Hotel Safety Tips For International Travelers

When traveling abroad make sure to follow these hotel safety tips and choose a hotel in a safe part of town that has security.

Many travelers focus solely on the price of the hotel rather than hotel security. This can be a big mistake.

College students, backpackers, and those seeking budget travel usually like to save a couple of bucks and stay at cheap hostels while abroad.

Unfortunately, these places usually have very little security and are targeted by criminals for hotel crime.

Make sure that your hotel room has a safe. You want a safe place to store your passport so that it is not stolen during a robbery while you are out in town.

You should also use the safe to store money, ATM cards credit cards, and jewelry.

Never leave these items out when you leave the room, even if you are not expecting maid service.

Many times hotel crime involves hotel employees.

You will want to request a room located between the 3rd and 5th floors.

Why?

Because the room is high enough to make it difficult for burglars to climb and enter from outside and close enough to the ground that you can escape during a fire or natural disaster. Also, be sure not to get a room so close to other hotel roofs that criminals can climb over and into your room.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with escape routes throughout the hotel. If there is a fire or natural disaster, you will already know the alternatives for exiting the hotel and getting to safety.

Also, make sure there is a substantial lock on your hotel room door. This means preferably a deadbolt or at a minimum two key locks. Chain locks are usually not enough to deter burglars.

Make sure the doors are locked, even when you are inside the room.

The door should be constructed of a sturdy material and have a peephole. This way you can see anyone coming to your door.

Do not allow strangers into your hotel room.

This sounds pretty simple. However, you would be amazed at the number of business travelers who meet strange people in bars and invite them back to the hotel room.

Unfortunately, many wake up the next morning after being drugged with scopolamine and discover that all of their belongings are missing from the room.

Another hotel safety tip is to make sure and place the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside of your room door, even when you are out of the room. This helps keep out maids and may make potential burglars think you are inside.

Never place the "Please Clean Room" sign on the outside of the door because it tells criminals that you are not there.

Leave the television on in the room even when you are away because it can fool criminals into believing that someone is inside the room.

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