Feel free to rummage thru our private fridge - Not!

So we've only been at this innkeeping thing for a year and have had some really great guests and of course some that are ok but this weekend we had a real prize. Our personal kitchen is behind a door that says 'Private' but apparently that wasn't enough for one of our guests. In the middle of the night they went into our kitchen, rummaged thru the fridge and took several beers of ours and left $6 to cover the beer. Granted, at least they did pay for them but the lack of consideration for our privacy was amazing. It really ticked off my wife who felt really violated and I totally agree. The sad part is if they had asked we would have shared a beer with them.
Now we are considering adding an electronic lock like we have on our bedroom on the kitchen door. I hate to do that as I don't want to feel like everything is on 'lockdown'.
Thanks for reading and sorry about the venting.
John

Lock it up. This may have been the first time your privacy was violated but if you don't lock up it won't be your last!

We have a deadbolt on the door between the inn and our apartment. I lock it every night.
If someone were rummaging in our refrigerator, they would be standing right at our open bedroom door. And would have been very surprised when Hubby attacked them.

we have a simple sliding bolt on the kitchen door. You'll find that the longer you're innkeepers, the more you'll covet your privacy. It's a simple solution.

Our kitchen has been locked from Day 1. Also adjoins our office which obviously needs to be secure. Our 3rd floor living area is also always locked.

Hate it when it happens, still not upset enough to bother doing anything about it other than a sign that says "Anything put into this fridge is now ours. Guest fridge is _______". Going on 20 years of this, I like to just imagine that guests don't do it, even when they do. I have sometimes put notes in places they aren't supposed to see, just to see if it's enough to make them admit that they are peeping Toms. The first person I did that to.... was my grandmother... left something in my drawer... she never admitted seeing it, but she never opened another drawer again.
If you feel really violated, try this head in jar joke...
It's a printout that you put in yellow coloured water in the fridge.

This is the place to rant.
I am sorry you don't want to but I would lock that door! If it happens once, it will likely happen again. It's not being inhospitable, it's being smart. Your private space is your private space. A locked door with a nice sign on how to reach you for emergencies is all you need. Of course you lock your door. The door to your quarters is the door to your home.
Love the head in the fridge!

Lock your kitchen!!! If there is a door then lock it. No reason why it should be open to anyone but you! It's a no brainer get on it now!

Add the lock. Don't look back.
Our inn kitchen is wide open. We deal a few times/year with random guests taking things or adding their crap to the fridge.
We put in one of those 'people herders' that are used to make it obvious where to form a line. And a sign before they get that far. And a sign on the fridge.
Some people just don't care about anything but themselves.
Get the lock. Sleep in peace.

Generic said:

Hate it when it happens, still not upset enough to bother doing anything about it other than a sign that says "Anything put into this fridge is now ours. Guest fridge is _______". Going on 20 years of this, I like to just imagine that guests don't do it, even when they do. I have sometimes put notes in places they aren't supposed to see, just to see if it's enough to make them admit that they are peeping Toms. The first person I did that to.... was my grandmother... left something in my drawer... she never admitted seeing it, but she never opened another drawer again.
If you feel really violated, try this head in jar joke...

It's a printout that you put in yellow coloured water in the fridge..

Click to expand...

Still trying to decide if I think that is hysterically funny or really a mean trick. Either way, it's awesome!

seashanty said:

This is the place to rant.
I am sorry you don't want to but I would lock that door! If it happens once, it will likely happen again. It's not being inhospitable, it's being smart. Your private space is your private space. A locked door with a nice sign on how to reach you for emergencies is all you need. Of course you lock your door. The door to your quarters is the door to your home.
Love the head in the fridge!.

Click to expand...

We also have a doorbell on the inner door that separates the inn from our apartment. Makes it easy for guests. Big sign above it saying, 'ring bell for innkeeper.'

Generic said:

Hate it when it happens, still not upset enough to bother doing anything about it other than a sign that says "Anything put into this fridge is now ours. Guest fridge is _______". Going on 20 years of this, I like to just imagine that guests don't do it, even when they do. I have sometimes put notes in places they aren't supposed to see, just to see if it's enough to make them admit that they are peeping Toms. The first person I did that to.... was my grandmother... left something in my drawer... she never admitted seeing it, but she never opened another drawer again.
If you feel really violated, try this head in jar joke...

It's a printout that you put in yellow coloured water in the fridge..

Click to expand...

The head in the Jar idea is great! Would love to see the review after they saw that

we lock the whole basement/breakfast room/entrance to our flat off in one go with one door if we arn't there.
I will always remember the innkeeper on here (I think) who got up to find guests had had a midnight feast with all that days's breakfast makings!

Jcam said:

we lock the whole basement/breakfast room/entrance to our flat off in one go with one door if we arn't there.
I will always remember the innkeeper on here (I think) who got up to find guests had had a midnight feast with all that days's breakfast makings!.

Click to expand...

the trouble is the word "private" means "there must be something interesting in here" to guests, its like a red rag to a bull - if you put a sign on saying broom closet I bet no one would look.Its the curiosity value.
The vast majority of guests wouldn't dream of doing such a thing and we have been at this 20 years its just the occasional one that will do something really odd (ie about 1 in 6 months) ie we had a guest this weekend who didn't like the smell of his wardrobe so decided to put it outside his room - but there we are

Totally agree. We have barn style doors that we put a latch on. Now mind you, if you really wanted to, you could break in but I think the fact you hear the metal grinding if you try and slide it open is deterent enough.

Jcam said:

we lock the whole basement/breakfast room/entrance to our flat off in one go with one door if we arn't there.
I will always remember the innkeeper on here (I think) who got up to find guests had had a midnight feast with all that days's breakfast makings!.

Click to expand...

What kind of electronic lock do you have ?

The first year I was open I locked the door into the kitchen. There is a large pass through window between kitchen and dining room and it turns out the locked door was not enough of a deterrent. One of my guests decided the guest refrigerator wasn't big enough for her pizza box so she climbed through the window to get to my refrigerator, knocking things off the counter in the process. I was flabbergasted.
Now I don't bother locking up and haven't had any more incursions. Life is just too short...

Innkeep said:

The first year I was open I locked the door into the kitchen. There is a large pass through window between kitchen and dining room and it turns out the locked door was not enough of a deterrent. One of my guests decided the guest refrigerator wasn't big enough for her pizza box so she climbed through the window to get to my refrigerator, knocking things off the counter in the process. I was flabbergasted.
Now I don't bother locking up and haven't had any more incursions. Life is just too short....

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I cannot imagine.