What are your tips on hotel room safety?
 

Several times a year, we do a survey with Frequent Business Traveler on FlyerTalk about various aspects of travel. We set up a poll, Canarsie starts a discussion thread, and FBT combines that with their own input and run an article. Today, let's do the reverse. FBT has run an article about hotel safety. I'm pretty seasoned now about travel, but when I just began, I had my share of mishaps. A hotel double booked our room and a couple walked in on my husband and me asleep in our bed. I had jewelry stolen while at a NYC hotel and felt very vulnerable about continuing to use my room. These tips would have prevented those problems. What has happened to you, what steps have you taken, and what more would you add to the referenced article?

Some safety tips suggested by FBT:

1. Hotels often put your room key in a sleeve. Don't write the room number on the sleeve or discard it if the front desk clerk has done so.
2. Be sure your room door has fully closed before you walk away.
3. keep the door double locked at all times. This includes deadbolts and security chains. Don’t leave your door propped open – ever – even if just running down the hall.
4. If someone knocks on your door claiming to be hotel staff and you haven’t requested the service, call the front desk before opening the door to verify that it is in fact a hotel employee.
5. Leave your valuables including computer and cell phone in the room safe.

Read the article for more of their 12 tips, then come back here and talk to us about hotel safety.

I do the thing of leaving the DND sign on the door whether I'm in the room or not. Security chains are useless. Anyone over 4 years old can break them. The latch that folds back around the door is much stronger, but even that can be broken. If you're really concerned about safety while you're in the room, put one of these in your bag when you travel. http://www.lowes.com/pd_202346-382-2...ontent=Default

I disagree with #5 - leaving items in the room safe. At least in the USA, hotel management isn't responsible for items left in the room safe, BUT is responsible for items left in the front desk safe deposit boxes.

In almost 50 years of business and leisure travel, I've had exactly one incident involving hotel security (stolen pair of diamond stud earrings belonging to my wife). Those were replaced by homeowner's insurance. Now we know to use the safe.

I find this website's concern over some security non-issues (hotel room security largely being one of those), combined with its hyperactive opposition to airport security measures, to be bemusing. Nonetheless, I love the site.

One of the tips in the linked article struck me as particularly silly:

If you're doing that, you're an idiot. Darwin rules.

All that said, the commonsense stuff mentioned in the article is indeed common sense; other stuff (like getting a room between the 3rd and 6th floors) makes as much sense as it seems like it does.

Not completely. A chain would have prevented the incident SanDiego1K reported in the OP (people walking into her room whilst she was in bed) and anyone breaking the chain would make a much louder entry into the room than a thief would really want.

I would add the following:

Avoid leaving your hotel confirmation around where others can see it: on the plane, in an airport lounge, in a previous hotel room, even in your office or apartment/condo concierge desk. Similarly, don't leave your flight itinerary or boarding passes around where strangers can see them.

Absolutely do not post details of future travel on Facebook, your own website, etc. Avoid showing your home address to random strangers who may be aware that you're leaving home, such as using your driver's license for TSA document checkers, etc. when you travel. Avoid indicating in public when your hotel room is likely to be unoccupied; for example, don't discuss your planned all-day tour in a crowded elevator.

Have your keycard in hand long before you approach your hotel room door so that you can enter quickly and lock the door.

Don't let others follow you into hotel elevators or corridors. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't use headphones or stare at your phone screen.

Try to avoid making it obvious that a hotel room is occupied by one female. Don't use titles like Ms/Mrs/Miss on hotel reservations. In fact, avoid the use of a feminine first name.

Be ready with the phantom first name of a traveling companion (personally, I like my buddy Bruce) if a stranger appears at your door or you get a weird phone call. You can fake yell to Bruce that you're answering the knock on the door, etc., to make it sound like Bruce is occupying the room with you. Tell the caller on the phone who asks for Mr. XXX that Bruce is in the shower rather than saying that there's no Mr. XXX present.

NEVER permit a hotel employee to announce your name or room number or to require that you do so. Either show them your key card envelope or write done the information and absolutely insist that they do not repeat it aloud. IME the worst offenders are the "checkers" at the entrance to breakfast buffets and hotel lounges, but I've seen housekeepers in the hall demand your room number when you request to take some toiletry supplies from their carts. Be careful about public sign-in sheets in lounges, pool and gym areas, etc. Don't put information on honor bar slips that you don't want others to see, such as a full (female) first name combined with a room number and number of guests (one).

As I've walked out, I've more than once announced to an empty room (with TV on and DND sign on the door) that I'm leaving and I'll be back soon, just based on activity (including housekeeping) in the hall outside my room. Make-believe friends do indeed serve a purpose.

Manti Te-O would agree.

Security chains are so useless that most US hotels don't bother with them, and most have gone to night latches and deadbolts. A proper deadbolt plus night latch is a AAA rating requirement.

It still amazes me how many people enter their hotel room and don't immediately throw the deadbolt and engage the night latch.

Your idea on the adjustable security bar is good, but that's impractical for many given its size and weight. Much cheaper, easier to carry and very good for slowing down an intruder long enough for you to pick up the phone and call 911: A rubber door stop. Throw one of those in your carryon and use it on your side of the door (after you've engaged the deadbolt and night latch - you did do that, didn't you?).

An assault in a hotel is much less likely than in a private home.

THERE ARE PEOPLE IN SEVERAL ROOMS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY WHO WOULD HEAR YELLING!

I agree with the poster above who finds the whole obsession with assault to be silly. Theft, yes, of course, if you leave something valuable around.

My two main security tips are:

1) I always put the latch across the door when I'm in the room. This is as much for preventing accidental problems (esp. a guest with a duplicate key) as malicious ones.

2) Situation awareness goes a long, long, long way.

One thing I was surprised not to see on the list is when you DO let a hotel employee into your room, e.g. to deliver bags or room service, fold the latch around the door to keep it slightly ajar while the stranger is in your room. This makes it easier for you to call for help or get out if there's a problem. I've noticed that at many hotels the employees themselves do this, though it's unclear if it's more for the guest's safety or for the employee's protection of not being behind a locked door with a guest.

I'm afraid that I would give fairly short shrift to anyone tried to tell me that I wasn't allowed to get in 'their' elevator/lift, or worse, that I wasn't allowed to walk along the corridor to my room at the same time as them!

That is why we're having this discussion. To add to the article. Good tip!

+1 I know I'm not that well travelled and I haven't been anyway notably dodgy but the paranoia on display in this thread is amazing.

Personally:
Don't leave valuables lying around
If i'm not using the door then the door is locked
Beware of dodgy strangers/people following you
Don't post advance notice of travels on the internet
Leave the windows shut whilst i'm out

So far as hotel safety is concerned my main paranoia is familiarising myself with fire escape routes. That's pretty much the first thing I do after checking into a hotel

I count rows to the exit on aircraft and I always look at fire escape routes in hotels.

To me those are the two most important safety practices one could have for travel.