Tricks to make your hotel room safe

[Mal]

Here's a good tip... Make sure the door is actually locked when you leave. Too often I've stayed in hotels where the door doesn't always slam and lock, and other hotel rooms have required the key to be used to lock the door as they don't auto-lock.

 

[jetlagger]

I once shared a hotel room with a coworker who packed his bag every day, locked it, then Handcuffed it to the furniture.


Sent from AFF Mobile Edition

wow! Seems a slight overkill..
Though perhaps:
1. OCD
2. Paranoia
3. Contained a large stash of money or other valuables.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Some of you don't know this, but I actually live in a hotel and go through this many times each day!
Hotels that require swipe to reach a particular level are much safer as it limits who is able to access your room. Also, being on the lounge floor is not a good idea - too much foot traffic / risk when your room is being cleaned.

Mal is right, the number of times doors don't actually lock is higher than you might think.

Another seasoned traveller tip is to instantly put DND on your door and keep it there for the entire stay. Rooms only need cleaning once every couple of days, and you can be in the room while they do it.

 

[Simo]

Some of you don't know this, but I actually live in a hotel and go through this many times each day!
Hotels that require swipe to reach a particular level are much safer as it limits who is able to access your room. Also, being on the lounge floor is not a good idea - too much foot traffic / risk when your room is being cleaned.

Mal is right, the number of times doors don't actually lock is higher than you might think.

Another seasoned traveller tip is to instantly put DND on your door and keep it there for the entire stay. Rooms only need cleaning once every couple of days, and you can be in the room while they do it.

Never thought about putting up the DND sign for the entire stay.

 

[trooper]

Interesting idea with the DND sign... I generally speak to the front desk soon after settling in and request (if it has not already been some sort of option) that my room only be serviced every 3 days...

That is not for "security" but does reduce the number of entries I suppose..

 

[browski]

In general I follow none of those tips. I prefer that the hotel steal my money in the traditional way; Phone calls, Internet, Laundry etc.

 

[Mal]

Another seasoned traveller tip is to instantly put DND on your door and keep it there for the entire stay. Rooms only need cleaning once every couple of days, and you can be in the room while they do it.

Yep I do this too. If I want my room serviced, I'll remove it (or flip it over depending on the sign), but I really don't need a daily room clean. There are a few issues though:
- Phonecalls asking if you want your room serviced (please ... I put that sign up to say I'm not wanting one)
- Staff ignoring the sign and just entering anyway (seen that, was not happy).
- Pranksters who flip or remove them when they get back to the hotel (been there, have had that happen. Was quite embarrassing for me, because room service knocked two times over three hours wanting to service the room, and each time I was shooing them away)
- And if they are electronic, after a power failure or certain other resets they can end up switched off (Have had this happen in Asia a few times).

 

[JohnK]

And John no offense. But who would steal your razor? Has it happened before?

That is the problem trying to live with OCD!

And it has nothing to do with stealing. They can easily open the luggage and take stuff if they want. I am worried about people tampering with things left out in open. Yes I am probably too paranoid but it works for me....

 

[flyingfan]

In general I follow none of those tips. I prefer that the hotel steal my money in the traditional way; Phone calls, Internet, Laundry etc.

Let's not forget the obvious one - the minibar

Staff ignoring the sign and just entering anyway (seen that, was not happy).

This has happened to us in an Italian hotel - the overzealous cleaning staff came in and threw away some tissues on the dressing table that actually contained some newly-purchased earrings. Spoke to the manager who was not sympathetic at all about either the DND sign being ignored or the staff clearing the tissues away. The latter is understandable, the former not so IMHO.

 

[Grooba]

- Staff ignoring the sign and just entering anyway (seen that, was not happy).

Happened yesterday. Having a quiet day inside (rain/wind/cold/etc outside) put the DND on the night before. 11.30am, knock on the door..

"House Keeping, House Keeping"

I go and answer the door...

"Would you like your room serviced today"

Politely I decline and say no thank you whilst thinking to myself I should have opened the door, looked at the DND sign, looked back at her, sighed, and closed the door again.

 

[harvyk]

Here's a good tip... Make sure the door is actually locked when you leave. Too often I've stayed in hotels where the door doesn't always slam and lock, and other hotel rooms have required the key to be used to lock the door as they don't auto-lock.

The standard thing I try to do after leaving the room is just test the door to make sure it's locked, as every so often I've found you actually need to pull the door shut as they don't close properly.

I've never had problems with a DND sign being ignored, if it's just me I usually don't care too much about house cleaning coming in and cleaning the room. Mrs Harvyk on the other hand is not a fan of it, and will usually place the DND sign up when we arrive and it'll stay there until we leave (or she relents after me suggesting multiple times that a clean room is a nice thing to have).

