NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.infiltration.org/

This site is awesome! I've done some stuff like this on one of my visits to Montreal, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find that there is a whole group of people that enjoy doing stuff like this!
I think I've found me a new hobby.

The Basics of Hotel Exploration
Exploring hotels requires a mixture of stealth and social engineering. Unless one sticks strictly to the unused areas of a hotel, there will be many times when one must interact with other people, including employees.
Hotel employees are a lot like bears: though they'll certainly attack you if you act scared or run from them, under normal circumstances they would really prefer to avoid a confrontation altogether. They know all too well that any sort of conflict with a hotel guest could result in serious punishment, so they're as scared of you as you are of them.
"Can I help you" is the all-purpose hotel-employee phrase, the bland mantra which hotel employees have been trained to repeat in virtually any situation. Subtle differences in intonation can distort this once-friendly phrase to mean anything from "what the hell are you doing here" to "please die." The wisest angle, in my humble opinion, is to always pretend "can I help you" actually means "can I help you," and respond "no, thank you." Don't let hotel employees get away with weakly implying suspicion — force them to directly accuse you, and thereby risk their jobs, if they really want a confrontation.
Sometimes hotel recreation areas are supervised by attendants. Like other employees, and also like bears, pool attendants would prefer just to be left alone. Once inside a recreation area, if any attendants seem to be gazing your way, head straight up to them and ask where you should get changed, where you can find the towels, or some similarly direct question. This conveys confidence, and also obviates the need for the attendant to ask if they can help you or to inquire whether or not you are a guest of the hotel.
As well as dealing with the employees themselves, hotel explorers must know how to handle security cameras. First of all, assume you're being watched at all times unless you know for a fact that you are not. It's ACTION as soon as you stroll into the hotel lobby; you should be on performance at all times. If you stay in character during your entire exploration and even engage in mock conversations with your partners, you'll gradually develop mannerisms and minor details that will make your story much more believable should you ever need to tell it. Acting is a more important skill than lying; if you can act out the little things correctly you won't be placed in a situation where you need to lie. And if you ever are in a situation where you need to lie, remember to only lie about why you did something, not about what you did, for chances are security has all your naughty deeds on film.
While you should always keep the cameras in mind, it's better if you don't look at them directly. Security will be more inclined to trust you if they think you're behaving yourself because that's just the kind of person you are. Also, when you enter a hotel, don't immediately hop on the elevator and head directly to the pool. If anyone happens to be monitoring the lobby and the pool area, they're bound to wonder why you didn't stop at your room first. Always take an indirect route.
Come on, is nobody interested?

Come on, is nobody interested?

It's interesting, I saw the site a while ago. I've never put any of that stuff into practice, though.

eh, I was checking the site. it's quite funky.

I'm just trying to think of where it would work in Britain, where every building is woefully nondescript.

*plans to scout out the back of the shop down the road*

Damned glasgow... everythings so far away from my house, and I'm too lazy to walk to them, and too poor to get to them.



wait.... what were you stealthing around in Montreal?

wait.... what were you stealthing around in Montreal?
A fancy hotel. I checked out some of their fancy-schmancy ballrooms and stuff, and borrowed their swimming pool.

A fancy hotel. I checked out some of their fancy-schmancy ballrooms and stuff, and borrowed their swimming pool.

Must've been heavy. Were they surprised when you returned it?

Were they surprised when you returned it?
No, they didn't notice. I just left it at the receptionist's desk when she was away.

No, they didn't notice. I just left it at the receptionist's desk when she was away.


Cunning.....
Right, I'm done.
I should probably try and find somewhere, whilst I'm in the mood for garrett-ing around the place.


I am in a university... *plots*

This sounds like fun! Pity I live in the middle of nowhere.

Although I much prefer exploring wilderness areas, I have considered doing some "Uban exploration." The only thing is, there are few large cities withing easy driving distance of this part of North Carolina, and even places like Charlotte and Raleigh are relatively new when it comes to undergrounds and related things.

Can I come and visit you? I'll bring my own food and sleep on the back porch! :D

Can I come and visit you? I'll bring my own food and sleep on the back porch! :D
I had to visit somewhere else to do it, as I live in Vermont, and there isn't much of interest that I've found in the lcoal area.

Jordaxia:
most of the universities in glasgow have soem areas well worth exploring (glasgow is generally the best, but the engineering, physics and pharmacy areas at strathclyde can be a bit of a challenge).

one of the best places for exploring used to be the old cinema on suchihall street, but they closed it and turned a big bit of it into jumpin' jacks.

Now the ultiamte test would be the city chambers (or maybe not).

"Belonging" is a good skill to have. I've done stuff like this all the time, usually without realizing it at first.

"Belonging" is a good skill to have. I've done stuff like this all the time, usually without realizing it at first.
The skill I excel at is being ignored. Which is funny, as I'm fairly tall, and don't look the same as everybody else. People just don't seem to notice me. It's a problem when I'm in a public place and someone is trying to find me, but it's great in a situation like this.

I had to visit somewhere else to do it, as I live in Vermont, and there isn't much of interest that I've found in the lcoal area.

Oh. Well then ... who lives near or in NYC??? :D

Now the ultiamte test would be the city chambers (or maybe not).

oh-ho! I wonder if it's got any big boiler sections underneath. Maybe I should check out Gartnaval?

Nah, I've wandered about quite extensively in uni', to no more than a raised eyebrow. I can't find the restricted sections.

There is only one secret to this sort of social engineering that I discovered years ago when a friend of mine and I decided to remove several of those gigantic ashtrays from the mall (yes, there was a time when you could smoke in malls) ...

If you look like you're supposed to be doing it, then you can get away with anything. Tip for looking like you're supposed to be doing it: Carry a clipboard.

I'm just trying to think of where it would work in Britain, where every building is woefully nondescript.

People I know in Belfast do this kind of thing in the sewers and storm drains - there is always somewhere. The old Harland & Wolff shipyard gets its regular share of unscheduled nocturnal visitations too.

If you look like you're supposed to be doing it, then you can get away with anything. Tip for looking like you're supposed to be doing it: Carry a clipboard.
If you're in a hotel, it helps to have a briefcase if you're a guy, and nice shoes.

oh-ho! I wonder if it's got any big boiler sections underneath. Maybe I should check out Gartnaval?

Nah, I've wandered about quite extensively in uni', to no more than a raised eyebrow. I can't find the restricted sections.

big Victorian buildings in british cities would i imagien be worthwhile giving a go.
As to the uni's the only really restricted section i knew was the pharmacy areas in SIBS at strathclyde (now renamed the john arbuthnott biulding) most of whichw as locked up pretty tight). The basement of the royal collage would be pretty funky as would the rooftop area (with the green houses and the old animal house).

big Victorian buildings in british cities would i imagien be worthwhile giving a go.
As to the uni's the only really restricted section i knew was the pharmacy areas in SIBS at strathclyde (now renamed the john arbuthnott biulding) most of whichw as locked up pretty tight). The basement of the royal collage would be pretty funky as would the rooftop area (with the green houses and the old animal house).


of course, I was going about it all wrong. Half the battle in this thing is to be somewhere you ain't supposed to be? I might not go to glasgow uni, but that shouldn't stop me sneaking about it! and it's not overly far either, and it looks all old despite the fact that it actually isn't all that old a building.

Silly me for missing the most obvious thing.