We all have different habits when staying at hotels, and that includes the precautions we take when it comes to hotel room safety and security.
We constantly hear stories of security issues at hotels, but in a vast majority of cases, it’s situations that were very easily preventible. So let’s talk more specifically about that, as I’m also curious to hear how others handle this kind of stuff. And so that I don’t bury the lede, let me say the most obvious thing, which somehow seems to be the root of so many issues — always use the deadbolt when you’re in your room!
In this post:
The basic safety precautions I take in hotel rooms
When it comes to hotels, I’ve written in the past about my hotel habits (from the logical to irrational), my housekeeping habits and strategy, and my biggest hotel pet peeves. So, how does security factor into all of this?
My hotel safety precautions are pretty simple:
- When I first arrive at my hotel room after checking in, I enter the room slowly, and say something like “hello,” as I’ve (on more than one occasion) been given a key to a room that was already occupied
- I do a quick walk through of the room, including checking the closets, under the bed, etc.; however, that’s perhaps partly more paranoia than anything rational, and it’s the same reason I’m sort of scared of “haunted” hotels
- I discard the little “pouch” in which the hotel gives me the key, so that if I lose my key, no one will know which room I’m in; instead, I either write down my room number in a note on my phone, or take a picture of the door
- If I get a weird feeling about someone in the elevator or like they’re following me, I’ll just go somewhere else, and not go straight to my room
- I place items in the in-room safe, but I don’t assume that’s completely safe either, because it can also be broken into, if it’s an inside job
- I always use the deadbolt when I’m in the room, whether I’m awake or asleep; always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always
- If I’m in a room with a connecting door, I always make sure that’s properly locked; I had one situation where the doors were unlocked on both sides, and then just opened mid-stay
In theory, I think the above precautions do the trick. I think using the deadbolt is the single most important thing you can do.
Let me of course acknowledge that I’m a male traveler, and I realize that female travelers often face more challenges and risks, so it’s even more important for them to be vigilant. I also know that some people are concerned about secret cameras being set up in rooms. That’s not something I’m worried about (have at it!), but I understand why others may be.
It’s also worth emphasizing that you should take different levels of precautions based on where in the world you are. Like, I’m much less concerned about hotel room safety in a place like Japan than in a place like… well, take your pick.
One last point — here’s a precaution I probably should take, but don’t. We’ve seen a fair number of stories over the years of people dying in hotels due to carbon monoxide poisoning. That can easily be counteracted by buying a cheap carbon monoxide meter, which can give quite a bit of peace of mind.
What’s reassuring about hotel safety, and what isn’t
If you ask me, there are some things that are reassuring about hotel room safety. There are typically limited entry and exit points in hotels, there are security cameras around the hallway, and there’s limited upside to someone breaking in and stealing something (since there’s usually not that much to steal). You’re also typically in close proximity to others, so a loud scream would be heard more easily than in other scenarios.
At the same time, the increased risk in hotels is that there are many people with master keys, who can potentially access all rooms. That’s why always using the deadbolt when you’re in the room is so important.
If you use the deadbolt in your room, I tend to think that addresses 90% of potential concerns. All too often we hear of someone walking in on another person sleeping in a hotel room, that happens when the deadbolt isn’t being used.
I tend to think that a vast majority of the other risks at hotels are similar to what you might find elsewhere. For example, having someone spike your drink at the hotel bar, having someone steal something from you out in the open, inviting someone with bad intentions to your room, etc.
Bottom line
It’s important to take basic safety precautions at hotels. I tend to think that simply using the deadbolt while in the room covers 90% of the potential risks, since the most common hotel crime we hear of is someone accessing a room with a master key, or something.
There are some other basic precautions I take, but I tend to think that the deadbolt is the single most important thing. Despite that, so many people don’t use it…
I’m curious how you guys feel about hotel room security — is it something that crosses your mind, and if so, what precautions do you take?
Here's a tip that not only applies to hotels, but any public place. If you ever get assaulted (especially if you're a woman), don't yell for help. Most people are too chickenshit to come out and try to help you and take a beating for you. Instead, yell "fire". Guaranteed that everyone will come out to the hallway right away.
I do all of the above. They’re all common sense precautions. Funny you mention the elevator thing. I go to an even further extreme. I don’t want ANYONE seeing which room I’m in. Not just someone who gives me bad vibes. So if there’s anyone in the corridor I either keep walking past my room until they’re gone or I will go elsewhere until clear.
