I spent the entire summer in Spain ,two weeks at the language school (enforex) I usually attend (to brush up on the spanish and meet some new people).
One weekend my old roomates and I came back from traveling to discover that ever single one of the locked doors in the locked apartment was open and most all electronics,laptops,cash,credit cards and clothes,etc. were stolen.
the only people with access to all rooms was the maid.. which we gave the benefit of the doubt until we saw her on the metro wearing an entire outfit made up of my friends clothing.
And teh worst part is the school (Enforex) did absolutley nothing to fix the problem. they didn't even admit it was the maids,nor take reponsibility for her actions..they didn't even change the locks!
Anyone looking for a language school,if you want to keep your things, be aware of this one.

Where in this Spain was this school, cja3882?

And what did the police say when you reported it? You DID report it, didn't you?

You didn't actually say but was this apartment where you stayed on the grounds of the school you were attending? Was it a kind of dormitory? I'm shocked and sad for your loss but what could the school do to "fix" the problem without a suspect+conviction by the police? As a lawyer would say, "it's hearsay" or "your word against hers". How could the school admit it was the maids (there were more than one?) if they didn't know for sure it was or unless they (the school) was working in conjunction with the maids to rob you? Plus, remember that IF the school takes responsibility for the presumed actions of the maids then they must admit (and make public) that it was their fault and that would bring about lots more bad publicity than a "your word against theirs" situation. Still, ANY bad press of this kind could ruin any private-service so I can't believe they (the school) would have had anything to do with the crime.

There are other ways to get into some rooms without keys.

I'm not saying it was not the maids - sounds like it was since one which you did was wearing some of your clothes - but remember that most maids, most being foreign and undocumented immigrants, make next to nothing so when someone finds and opportunity to steal in order to make their lives better some do that - but most do not. Some will take jobs such as this until they have a "good score" and then they don't return to work after that. Plus, since they're "undocumented" it's difficult to track them down. Most of these maids are not employed by the schools but rather they are employed by services which illegally hire the illegals and the school hires the service. This way, the school is in the clear since they're not directly employing illegal immigrants.

Sorry for your loss. Hope others don't have the same bad luck.

Saludos, MadridMan

My friend was the person whose clothes were stolen. As in regards to fixing the problem,a simple "sorry" and we'll change the locks would have done. There wasn't any expectations of charging anyone with crimes or expecting some reimbursement. Everyone just wrote it off as bad luck and were extra careful with their belongings after.
I just wanted to warn other students about the language school housing.The theft is becoming a real big problem.
And our apartment was 59 Vallehermoso (between Canal and Quevedo).

Hope others have better luck!

Thanks for the update. So this school is in MADRID? If so, I'll alter your subject line to identify the city location since many people, I'm sure, don't know where Vallehermoso or Quevedo is. (including me)

Thanks for the information and warming and hope you'll continue to give us your Spain related experience here on our ALL SPAIN Message Board.

Saludos, MadridMan

Sorry about that..yes, it's in Madrid, in the Arguelles area.Quevedo and Canal are metro stops off line 2 (the red line.)

Very good. I'll update your subject line to reflection the city location. Again, it's a shame what happened to you.

Sadly, MadridMan

Sorry for the theft.

Reminds me when I apparently offended a service/repair guy upon checking into my Hotel in Sevilla this past April.

The safe, with its simple instructions to change the code, was off, locked shut with no electrical power to it so I called the desk and they promptly sent someone to fix it.

He pulled a card looking thing and within a couple seconds opened the safe then manipulated some wires inside the safe in a small cover and it was on,,, the whole maneuver took him less than 2 minutes.

Here comes the bad part. He chose a code and tested it and it all worked perfectly then when I asked to get my own he seemed uncomfortable and set it up so I could enter my own numbers. The dude stayed there next to me, so I blocked his view with my torso and L hand and punched the numbers,,, all went well until he said in tipical Andaluz. "Tranquiloooo Senor, Zi yo tengo la tarjeta pa' toda' la' habitacione' y caja' fuerte' der Hote'" and added that he wasnt gonna take anything anyways...

Frankly, I didn't even have a good come back nor I really wanted too,,, I just checked in and had about 5 days ahead,,, I didnt wanna mess with the dude with the tarjetas for every room and safe box.

This guy was a local, a native, friendly mannered and pleasant but obviously offended when I did that. I felt a little bit like an ass afterwards but what have you have done in my place?

I read travel forums for many places. It is always the same story: someone was robbed at the hotel, in the street, everywhere.

Here is my own philosophy for travel: If it is worth money, leave it home. When I travel, my jewelery is locked in a safety box at my bank, not with me. My good camera is at home. I carry the cheap one time use camera. Yeah, the pixs aren't as perfect, but my trip is perfect. My clothing is "disposible". I throw almost everything away and bring home few or no dirty clothes. And my video camera, well it is a piece of junk that still works, still takes nice video, but if someone would do me the favor of stealing it, I would open up my wallet and buy a new one. The money is the only difficult aspect. I have it tucked away and have to admit I am not so comfortable. The zip lock baggy in the shoe is perhaps the most comfortable. My purse contains only a few dollars.

The story about the in-room safe is an eye opener, but I sort of imagined that the hotel staff could get into it. I have seen the security open a room safe for me when the previous occupant checked out leaving it locked. And I admit I have continued to use the in-room safe.

If it is worth money, don't bring it. Expect the worst and pray for the best. Sorry for your loss and the horrible feeling of being the victim of a robbery.

I had friends who lost 600 euros on the Paris Metro why they were carrying so much is beyond me. Problem is the best defence against pick pockets is to have a lock on your back pack, problem is you get lazy, after hearing stories of others who've had stuff stolen from backpacks I started locking mine up. Problem is you get lazy, its a hassle to stop undo the lock take out metro pass/phone/money etc so I stopped doing that.

Here's my plan. Only carry a few euros on you for emergencies. The rest, either charge on a credit card or take money out as you need it from an ATM. You won't have to worry about money getting taken, AND you'll get the best exchange rates. Many times, even if your bank charges you a fee for taking out ATM $, it will still be less than the commission to change money.

Then, all you have to do is keep your card and passport in a safe place (zipped pocket, neck pouch, etc).