Essential Tips for Hotel Room Safety

Recently, one of our keen readers, Julie, reached out with a question about hotel room safety and security—something I reckon should be at the forefront of every traveler’s mind. So, let’s dive into my approach to hotel safety, and I’d love to get your take on it as well.

The Basic Safety Steps I Take in Hotel Rooms

I’ve given hotels a lot of thought over the years, chatting about everything from the quirks of my hotel habits to my strategy with housekeeping and, of course, those little niggles, otherwise known as pet peeves. But where does security slot into all of this?

My game plan for hotel safety is pretty straightforward:

• Upon first entering my freshly checked-into room, I slowly push open the door and chirp a tentative “hello.” I’ve sidestepped a surprise encounter more than once when the hotel inadvertently handed me keys to someone else’s territory.
• A quick scout of the premises follows—closets, under the bed, you name it. Granted, it borders on paranoia, but hey, better safe than sorry, right?
• I ditch the cardholder that cradles my room key. Given the possibility of a misplaced key, fewer clues about my whereabouts is better. Instead, I jot my room number down on my phone or snap a quick pic of the door.
• If someone gives me the heebie-jeebies in the elevator or seems a bit too interested in following me, I play it safe and divert my route away from my room.
• While I stash valuables in the room safe, I’m under no illusion that it’s Fort Knox. A determined thief on staff might still get past that lock.
• Deadbolt. Deadbolt. Deadbolt. Whether I’m counting sheep or wide awake, the deadbolt is my constant. Can I stress that enough?

It seems to me that these steps do the trick quite nicely. If there’s only one thing you remember from this, let it be the deadbolt. It’s the MVP of hotel room security.

It’s also crucial to acknowledge that, as a male traveler, I might have fewer worries than my female counterparts who unfortunately face additional risks. Concerns like covert cameras linger in some minds—an understandable fear, if not one of my own.

One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to safety measures—the city, country, or corner of the earth you’re in should guide your vigilance. In some places, like Japan, I’m less on edge. In others, well… my spidey senses are on high alert.

What’s Reassuring About Hotel Safety, and What Isn’t

You’d think it’d all be doom and gloom, but there are nuggets of reassurance intertwined within hotel safety. Most places have controlled access points, corridors lined with security cameras, and frankly, not much worth pilfering that wouldn’t fit in your backpack anyway. Plus, let’s not forget the close quarters—someone shrieking wouldn’t go unnoticed.

On the flip side, the risk factors loom larger with all those folks wielding ominous master keys. This is precisely why my earlier point about the deadbolt comes into play—again, use it.

Thinking about hotel room invasions without a deadbolt makes my skin crawl — these leads pack a punch in news and recounting tales where slumber meets strangers. A padlock when you snooze snips away such prospects.

That nagging worry started my routine checks and list of no-brainer precautions; seasoned travels or not, we can lower the dice rolls of dramaland mishaps akin to getting roofied, angling out-of-sight valuables toward prying eyes, or coaxing latent danger with an invite upstairs.

Bottom Line

Hotel safety is not something to overlook easily. My credo revolves around engaging the steadfast deadbolt while sauntering about my room. With stories of break-ins and uninvited company, better those locks are your best friend than hitching yourself to unwarranted tales.

While these are my go-to steps, I find the deadbolt still reigns supreme, even if others forgo its merits…

What’s your take on hotel security? Do these issues keep you up at night, or is there something you routinely do to keep yourself covered? Also consider taking a look into the beauty of Val Seny ski resort. I’d love to hear how you guys keep safe!