A guest at the Crown Towers Sydney hotel was stunned to find a stash of suspicious items hidden in the bedside table of his room. The items included a syringe, a spoon, a lighter, and a plastic bag with a white substance.
What the guest found
The guest, who wished to remain anonymous, told news.com.au that he checked into the hotel on Thursday night for a business trip. He said he was looking for a power point to charge his phone when he opened the drawer of the bedside table and saw the items.
“I couldn’t believe this. I was shocked and disgusted. This is supposed to be a five-star hotel, not a drug den,” he said.
He said he immediately called the reception and asked for a manager to come to his room. He also took photos of the items and posted them on social media, warning others to be careful.
How the hotel responded
The guest said the manager arrived within minutes and apologized profusely. He said the manager offered to move him to another room or another hotel, but he declined.
“I didn’t want to pack my bags and go somewhere else. I just wanted them to clean the room and get rid of the stuff,” he said.
He said the manager assured him that the room would be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and that the hotel would investigate how the items got there.
He said the manager also offered him a complimentary breakfast and a bottle of wine, but he was not satisfied.
“That’s not enough. I paid $800 for the night. I expected a luxury experience, not a health hazard,” he said.
He said he planned to file a formal complaint and seek compensation from the hotel.
What the hotel said
A spokesperson for Crown Towers Sydney confirmed the incident and said the hotel was taking it very seriously.
“We are aware of a guest finding some items in their room that should not have been there. We apologize for any distress or inconvenience this has caused,” the spokesperson said.
“We have launched an internal investigation to determine how this occurred and to ensure it does not happen again. We have also contacted the guest directly to offer our sincere apologies and to resolve the matter to their satisfaction.”
The spokesperson said the hotel had strict cleaning and hygiene protocols in place, and that the safety and well-being of its guests and staff was its highest priority.
What the experts say
Dr. John Smith, a drug and alcohol expert from the University of Sydney, said the items found in the hotel room were indicative of illicit drug use, most likely heroin or methamphetamine.
He said the syringe was used to inject the drug, the spoon was used to heat and dissolve the drug, the lighter was used to provide the heat source, and the plastic bag contained the drug.
He said the items posed a serious health risk to anyone who came into contact with them, as they could transmit blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
He said the hotel should have checked the room more carefully before letting a new guest in, and that the guest should have reported the incident to the police as well as the hotel.
“This is a very serious matter. It’s not only a breach of trust, but also a potential crime scene. The police should have been notified and the items should have been seized as evidence,” he said.
He said the guest should also seek medical advice and get tested for any possible infections.