Do you do this every time you walk into the room, or just when you check in? If you go downstairs for breakfast and come back in 45 minutes, do you check under the bed again?
I'm a 300 nights a year hotel stayer every year for the past 15 years. I always bolt the door as well.
I also always leave the DND sign outside the door even when I am not in the room.
When I leave the room, if I see someone hanging in the corridor, even if another Guest, I head back inside my room and give it a few minutes. Basically I don't want...
I'm a 300 nights a year hotel stayer every year for the past 15 years. I always bolt the door as well.
I also always leave the DND sign outside the door even when I am not in the room.
When I leave the room, if I see someone hanging in the corridor, even if another Guest, I head back inside my room and give it a few minutes. Basically I don't want anyone seeing me leaving the room.
I never leave a spare key out in the open inside my room. I once was robbed in Bangkok back in 2014 when a staff member lifted my spare key, gave it to a friend, who later came back and stole my iPad and iPhone. Cops got them eventually. So I always only get 1 key, alternatively, I tend to use digital key. 75% of my nights are Hilton.
Lastly, I never ever openly state my room number in a hotel restaurant. When they ask, I write it down. You never know who might be listening.
I am less worried about security from other people than I am safety during an emergency like a fire or an earthquake. I look at the emergency exit plan on the door to see where the nearest exit is, and I count the number of doors so if it's smoke filled, I know how to get out. I am nervous about tall buildings in countries with history of questionable building standards especially earthquake resistance.
Venezuela,...
I am less worried about security from other people than I am safety during an emergency like a fire or an earthquake. I look at the emergency exit plan on the door to see where the nearest exit is, and I count the number of doors so if it's smoke filled, I know how to get out. I am nervous about tall buildings in countries with history of questionable building standards especially earthquake resistance.
Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico City, Indonesia, etc would be countries where I might avoid or be extra vigilant about tall buildings.
Having traveled to Israel quite a lot in the last few years the first thing I wanna know is, where do you go on the floor if there is a red alert for a missile attack
I refuse to stay in hotels that don’t have controlled access to elevators. A lot of new hotels are building bars and restaurants on the top floor with shared elevators. Even with room key needed to push a floor button, anyone can follow you off the elevator.
I check in my luggage most trips, and most trips I have a chef's knife with me, that normally is within close reach of me during my time in bed. If anything happens, I can slash and stab.
Increasingly I'm seeing more "deadbolts" that are integrated with the lock, and can unlock electronically as well (killing the point of the deadbolt in the first place). I'm now travelling with an alarm door-stop if it's somewhere where I'm more concerned about safety. For those unfamiliar, it's basically like a normal triangular doorstop, but with a loud alarm that activates when the door is being pushed open. Definitely wakes you up too if someone is...
Increasingly I'm seeing more "deadbolts" that are integrated with the lock, and can unlock electronically as well (killing the point of the deadbolt in the first place). I'm now travelling with an alarm door-stop if it's somewhere where I'm more concerned about safety. For those unfamiliar, it's basically like a normal triangular doorstop, but with a loud alarm that activates when the door is being pushed open. Definitely wakes you up too if someone is quietly trying to sneak in.
Three men entered my room using a master key with the deadbolt in use. I've related this experience here before, and it's always upsetting. The ugly part was discovering that master had been missing for some weeks before my incident. I have a wedge alarm now. They sell them at target.
I can't imagine living with this level of paranoia. What do you guys do when a hotel room doesn't have deadbolt?
Agreed Samo, some of these commentators should never leave their homes.
I am not sure what you are afraid of ? Most of places in Asia I donot see issue may be more europe/US thing.
Now I wonder what type of locks you put in your home door/windows
Definitely not a Europe thing. Virtually no one in Europe does this.
And it's not an oceanic thing either.
Having been in two hotel fires, I always ask for the lowest floor available. Walking down the fire escape with hundreds of scared people in the middle of the night is not fun. I leave the rooms on the high floors with the view to the tourists. I always hang the 'do not disturb' sign on my door when I leave, and check that the door latches (I've had broken locks before). NEVER use the...
