent of 911.
I still think the original poster should consider that this can happen anywhere and take caution with valuables.

[bobjeannj]

i apologize for not being clearer, my only intent was to encourage the poster to not be discouraged. See you in May.
Bob

[Mychoice]

We've been there several times and haven't had a problem. We always lock our valuables in the safe in the room. One year, I lost my cell phone right before we left. When we returned 6 months later, during check-in, they told me that they'd found my phone and had it for me.

[RandAplay]

Just got back - and I can say that it was NOT an issue EVER while we were there.

In fact - I read this post prior to leaving and felt a little eneasy - nobody ever wants to hear the safe isn't safe - that leaves everything up for grabs.

However - I lost my diamond from my ring in the jacuzzi and they FOUND IT! Same evening another guest lost a diamond ring in the jacuzzi that flew over the side... staff got on ladders and FOUND IT in a tree and returned it. The staff - as you'll read here all over the place - work so hard to make your stay 100% perfect. I was so pleased to be able to come home and post this - knowing that not only was my safe "safe" - but the items we hold most dear outside of our rooms are respected and returned as well.

[olderII]

Just got back - and I can say that it was NOT an issue EVER while we were there.

In fact - I read this post prior to leaving and felt a little eneasy - nobody ever wants to hear the safe isn't safe - that leaves everything up for grabs.

However - I lost my diamond from my ring in the jacuzzi and they FOUND IT! Same evening another guest lost a diamond ring in the jacuzzi that flew over the side... staff got on ladders and FOUND IT in a tree and returned it. The staff - as you'll read here all over the place - work so hard to make your stay 100% perfect. I was so pleased to be able to come home and post this - knowing that not only was my safe "safe" - but the items we hold most dear outside of our rooms are respected and returned as well.

We agree with RandAplay 100% about the content of their post!!!!!

[dandkm]

In support of the above posts, I just wanted to add that there have been a few times when I got 'distracted' and ended up leaving my fairly expensive sunglasses by the hot tub and my ipad by the pool. In both cases I went tot he front desk and they were there waiting for me. I always use the safe for any money, valuables, passports, electronics, etc and have never have they appeared to be disturbed in any way. We last visited in Novemeber ''12.

Hope that helps

[eglp]

two comments on this subject. On Weds. night, my wife bought a really nice ankle bracelet from the people who come around, it had a threaded fitting. The guy put it on her and threaded it, apparently not well enough. Thursday morning, she lost it and didn't realize it til much later in the day. We went by the front desk and they had it, the restaurant manager found it outside the dining room right after breakfast.

Now, we kept our cellphones, kindle and tablet on the one night stand to charge. Digital camera, my wallet, money clip, change and my pocket knife in the safe. My wife kept her purse in one of the drawers, her birthday was a few days before we left and the night before we went to dinner and her family gave her $100 in $20's. She noticed a few days after we got back that she only had $60 in her purse and didn't remember spending any money. Did it happen there? that seem to be the most likely that it was taken while in the room, but we really don't know, and didn't bother to report it after we realized it. In the future all money will be in the safe.

[My_Dogs_White]

She noticed a few days after we got back that she only had $60 in her purse and didn't remember spending any money. Did it happen there? that seem to be the most likely that it was taken while in the room, but we really don't know, and didn't bother to report it after we realized it. In the future all money will be in the safe.

The safe is not safe at all. While at RM last month some friends had money taken out of their safe. The thief didn't clean them out, took a few 50's and left the rest. The incident was reported and they were assured there would be an investigation but nothing ever came of it.

They're not taking camera's or iPhones... they don't want that kind of attention. They're stealing cash and only a little hoping most people won't even notice a few missing 50's or 20's.

My advice is to lock up passports and electronics and HIDE YOUR CASH.