TL;DR
- The Emergency Exit door in the Rec Room cannot be opened right away — you need a key
- The key is carried by the infected police officer in the lobby
- First, grab the Wire Cutters from the pool table and unlock the wired door nearby
- Visit Room 204, trigger the flashback, then head to the lobby to find the hidden files
- A cutscene plays — survive the scuffle with the cop and pick up the Emergency Exit Key
- Run upstairs and use the key to escape before he catches you
The Wrenwood Hotel is the very first area you explore in Resident Evil Requiem, and it wastes no time throwing locked doors at you. The Emergency Exit in the Rec Room is one of the first blockers you’ll hit as Grace. You can’t open it when you find it — but the key isn’t far away. Here’s exactly what you need to do.
What Is the Emergency Exit Door in RE9?
This is the locked door on the second floor of the Wrenwood Hotel, in the Rec Room. It sits right next to another locked door wrapped in wires. When you first interact with it, Grace has nothing in her inventory to open it with.
The game wants you to keep moving. The key comes later — tied to a story beat you haven’t reached yet.
Step 1 — Grab the Wire Cutters From the Pool Table
Before you can reach Room 204, you need to get through that wired door next to the Emergency Exit.
Turn around from the Emergency Exit and look at the pool table nearby. There’s a tool chest sitting on top of it. Open it to find the Wire Cutters. Pick them up, head to the wired door, and use the cutters to snap the wire off the handles. The door opens.
Step 2 — Go to Room 204 and Investigate the Photos
Head through the door and follow the hallway to Room 204 at the end.
Inside, you’ll find a collection of photographs spread out across the bed. Interact with them and look at the photo in the middle of the bed. This triggers a flashback cutscene where Grace is back in the same room — eight years earlier — with her mother Alyssa.
Play through this flashback. Follow Alyssa downstairs. Watch what happens. It’s a key piece of the story and you can’t skip past it.
Step 3 — Head Down to the Lobby and Find the Hidden Files
Once the flashback ends and you’re back in the present, your objective changes. Head downstairs to the lobby.
Look for the luggage cart and move it aside. Behind it, you’ll find a painting. Interact with the painting to discover files that Alyssa had hidden there years ago. A cutscene plays automatically.
Step 4 — Survive the Encounter With the Infected Cop
The cutscene ends and things get dangerous fast. The police officer from outside — the one who let Grace into the hotel — attacks. He’s infected.
During the struggle, mash the prompt button (R2 on PlayStation, RT on Xbox) when it appears to fight back. Grace grabs a fireplace poker and uses it to break free. After the scuffle, the Emergency Exit Key drops to the floor and Grace automatically picks it up.
Don’t relax yet. The cop isn’t done.
Step 5 — Run Upstairs and Use the Emergency Exit Key
With the key in hand, sprint back upstairs immediately. The infected officer is right behind you. Don’t stop to look around.
At the top, go to the Emergency Exit door in the Rec Room — the same one you couldn’t open earlier. Interact with it and use the key. The door opens and Grace escapes.
This closes out the Wrenwood Hotel section and kicks off the next part of the game.
Tips for This Section
- Don’t waste time exploring after picking up the files — the cop will attack almost immediately
- The Wire Cutters are on the pool table in the Rec Room, not the first floor — easy to miss
- You cannot open the Emergency Exit until after the lobby encounter, no matter how much you search
- Playing in first-person (default mode) makes this section more intense — you can switch to third-person in Settings if you prefer
Finished the hotel and moving on through the game? Here are more guides to help you:
- How to get a gun as Grace in RE9
- All BSAA Container locations and rewards
- How to collect all 3 detonator parts
- How to get generator fuel in RE9
- Bar & Lounge safe code
- Examination Room safe code
- VIP Suite puzzle — hourglass and double helix solution
- RPD Scavenger Hunt puzzle solution
- Basement safe code
- Joint Plugs basement locations
- How to open Level 3 doors in RE9
- How to open the Isolation Ward
- How to open the Pantry in RE9
- How to break open warped closets
- Corpse Puzzle in the Examination Room
- Organ Transport Box — how to open it
- How to open the door without a handwheel in the Care Center
- How to destroy the sturdy padlock in the Researcher’s Office
- Level 1 ID Wristband location
- Antique Coins — Care Center Parlor prizes
- Care Center Fuse location
- Chairman’s Office puzzle box
- East Wing Keycard location
- West Wing Keycard location
- How long to beat RE9
- PC requirements for Resident Evil Requiem
Get Resident Evil Requiem on your platform:
