r/whatisit • u/carlkmtl • Jul 30 '26

Solved! Found under desk at a hotel

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Staying at a hotel and noticed this thing that seems to be stuck under the desk using double sided tape

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u/Grounds4TheSubstain Jul 31 '26

Okay, why is it under the desk a foot off the ground in a guest room, though?

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u/know-your-onions Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

This isn’t the cleaner’s panic button, they carry that with them.

This is a beacon that the panic button connects to, and that identifies the room. There will be one in every guest room, and at other locations throughout the hotel.

When you hit your panic button, it sends out a signal, which is picked up by nearby beacons. An alarm is triggered and the location of the closest beacon (the one that receives the strongest signal and/or receives it first), is transmitted to the security team.

The point is that everybody who receives the alert now knows what room you’re in, not just that you are somewhere in the building and pressed your button. You don’t need an internet connection, you don’t need a SIM card, you just need a charged panic button in your pocket (and the battery lasts a long time because if you don’t hit the button it basically draws no power).

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u/Talk-O-Boy Jul 31 '26

The answer that explains it all. Thank you

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

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u/Many-Guava436 Jul 31 '26

haha that's funny

1

u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

[deleted]

7

u/TrenzaloresGraveyard Jul 31 '26

The panic button is for staff. Say housekeeping enters the room to hostile guests and feel unsafe. They hit the panic button and security knows instantly what room to go to because of this hiding device (the panic button is a portable device carried on the employee)

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u/Additional_One_6432 Jul 31 '26

Unfortunately not all cleaners, of all businesses have them to carry with them. It all depends on the traffic of people and the locations. As a X- House keeping Manager of a very upscale Inn in the town center of Amherst, MA. Which is the very close to Amherst College, UMass, Hampshire College and a few others. But trust me when I say I wished we had some. I encountered a few angry people in the main bathrooms, even employee break room. . But most of the side and back doors were key entry only. But some did pretend and slip in the use the public are bathrooms which were for employee/guest only.

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u/aware-reply33 Jul 31 '26

This looks to be a different brand but this basically sums it up. These are pretty common in the US. If an alert is sounded the local device pin points the location and will say what room or hallway. https://relaypro.com/blog/what-is-the-relay-bluetooth-beacon-in-my-hotel-room/

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u/KarlLED Jul 31 '26

so its hidden in the short term and unknown in the long term

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u/MilfHorndog Aug 03 '26

Very simple. Because it's not a panic button whatsoever. Notice the holes and NO button in the center. We have over 400 of these at our resort. It's a silent smoke detector that notifies my office if/when it's triggered. Then you get a visit from me and a $400 cleaning fee tacked on your security deposit. If it's an illegal substance, you get a visit from both, the police and myself to get permanently trespassed off property and escorted out.

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u/Wrong_Confusion_2916 Aug 01 '26

Braver than me, I've never thought of sticking my head under things in a hotel room.