Imagine you and your friends plan an epic weekend of out of town. You book the room, pack your bags, and set off for a safe weekend full of fun. You get to your destination, check into your hotel, and get settled.
Within minutes, that epic weekend getaway is ruined after you discover a hidden camera facing the bed in your room.
This was exactly the case for four young women during a girls getaway trip to Chicago.
Related: Chicago Hotels: From Airbnb To Hidden Gems.
The four women, all 21 years old, were visiting from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What was supposed to be an exciting weekend came to a screeching halt after they found a camera near the curtains, facing outward toward the bed. The friends were staying at the Club Quarters Hotel in downtown Chicago.
Two of the women, Angela Marek and Kaitlyn Kurudza, told CBS 2 they feel violated after what was supposed to be a carefree weekend. “I started thinking Wi-Fi, does this camera have Wi-Fi? Can someone remotely see this through their phone? We don’t know,” Marek said. “We could be exposed and we don’t know.”
Even if the camera was not recording, the friends say they still feel uncomfortable knowing that it could have been recording during their stay.
After notifying hotel management about the camera, the women felt they weren’t taken seriously despite their concerns of who could have placed the camera in the room and when.
“This is something that is very traumatic, especially for the day and age we are in right now,” Kurudza said. “Four young girls that are freshly 21 are going out to a new city, they don’t really know what they’re doing or where we are going.”
Related: How To Spend A Day In Black-Owned Chicago.
Chicago Police did report to the scene and took the camera in for evidence. They could not say what was found on the camera or if it was recording. However, the particular model of the camera was one that could have been activated remotely.
The hotel has not issued any statements.
