A man staying at a Marriott Hotel in Colorado found a suspicious device underneath one of his tables. His first thought? The room might have been bugged.
Matt, a guest at a Denver Marriott, checked into his hotel room with his family. Then he found a white device hidden underneath one of the room’s tables.
“What is this?” he asked, while holding a white, square object with green blinking lights. Matt moved the device in front of the camera, ended the video, and published it on TikTok. The video generated 755,000 views this month and attracted the attention of a slew of commenters. Matt’s simple caption “Marriott bugged,” implied a more sinister reason for the device’s attachment underneath the room’s coffee table, but many wondered, what is it actually for?
So, is the Marriott bugged?
Commenters like @itzz.julie claimed the device is used as a “panic button” for housekeepers. “I work for a Marriott and its a device to keep housekeepers safe from a violent guest. If anything goes wrong, (the) housekeeper has an alert device to notify the front desk which room they are in,” she stated.
Other commenters agreed that employee safety was the reason for the device. @Christine Hatch said, “As an employee for Marriott, it is for our safety. We all have a ‘panic button’ we carry. That is part of the alert system.”
Matt, after finding the device, spoke to the front desk about his discovery. Commenter @PeanutButtah asked, “what did they say,” to which Matt replied “they took it.” He gave no further insight.
The purpose of the Marriotts strange device
After further investigation, the device seems to be an Infsoft Locator Beacon. Infsoft Locator Beacons, according to the company’s website, “can be used as beacon infrastructure for client-based positioning (indoor navigation).”
Simply put, the beacon helps pinpoint a location and can help a centralized hub locate the device once used. In other words, the device can easily be used as a “panic button.”
The device transmits low bluetooth energy for tracking and isn’t used as a “bug,” at least according to the company that makes them.
The Daily Dot reached out to @Mattcolorado3, Infsoft, and Marriott International for comment.
@mattcolorado3 Marriot bugged #marriot #bugged #colorado springs #denver #privacy #recording #secrets #military #215000034 #hotel #secrets ♬ original sound – mattcolorado3
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