‘Who is it?’: Woman traveling alone says man tried to enter her Georgia hotel room at 3:45 in the morning, using a front desk key card

A solo traveler says she woke to a terrifying situation at a Georgia hotel when someone tried to open her room door with a key card at 3:45 a.m. She had already barricaded the entrance with coat hangers, a chair, and a suitcase after feeling uneasy at check-in. Her TikTok video documenting the setup has since drawn hundreds of thousands of views.

The clip, posted by @shendonnamc (profile name Shenshen), focuses on the door, which is held shut with wooden coat hangers wedged into the lock area, a metal reinforcement lock above the peephole, an office chair pushed against the door, and a suitcase placed under the chair. 

Shenshen said in the caption that she had a weird feeling when she checked in that night. She stated that the receptionist asked her, in front of a man, whether she would be the only one occupying the room and that the man stood too close to the conversation.

The woman described her actions after check-in and the hotel’s later response

She said she went to her room and barricaded the door using methods from YouTube videos, even though she was not sure it would work. Shenshen added that the man was able to see her room number from the key card the receptionist handed her. She stated that she later heard someone trying to open the door and that she screamed out with force, “Hello!! Who is it?” as loud as she could.

Shenshen said her intuition kicked in and that she later thought about asking to change rooms but did not do so because she was so tired, though she remained on alert. She added that she grew up in Compton and that she will fight for her life. According to her account, the man quickly apologized and showed her through the peephole the key card he was given with her room number on it.

Shenshen said she believed him and called the front desk. She stated that the person at the desk said she would have to call her back, but 30 minutes went by with no call. 

She said she kept hearing noises and could not sleep, so she called the front desk again. Shenshen said the front desk employee apologized and blamed the incident on the system. Key card mix-ups at the front desk have surfaced before, including a case of a hotel employee handing over a room key to a stranger.

In the caption, she wrote, “This is not over. Please be careful!!!!!!!” She shared an update in the comments stating that the hotel has apologized, authorized a full refund, and promised to train all employees on safety protocols. She added, “Thank you for the engagement, helpful tips and recommendations. Stay safe while traveling alone!”

Viewers who commented on the video raised questions about how the man received a key card to her room. One commenter wrote, “Why the f–k would the front desk do that.” Another suggested a different approach at check-in, writing, “I always say I need 2 card keys. They do not need to know I am alone.”

A third commenter advised taking stronger steps, stating, “Sue. Them. Get the manager. Make a scene.” One viewer recommended a specific lock method, writing, “Always lock the door and leave the keys inside no one will be able to unlock it.” Another said they would skip the front desk entirely in a similar situation and wrote, “I dont bother with calling front desk. I call 911 and let them sort it out. I tell them the entire story amd advise front desk may be in on it.”