Travel Tips

Hotel Safety & Security

Too many travelers let their guard down on the road, but don’t leave your common sense in the lobby. Here’s how you can help protect yourself in a hotel …

Safety starts before you check in. Find out if the hotel’s hallways, exits and entrances, and parking lots are monitored by a security camera.

When checking in, don’t allow front-desk staff to announce your room number.

Instead, have them write it down on a slip of paper.

In the room, check that any sliding glass doors have double locks, that the smoke detectors work, and that there’s a deadbolt on the front door.

And here’s an important one. You may have seen the news about peeping Toms cutting a hole around the peephole in the door.

Be proactive by covering the peephole with a piece of duct tape so there’s no risk of anyone looking in.

Another tip: Skip the “Please Make Up Room” sign—that’s a dead giveaway that you’re not there. Instead, call housekeeping when you need the sheets changed.

Don’t bother with the in-room safe if you can help it – sometimes these can be broken into or stolen outright.

Either use the safe at reception, or take your valuables with you.

And if something happens, make sure you file your own incident report with the hotel in addition to an official police report.

Learn more in our Travel Safety & Security section.

Or get hotel-specific news and tips with CBS Evening News: Hotel Safety & Security 2010.

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