I'll usually use a safe if ones available to keep my passport and any extra cash in. I'll also place in my iPad if it fits, but again if it doesn't I won't go crazy. If there is no safe, or the safe isn't big enough for everything I'll use my best judgement as to where might be safe for the limited number of valuables I have.

I'll use what ever locking mechanism is provided with the door. So if that includes one of those locking bars or a chain I'll use that, but if it doesn't I won't do anything special. I don't usually keep toothbrushes, combs or shaving stuff out, but that's more because I have a habit (even at home) to keep such things in a bag, and only get it out when I need it anyway.

I suppose for me, it boils down to I don't do anything stupid (eg leaving rooms unlocked when I'm not there), but I won't be paranoid about things either. I also guess that if someone really wants to get something off me, then they will, but then that's what travel insurance is for.

 

[blackcat20]

The only thing I do is flip the bolt across the door at night. I leave all my stuff out, have never used a safe (even for my laptop). Did a 5 week trip across the US and didn't lose anything, though I always had my passport and camera with me.

 

[fairhsa]

I don't stay in the kind of hotels that would make me feel nervous! So I lock my door and hide any valuables out of plain sight (except the laptop, which sits on the desk) and that's about it really. NEVER use the safe - the risk of forgetting to empty it is far higher than the risk of stuff getting stolen!

 

[get me outta here]

After arriving in Helsinki and checking in after a hectic day, I got to my room at 1am. Opened the door, it was not snibbed and no DND sign, to be greeted my a sleeping strangers feet facing me.

as I hate those sort of surprises myself and after an unplesant experience in NYC once, I always snib/lock from the inside; always DND - also reminds me after being out all day which is tonight's room as averse to last night's; and put something behind door that would wake me in case door forced when I'm sleeping. I just sleep better that way.

 

[Ewing]

Here's a good tip... Make sure the door is actually locked when you leave. Too often I've stayed in hotels where the door doesn't always slam and lock, and other hotel rooms have required the key to be used to lock the door as they don't auto-lock.

I wish hotels would advise housekeeping staff of this too.

More than once I've come back to my room after it has been serviced to find the door hadn't been closed properly.

 

[jono88888]

Once in the US I was asleep with the crib on the door when the door opened a bit and the chain stopped it opening further. Just got a 'Sorry, wrong room' and the door shut closed and the guy was gone. He got the wrong room, but the key still opened my door? I don't think so.

I do admit to not always using the crib even after that, but use it most of the time.

As for valuables, I don't leave anything valuable in sight but other than that I'm fairly relaxed and never to my knowledge have I had anything go missing.

Any my toiletries stay by the sink, as I just don't see a problem with that, who'd be interested in touching those - or am I too naive and trusting?

 

[brucelaidlaw]

After arriving in Helsinki and checking in after a hectic day, I got to my room at 1am. Opened the door, it was not snibbed and no DND sign, to be greeted my a sleeping strangers feet facing me.

More info, please! Had you stumbled into the wrong room? Was this an amorous staff member waiting for you? What's the story? (this thread could do with a little passion!) :evil:

 

[get me outta here]

More info, please! Had you stumbled into the wrong room? Was this an amorous staff member waiting for you? What's the story? (this thread could do with a little passion!) :evil:

Sorry to disappoint in the passion stakes. It was their room AND supposedly mine, 'cept they got the bed first. As it seemed to be the last habitable room I ended having to change hotels at 1.15am. Actually, now that I think of it, it happened in Oslo not HEL.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

My wife never takes jewellery when we travel, our watches are worth $ 100. iF THEY PINCH OUR CLOTHES THEN GUESS THEY NEED THEM MORE THAN WE DO AND HAVE TERRIBLE TASTE.!

I always leave loose change beside the bed and never had it pinched and leave it with a THANKYOU note for the cleaners anyway when we go.

We only ever put our passports and sometimes our wallets in the room safe but always write myself a note and put it in my case "CHECK THE SAFE !!!" so we don't forget

Never had a problem anywhere

 

[extracta]

I use a Pacsafe bag. I put my valuables in the bag and then the bag goes in the safe.
It is also good for a room without a safe. I then attach the pacsafe bag to the inside of my luggage, lock the luggage and then if the room has a wardrobe that can be secured I use a retractable cable lock to secure the wardrobe. If the wardrobe cannot be used I cable lock the suitcase to a suitable location.
I am not so much worried about losing money, it is more the inconvenience of losing passport/credit cards overseas that is the concern.