This was actually a good stay by Rio standards. Aside from something being set up wrong and my key dying on June 6 (which honestly, I don't even count as fail), and aside from the AC and safe issues at checkin (which got rectified quickly), the stay has been smooth and uneventful.
I even tipped the maid one day when she entered my room without my wanting her to be here, because it wasn't her fault. Someone stole my "Room Occupied" sign, and she came in when I wasn't here, but did a good job so I gave her some money. (I came in just as she was done cleaning.)
However, today the no-fail streak ended.
After busting the Millionaire Maker so quickly, I felt a little demoralized and decided to take a nap. Just as I'm falling asleep, I hear someone furiously trying to enter my room with a key. The only reason they can't is because the door is latched.
Turned out it was the maid (a different one from the other day).
"You check out today, I come in", she said.
"I'm not checking out. Not for 4 more days," I told her.
"You check out 11am. I need come in and clean."
Shit. So I got dressed and opened the door, and it took several minutes to get across to her that I wasn't scheduled to check out today.
I then realized that they had to do their idioticy once-every-two-days room check, which is now mandatory thanks to one Stephen Paddock. The last one was on Thursday.
I walked down the hallway and found a "Housekeeping Supervisor", and first asked why the confusion regarding the checkout. She looked it up and said that the room next door was checking out, and that the maid attempting to barge into my room screwed up.
Lovely.
Anyway I dropped that matter and asked for them to at least do the room check now so they wouldn't interrupt my nap a second time.
She agreed, and came in to do the room check with one of her maids.
She then radioed to someone that she completed the room check, and that one wouldn't be necessary until Monday.
I had a feeling that fail was going to occur anyway, but she assured me it wouldn't happen.
Then I couldn't fall asleep for awhile so I said screw the nap. However I decided at about 5pm to take one for a few hours, and set my alarm for 8pm. Well, at 7pm, I hear banging on my door.
"Safety check!"
Of course.
So I refused to let the person in. I got in a standoff and told them I absolutely wasn't opening the door, and that they already did this at noon. She said she had no record. I said to call down and check. She refused and kept saying, "It will be quick, just let me in", and I said no. I said she could stand in front of my door and call whomever she needs to call to verify it was already done. She kept pressuring me to open the door anyway. I still said no.
Finally she walked away and said she'd look into it.
I called guest services, who looked into it and said that it appeared I was correct and they'd be informing housekeeping not to check my room again until Monday, but they couldn't reach them. So they sent housekeeping a message.
Of course housekeeping misinterpreted the message and called me with a lecture about why I need my room checked every 2 days.
She looked it up and said, "Oh I see that. You're right. Room was checked today. Sorry there was some miscommunication."
The annoying thing here is that none of this shit is necessary in the first place.
It's the illusion of safety.
Anyone who wants to sneak a shitload of weapons into their Rio room can easily do so within a 2 day period. Hell, I could easily sneak 10 suitcases in here in 5 hours and nobody would notice -- let alone 2 days. Nobody is watching and nobody gives a shit. So checking the room once every 2 days isn't going to uncover the next Stephen Paddock.
But if you're going to do it, at least get the scheduling right.