SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A housekeeping employee at the Clift Hotel was arrested in the boutique hotel’s lobby Sunday morning on suspicion of using his universal key card to sneak into a woman’s room to sexually assault her.

Using their electronic card tracking system, hotel security determined which employee’s card was used to enter the room. The unidentified

39-year-old victim called police about 5 a.m. immediately after her attacker left, according to police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens.

“The officers were assisted by hotel staff and we were able to determine the time the electronic swipe card was used,” Gittens said, adding that this type of sexual assault, in which a hotel employee uses an access card, was an extremely unusual crime.

Officials determined that the key used to enter the room was assigned to Christian Rojas, a 30-year-old Daly City man, Gittens said.

Rojas was arrested shortly after the investigation on sexual battery and burglary charges.

The Clift Hotel, originally built in 1913 and located at 495 Geary Street, near Union Square, was remodeled just more than 10 years ago into a consistently high-rated luxury hotel. Hotel spokeswoman Elizabeth Grillos would not comment on Rojas’ background.

“The safety and privacy of our guests is our top priority,” she said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with the SFPD in its ongoing investigation of the reported incident. Pending the results of that investigation, we have no further information at this time.”

No other information was immediately available.

bbegin@examiner.com