I'm basically running scared out of there stat! I'd be worried Laia/Security or whatever was in on it and revealing that i knew too much! Props to you, and best wishes.

if you look at trip advisor, someone else posted this 4 years ago:

///

The hotel is beautiful and the staff more than gracious, while there on a company incentive trip, I had a complete electronics sweep done of my room - two laptops, cell phone, camera, etc and we are convinced it was an inside job - very sad. The housekeeping staff handled very poorly - didn't notify anyone of the stranger that entered our room... the saga dragged on. It was devastating to lose the belongings, a hassle to replace, and while hotel insurance covered the basics, not much else was done to compensate for lost productivity and "pain and suffering" if there is such thing for losing a laptop loaded with information!

Stayed April 2009, travelled on business

///

Take a look at this post written 08-13-2013.

Next big event this happened.....

Wow

You had me til' here


… Jesus Christ

If I was Pokerstars management I'd be livid.

The headline basically reads "Account security compromised at EPT Barcelona after hotel staff deceives Pokerstars security team."

Ouch.

At the very minimum I would expect Stars refusing to work with this venue in the future, but I dunno. We'll see I guess.

The phone calls to the room are quite scary..

Did they think you would leave the room at 5am to look for a taxi/girls you didn't order?

..?

Probably just seeing if anyone was in the room?

Seems like they are amateurs/stupid/desperate if so.

I also think the security team of the hotel are likely involved. Local criminals/poker criminals probably bribed them

The OP got lucky and entered the room during the small interval that his laptop was AWOL and this whole thing blew up. Has it crossed nobody's mind that this kind of practice could have been going on like clockwork for years now? Just because they got caught doesn't mean that it was their first time.

The sloppy tactics and execution that the perpetrators used makes it more probable that it's a poker only thing as opposed to what you would expect from a professional identity theft crew working various 5 star hotels. There is a chance that whatever they planted can be traced back to them, and considering the high probability that they are active HS poker players, I'm sure everyone would like to follow those breadcrumbs. Also, the phone calls to the room were likely made by the same persons that broke into them. One clue would be the origin of the call and another would be their accent.

I'm not convinced that the security guy is involved. My bet is that he was lazy and wanted to avoid doing any actual work and that's why he tried to dismiss it.

this 500+ post **** storm is over 2 stolen laptops which had trojans planted in them that were never used to steal a single cent???? and the laptops were returned???? so the only crime in the real world would be....trespassing or something?

am i disconnected with reality or is everyone else? the level of hysteria seems appropriate if the OP had been violently sexually assaulted in an alley, and then superused by the perpetrators for a cool million.

^

The only thing that makes me think this thing has not being going on for years is that this hasn't been noticed/announced on the internet before.

- and the sloppiness of the criminals in Barcelona would make it seem like it would be noticed before. (but maybe that's just barcelona)

HOWEVER,
scott seiver posted earlier that this happened to him and jason koon before (and that was never known publicly), so maybe it has been going on for a while.

Just want to let everyone know that the Arts Hotel staff is VERY familiar with running high stakes games in the suites and penthouse. I have no idea why they would want to pilfer laptop information.

Barcelona itself is basically a demilitarized zone for the various, Italian, Albanian, and other organized crime families to conduct business. This means, hits are not allowed in Barcelona, and business takes places.

Many nosebleed games have taken place in the Arts, and the hotel manager is well aware of what is going on, especially the staff. They know the EPT is in town, and they know anyone who stays at the Arts has money. The Arts a is a high end place, and probably the most expensive hotel in Barca. I am not a criminal so it is just hearsay, but I have heard about shady dealings of the staff before. Stuff gone missing, safes broken. This is not the first incident, nor will it be the last.

Also, while Casino Barcelona is located in Catalonia, the group running the casino, and the manager of the Art are Spanish. This is meaningful in the political context of Catalonia as businesses there are highly protective of what they consider their country and territory.

There is so much crime outside that casino, that most regs ALWAYS take a taxi, even if they live three blocks form the casino. Between the Moroccan gangs of pickpockets, the Moroccans fueding with the Chinese gangs, and the drunk tourists coming up from across the street, you have a dangerous situation. Many poker players have been pickpocketed in the clubs, robbed in broad daylight just outside the casino, and even kidnapped over the years.

