Parker Maddock reported being robbed in her sleep while staying at the Vanderbilt Marriott in Midtown Nashville.
The incident occurred while she was visiting the city with her mother and grandmother to support a relative recovering from surgery.
Maddock, who arrived at the hotel with her family at approximately 8 p.m. on a Friday, said that they were vigilant about safety throughout their trip. Despite taking precautions, she discovered the following morning that their room door had been compromised.
“Just us three girls, which itself is a little bit risky sometimes when you’re traveling just with women, so we were definitely on high alert,” Maddock said. “You are 100% conscious of those things traveling as a woman that you always lock your door.”
Upon waking the next morning, the family found that their hotel room door was cracked open. Maddock said that her grandmother’s purse, which had been placed on a desk alongside her key card, was missing from the room.
The hotel’s security staff later informed the family that the purse had been recovered from a stairwell during the night. While the belongings were returned, Maddock reported that roughly $300 in cash was missing from the bag.
“She knew exactly where she left her purse,” Maddock said. “My grandma is spot on. She was planning on getting up really early to go visit my uncle. So she had actually laid out her outfit right on the desk with her purse right on top with her key card in the purse.”
The experience has left Maddock feeling deeply uneasy about hotel security and her personal safety while traveling. She described the psychological impact of realizing an intruder had been inside their room while they were asleep.
“You’re not thinking about what I’m missing, what was stolen, you’re thinking about the fact that someone was at your feet while you were sleeping,” she said. “I’m going to the extremes. I’m thinking it could have been five men breaking in. Anything could have happened in a closed door hotel room with three women alone. That’s what’s really frightening to us.”
Following the incident, Maddock has begun carrying portable door stops and additional security locks for future trips. She expressed doubt regarding her ability to feel fully comfortable in hotel accommodations moving forward.
Maddock filed an official report regarding the incident with the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD). As of the most recent update, officials with the VUPD said that the report is still being processed and declined to provide further details.
The department has not disclosed whether any suspects have been identified or if arrests have been made in connection with the theft. Representatives for the Marriott have not provided a public comment regarding the security breach.
The investigation into the Vanderbilt Marriott incident remains active as law enforcement continues to process the filed report.
