Security Company Shenanigans: When Hotel Meeting Rooms Become the Wild West of Job Interviews
There's never a dull moment working hotel front desk, but some weekends truly shine in their absurdity. Imagine a hotel meeting room commandeered for weeks by a security company with a hiring process so loose, you'd think their main requirement was "must be breathing." Now add in interviewers who can't tell time, candidates who look straight out of a casting call for a prison documentary, and a revolving door of staff. Welcome to the wild, wild world of hotel-hosted security company interviews—a tale as bizarre as it is entertaining.
When Security Companies Forget About Security (and Punctuality)
It all started innocently enough: a security company rented the hotel's meeting room for a month to conduct interviews. On the surface, it sounds professional. But as u/Sufficient_Two_5753, the original poster (OP), recounts, professionalism was nowhere to be found that Saturday morning. Six hopefuls arrived promptly at 9 a.m., only to be abandoned in the lobby by their would-be employers. The interviewers? A casual 45 minutes late.
As the minutes ticked by, one interviewee asked, “So, where are they?” OP's response was hotelier gold: “No, I’m not in charge of them, and what they do in their rooms is none of my business.” It’s the perfect summary of the hospitality industry’s mantra: Guest drama stops at the front desk.
The Great Hotel Room Escape
The chaos ramped up when, barely ten minutes into the delayed interviews, one of the interviewers—a lady apparently pushed past her breaking point—pulled a Houdini. She went up to her room, packed her bags, and checked out early with the memorable parting words: “I can’t do this, I quit!” As OP later clarified in the comments, her company had prepaid for the room through a third party, so the hotel kept the cash. Sometimes, the universe delivers small wins to the hospitality world.
Community reactions were divided on her dramatic exit. u/Its5somewhere opined, “45+ mins late is totally valid to decide to not want to work for that potential employer… she values her time and bailed.” But a closer look from u/Severe-Hope-9151 clarified that this wasn’t a candidate bailing, but one of the interviewers themselves—a sign, perhaps, of just how bad this company’s internal chaos had become.
The Candidates: A Unique Talent Pool
OP didn’t mince words about the interviewees: “They don’t look like the best candidates for any job (like they just got out of jail, or are about to go to jail soon).” This raised some eyebrows in the comments, but also sparked wry industry wisdom. As u/Distribution-Radiant noted, “Don’t hate on those who look like they just got out of jail... probably the only ones that can pass a drug/alcohol test that will show up for this kind of interview.”
u/kevnmartin chimed in with a real-world anecdote: “We used to hire ex cons for our land surveying company. They were the only ones that could pass the drug test.” Apparently, the intersection of employability and passing a drug test is smaller than one might think, especially for jobs that start with “security” and end with “please show up.”
But not everyone was convinced this was the next wave of honest employment. u/No-Koala1918 quipped, “Sounds like you’re hosting ICE recruiting. They’re looking for thugs and goons.” Others wondered aloud why a security company would use a hotel meeting room at all—don’t they have offices? Or is the hotel just a convenient place to gather folks who might be on parole?
The Hotel’s Bottom Line: Winning by Accident
All this chaos begs the question: did the hotel at least make money? The answer, as OP clarified, is a resounding “sort of.” Thanks to a third-party booking, the hotel pocketed the full payment for the rooms, even from the early quitter. But here’s the kicker: the General Manager never charged the security company for the meeting room itself. That’s right—weeks of interviews, no meeting room revenue.
u/evil_shmuel summed it up: “They got full payment for the rooms, but none for the meeting room.” It’s a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing—a theme that, in this story, runs from the hotel staff straight through to the security company.
Some commenters suggested the hotel should absolutely bill the security company retroactively. As u/Distribution-Radiant put it, “If they don’t show up on time, how well do you think they handle security?” A fair point—if your security company can’t manage a 9 a.m. interview, are you sure you want them managing, well, anything?
Conclusion: The Real Security Risk Was the Hiring Process
This front desk fable is more than just a comedy of errors—it’s a snapshot of modern hospitality, gig economy chaos, and the eternal struggle to get paid. If you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at your local hotel, know that sometimes it’s less “Grand Budapest Hotel” and more “reality TV meets The Office.”
Have you ever witnessed a job interview disaster, or worked somewhere that turned chaos into comedy? Share your stories below—and remember, if you’re ever late for a group interview, at least make sure someone’s watching the front desk.
Because in the wild world of hotel-hosted interviews, the only thing less secure than the company might just be the meeting room booking process.
Original Reddit Post: He's not my responsibility!