It looks nice, but unless you are a local and know what is going on, be extra safe there.

Security people tend to be cautious. For all they know, the old lady claiming her jewelry was stolen might have stolen it herself to collect on insurance. Telling her the truth about how the investigation is progressing could allow her to go back and cover some of her tracks.

They probably won't share whatever investigative details they have with her or with anyone else on their endless suspect list..

Well this story is absolutely crazy and I cannot believe that the head of security has not been fired over this. The most shocking thing to me was the times that the perpetrator entered the room. Each time just minutes after OP left.

This leads me to believe 1 of 2 things (possibly both). 1.) Someone with access to the door entry log database, in real time, or security cameras was in on this. But with 2 occupants the door entry logs would not be foolproof. So I'm leaning towards whoever was on duty watching the security cams had to be in on this. It seems they occasionally resorted to using the old "call the room to see if they're in" technique. Have you requested that the hotel investigate the origin of these calls? They were most likely using this technique as a safeguard in case the security guy missed something or the security guy was off duty/away from his post for whatever reason. 2.) I believe the perpetrator could very possibly have been staying in a room across or down the hall. Someone entering your room just minutes after you left has to be either physically watching your room or just physically near your room and being told from someone that you just left. They obviously waited a couple minutes to ensure you didn't immediately return to the room as a result of forgetting something.

I'm glad the police are involved. Hopefully they can get you some answers. I think everyone in here is as interested in this case as you are lol.

You just haven't traveled for a living playing poker. None of it is an overreaction, and all of it is common. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, and similar has happened to me elsewhere.

Nobody really wants to stay in a hotel, most veterans stay with friends in the city or rent an apartment. Hotels are dangerous places for high profile people (anyone who it is obvious has a lot of money). Too many people know about your whereabouts.

Always rent a flat or stay with a friend if you can when traveling. If you have to stay at a hotel, never let anyone into your room for any reason. If you need them to clean, hide your things, and supervise them

Its so obvious the folks who run the security of the hotel and have access to the hotels interiors are doing a job on you guys. That was so ****ing clear with the first meeting. Its really that simple. PokerStars and the police need to take action.

The reason I know this is from experience. I was a student at a music conservatory and the head of security who lived on site was breaking into practice rooms and stealing instruments and selling them on ebay lol. He got busted when he stole a rare bass bow and the original owner saw it in an auction. Well obviously he got caught and did time.

But if PokerStars ignores this I will be shocked. The security of the hotel is totally in on ripping off you guys. Its sooooo an inside job. Good luck. Ill read on.

ask Gus Hansen.....

These kind of situations are nightmare fuel. Your laptop is there one minute, gone the next. Was the guy hiding in the bathroom when you went back to your room? Then security is stalling/lying to you, etc.

Folks gotta remember that 10000 euros is more than half the average annual salary in Spain. Not hard to find one or two hotel staff to help out.

Just remembered about this Shaun Deeb tweet from 2years ago: https://twitter.com/shaundeeb/status/91658607720017920 then the next day: https://twitter.com/shaundeeb/status/91963781445455872

Don't be pessimistic. Firstly, don't assume the Spanish police is like the police in Hollywood movies. Secondly, there are multiple crimes committed according to Spanish law. There is theft, because the laptop was stolen. There is also trespassing/breaking the peace. Also, in European countries the right to respect someones home is a human right (8 ECHR), and case law of the European Court of Human Rights shows us that a hotel room is indeed a 'home'. And tempering with someones laptop is illegal to. Thirdly, European Union members have Europol. This means that the IT detectives in Finland can assist their colleagues in Spain. Interpol for the relationship with the USA.

By which I don't want to say that the Spanish prosecution and police will directly go through all that, but it is not as bad as you might think.

Hehe wow :P Maybe he thought maid just moved it when cleaning but actually the same thing happened to him? Like, why would maid need to move a laptop sitting on a desk? Usually they just change sheets and towels, right?

they will move your stuff if it is in their way.

so... maid moves the laptop.. Guest complains it is missing.. Desk calls maid.. "What's going on up there?"
Maybe they don't call.. but..
Maid remembers putting laptop on the floor, forgetting to put it back on the desk. Re-enters the room and puts it back.

one hand doesn't know what the other is doing..

Wow...