Having been in two hotel fires, I always ask for the lowest floor available. Walking down the fire escape with hundreds of scared people in the middle of the night is not fun. I leave the rooms on the high floors with the view to the tourists. I always hang the 'do not disturb' sign on my door when I leave, and check that the door latches (I've had broken locks before). NEVER use the room safe, as someone said, it can be unlocked in 30 seconds and if you doubt that check the youtube channel for TheLockPickingLawyer.
I always prefer when the hotel's elevator requires a key card with access to a certain floor in order to access that floor. Yes, one could use the stairs, but that's less likely when you're 20+ floors up.
No, never. Never, ever book a hotel less than 3 stars and a rating of no less than an eight. Stay away from the Carnival Cruise crowd. Stay in a decent part of town or don't go to crime ridden cities like Baltimore. When I go back to Maryland to see family hotels in downtown Baltimore are always cheap. Hell no.
Also put the Do Not Disturb sign up. Take valuables with you and do not travel with expensive accessories.
Never had a problem in 30 years of traveling.
One thing that I always do when I get to a new room is safe lock the safe without anything in it. I've been told anybody can open the hotel safe in about 30 seconds, and I want that guy to waste those 30 seconds to open up an empty safe if they get into my room. Who knows, that gives me the window of time to catch them or are spook them into abandoning the rob.
Regarding the deadbolt, I’ve been to many hotels and do the same test with the deadbolts, because there’s a surprising number of hotels where the key reader still allows people with valid keys to be let in even with the deadbolt engaged (in which the person on the outside will just open the door, disengaging the deadbolt since most deadbolts were designed to be disengaged when you open the door), while other times, the deadbolt...
Regarding the deadbolt, I’ve been to many hotels and do the same test with the deadbolts, because there’s a surprising number of hotels where the key reader still allows people with valid keys to be let in even with the deadbolt engaged (in which the person on the outside will just open the door, disengaging the deadbolt since most deadbolts were designed to be disengaged when you open the door), while other times, the deadbolt gives you a yellow/orange light saying that the room is occupied at the moment, therefore not letting the person in. This is especially crucial at more budget friendly options that may not have as strong of service levels. After all, inside edition did an investigation where an Embassy Suites and a Courtyard did not verify the person’s identity and gave a stranger access to a valid room. That’s why I always check to see if the deadbolt actually does its job at every hotel I go to.
I instruct the concierge to avoid giving the card with the written note on it. Furthermore, I never write my room details in the gym or anywhere unless absolutely needed for billing purposes. I also review the property entrance and exits, especially on my floor. Finally, I keep all precious belongings in my suitcase with a lock - it can be broken into but I prefer it to the hotel safe. Lastly, I avoid entering...
I instruct the concierge to avoid giving the card with the written note on it. Furthermore, I never write my room details in the gym or anywhere unless absolutely needed for billing purposes. I also review the property entrance and exits, especially on my floor. Finally, I keep all precious belongings in my suitcase with a lock - it can be broken into but I prefer it to the hotel safe. Lastly, I avoid entering the elevator with others - especially after a very difficult and scary situation at the Four Seasons in New York after a person seated at the bar literally followed my partner and me and attempted to invite themselves (invite is a kind word) to our room. They kept trying to make conversation with us while at the bar even though we gave sufficient hints at not being interested. It was a very scary situation, but we managed to get to the floor phone and call hotel security. Not sure what happened to the person later.
Only problem I have using deadbolt - when traveling alone, what if you had a medical emergency and had to call front desk or 911 - harder for staff to get into your room.
Exactly my main concern. I once got so sick at a hotel in Asia that I had no energy to even crawl to the door. I called the front desk and asked for a doctor and told them to give him access to my room. It is rare but it happens so I always concerned of locking myself inside a room where it is difficult for someone access it if needed.
My observation is a bit of of a reverse. When I enter an elevator that is already occupied by a woman who has pressed my floor number, I always stand facing the door. Then when it arrives at our floor, I exit first and head to my room (and I walk fast normally). That way, there's no chance that, if she has a room near mine, she need worry about her safety. If I let...
My observation is a bit of of a reverse. When I enter an elevator that is already occupied by a woman who has pressed my floor number, I always stand facing the door. Then when it arrives at our floor, I exit first and head to my room (and I walk fast normally). That way, there's no chance that, if she has a room near mine, she need worry about her safety. If I let her out first and walked behind her, I'd likely cause unnecessary worry. As a solo traveler, I often am amazed how easy things are because I'm male.
