My "budget" hostel door lock broke and I was trapped in the bathroom for an hour in Prague

Last month in Prague, I saved $12 a night by staying in a place where the bathroom door handle snapped off while I was inside. Had to yell through the wall for a random German guy to slide a butter knife under the door to pop the latch. Has anyone else had a cheap accommodation failure that almost ruined their trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade78026d ago

Carry a credit card to slide between the latch and the frame, works every time on those cheap locks.

davis.ivan27d ago

Was the door handle one of those round knobs that just spins freely? I had the same thing happen in a hostel in Budapest two years ago. I started carrying a small multi-tool in my daypack ever since, and it saved me when a shower faucet handle came off in my hand. For the door issue specifically, I learned to always check if the lock has a little slot on the outside where you can poke a coin or a keycard to pop it open. That trick got me out of a sticky situation in a guesthouse in Krakow once.