When staying at a hotel there are not many options available to ensure your valuable possessions are secure during your absence from the hotel room. Unfortunately, most people simply rely on an in-room safe to contain their valuables.
Many hotel guests consider the risk of entry to their hotel room by others to be minimal when in fact, this is not the case at all. Legitimate entries to your room by hotel personnel include – room service, housekeeping and maintenance staff.
Entry to a hotel room may be made by a key entry or electronic access card. Both carry inherent risk for breaches of entry. Additional keys may be cut, even master key systems can be easily breached. RFID skimming is on the rise too, and an electronic room key can be just as easily duplicated as your credit card.
In room hotel safes can in fact be accessed quite easily, by defaulting the combination lock or through the use of an electromagnet strategically placed in the right position on the safe. It’s important to consider the security of your property before leaving the room.
Basic safety precautions should always be taken including ensuring your balcony doors are locked before leaving. Do not leave valuables openly on display in your room – at any time. Do not leave a spare key in the room after you have vacated the room.
When leaving the room for any period of time, leave the TV or radio turned on. Items of high value should be kept in the hotel safe. Enquire with the manager on duty when checking in, as to the availability of access to the hotel safe.
If you keep your credit cards in the room safe, seal them in an envelope first. Remember, your security can be compromised without an actual theft. Consider someone with access to your safe, collecting your credit card number, expiry date and CCV number. They have all the details however the card remains in your possession and you will be none the wiser.
If you travel frequently and prefer your valuables close at hand, consider purchasing a product to secure your in room safe – providing a second layer of security for your valuables. An example of this is the Milockie Hotel Safe Lock.
Another way to confuse potential thieves from entering your hotel room is to keep the 'do not disturb' sign on the door for the duration of your stay.
Research your hotel – sites like TripAdvisor are great to alert you to possible issues at the hotel. Don’t leave your room key visible when down by the pool – a thief may take note of your room number and access your room while you are relaxing by the pool. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times.