What are my rights as a hotel guest: Theft personal property

Sometimes bitter people aren't happy until everyone else is bitter too. Not much you can do about that.

discostu: So sad, so true.

This is quite true. There are many things they must do to provide for the safety of their guests. However, they are not insurers. You could recover from them only if you could prove that they didn't do something they "should" have done.

These types of proofs do occur, but normally only in wrongful death lawsuits, where the potential proceeds justify the extensive costs of investigation, litigation, etc. There are some parallels to the recent cases of legionaire's disease at City Center (consider theft, or crime in general, as a disease). But your recovery in this case would almost certainly be limited to the raw value of the jewelry, so pursuing such would be merely a curiousity. In addition, while you set out to prove they didn't do something they should have, they'd be doing the same thing, trying to prove that you didn't do something you should have. Their case would be much easier to prove (or at least easier to argue).

A world where hotels are always responsible for small injuries to their guests (strict liability) is probably not a world most travellers would actually enjoy.

Legally, if I'm on the jury, the hotel says they provide safes in the room and the guest chose to to not use the safe.... Well, the safe is there for a reason. Doors lock for a reason. People take shit that isn't theirs.

Hotel provided a locked room and a safe and had no other complaints in the past few months about thefts....I'd have to side with the hotel. If there was rash of thefts and the hotel did nothing about them... maybe I'd side with the claimant. But again, insurance will just cut a check and it's really the insurance company that is out the money and they would be the ones to pursue court.

Guys we are not currently considering civil litigation, just want our property returned. The police department and security at the hotel are working to try to recover Jason's bracelet and ring. My husband spoke with the hotel and police department again this afternoon and they both were encouraging. If they recover our items I'll be making some homemade chess pies for these guys. We value your input and welcome any additional information anyone is willing to add.

I hope you get the jewelry back. I think you've done every thing you can short of hiring a PI. Oh...something else you could try. Do you have pictures of the jewelry you can post. You never know. Someone might spot it out there.

Never had a chess pie before. Never even heard of it before. Google filled me in. I hope you get the jewelry back.

snidely333: Chess pie is a southern dessert. I use my grandmothers recipe with a twist by making my own vanilla. When we have family gatherings usually make extra so if one of my brothers is on at the fire hall the next day they will take it with them. The homemade Madagascar bourbon vanilla makes all of the difference.

Alanleroy:

Thanks, we are hoping. I gave pic's to the police officer but here are similar pic's I found:

Found this pic on ebay of a ring that looks very similar. Jason's is an antique ring and I think the stones are larger with one being of the stones on the end being a bit off center (from wear) Ring

Bracelet: This is exactly like the sterling silver bracelet, ours came with a leather WSOP bag and matching large jewelery box. It is inscribed with our names and wedding date on the back (6-11-2000) bracelet

Although sorry for your loss, I have some concerns with the way this thread was written - specifically -

"during this time the room was cleaned. I know the jewelry was in the room before it was cleaned . . . "

Even though the loss was not discovered until after you arrived home, this statement suggests, at least to me, that the maid is your prime suspect.
Maids run this risk in every room, every day and it is sad that the most needy and underpaid are so vulnerable every time they go to work.
That said, as the obvious target, it usually would not be them - they would not get away with it more than once. But such a complaint could cost them their job.

The maid was in the room.
Maintenance could have been in the room.
Mini-bar restocker could have been in the room.
A third party could have entered while the door was open.
Bellboy
Doorman
Cab Driver
Bus Driver
Airport Check-in
Security
Baggage Handler
Passenger
Bystander

A lot of people could have had access between your leaving the roon and your arriving home.

I really am sorry for the loss - but am sorrier still for the maid who now has this black mark against her. Sorry.