Why? Are you dangerous to women? Do you harm women? If you don’t, stop being stupid as no one cares about you nor feel unsafe close to you. Gosh!
I tend to do the same think, but if depends on the appearance of the female. If a male in the elevator - then I let them go first.
As a woman often traveling solo, I thank you for your thoughtfulness. While I only rarely feel uneasy in hotels, you are quite correct in observing that men have fewer things to worry about in such situations.
Sorry, wrong priority. Flying to a place where nissiles are hurled at you or you might get stranded and then worry about room security…
Fire safety. I always review the escape plan. Then I walk to the nearest fire escape and check that the door opens and the stairs are accessible. Just a quick check for peace of mind.
Checking the fire escape door doesn't set off any kind of {false} alarm ?
"Fire Escapes" in many hotels are just a set of stairs you can use in lieu of the elevators. Some hotels only have ice machines on every other floor and using the stairs is much quicker than waiting for the lift to come.
Some good tips. I would agree that hotel or cruise ship safes are not all that 'safe'. Almost any employee, especially housekeeping staff, can open those.
The locks on most hotel doors are not very good and can be bypassed by experienced thieves. Just look on YouTube for how. One thing you can do is buy a cheap rubber wedge style door stop to keep in your suitcase. If you put that under the...
Some good tips. I would agree that hotel or cruise ship safes are not all that 'safe'. Almost any employee, especially housekeeping staff, can open those.
The locks on most hotel doors are not very good and can be bypassed by experienced thieves. Just look on YouTube for how. One thing you can do is buy a cheap rubber wedge style door stop to keep in your suitcase. If you put that under the door once you close it, it's hard to get the door open from the outside. It will at least slow an intruder down.
I'm a risk manager and have worked with large hotel chains on insurance claims and security losses. Most large resorts have guest loss claims that are dozens, if not hundreds, of pages long each year, where people lose valuable items like iPads, watches, and jewelry. Many of these claims are fake or fraudulent. However, valuables are often left unsecured when people are out of the room, and they are frequently stolen by housekeeping or maintenance staff who have master keys and know when you are out of the room.
If you feel someone is trying to nefariously access your room while you’re inside and alone, it’s wise to make it sound like there are more people with you. If you’re good at imitating other voices you can do this yourself. If you can’t, loudly saying something like “hey hon, will you see who is at the door?” while dialing a friend to talk to you on speakerphone on your mobile and simultaneously the front...
If you feel someone is trying to nefariously access your room while you’re inside and alone, it’s wise to make it sound like there are more people with you. If you’re good at imitating other voices you can do this yourself. If you can’t, loudly saying something like “hey hon, will you see who is at the door?” while dialing a friend to talk to you on speakerphone on your mobile and simultaneously the front desk/security on the hotel phone (provided the hotel still has phones) will work.
Potential intruders are much less likely to confront more than one person and this ruse can buy you some time to get help.
Good advice overall. One more personal safety tip I always try to follow is to read the floor plan on the room door, and try to memorize which way the nearest emergency stairs are, roughly how many doors or corners there are to the emergency exit, and then walk it once or twice. in case of a fire or other emergency you may need to find the exit in the dark, so having an idea where it is can be a big help.
You have mentioned this many many times over the years, and sure, it is good to do when the room has a deadbolt that will prevent the door from being opened with a key, but the vast majority of hotels I stay in do not have this. Usually the deadbolt can be undone by anybody with a normal key, and even the deadbolts that give an error to someone with a normal key can still...
You have mentioned this many many times over the years, and sure, it is good to do when the room has a deadbolt that will prevent the door from being opened with a key, but the vast majority of hotels I stay in do not have this. Usually the deadbolt can be undone by anybody with a normal key, and even the deadbolts that give an error to someone with a normal key can still generally be overridden with a master key.
Perhaps these are more common in certain regions or with the certain chain hotels, but as someone who does the majority of my travel within Europe and largely with Accor or smaller regional chains or independent hotels, I very rarely see a deadbolt that works as you claim.
Agree. Deadbolts often flip open with the rest of the lock when opened with a key. What I ALWAYS have closed is the chain/flip lock/door stop. Yes, those can be defeated but it would buy you time to call for help.
Also I always assume workers will try to walk in. I always have the do not disturb sign, which is commonly ignored anyway, and the flip lock. Not for safety as much as privacy.