How to Keep Your Hotel Room Safe

When you check into a hotel room, you should feel completely safe. You can immediately reassure yourself by locking the knob on the inside of the door and push the deadbolt or chain across to latch it securely.

Before you unpack, go around and check the windows in your room and doors leading to a balcony and adjoining rooms. Make sure they're securely closed and latched. Every time you leave or re-enter your room, check them again.

Use a portable movement-sensor alarm device to hang on your room's inside doorknob for added protection. The alarm will alert you if anyone touches the outside door knob.

If there's a room safe, use it to put cash and jewelry to keep them safe while you're elsewhere. Don't leave wallets, purses, travelers' checks or jewelry visible in exposed areas. When cleaning, housekeeping staff often leave the front door open while they work.

Use your cell phone or laptop computer to keep in constant communication with travel companions in other rooms in the hotel. Call each other before going to bed and when getting up in the morning.

That should be enough, but is it? You could make your room safer by applying some extra steps. First, before you apply any gadgets, consider the most basic safety measure.

In a busy motel or hotel, there are employees in the hallways day and night. You may hear a knock on the door and a voice will tell you it's a maid, bellhop or security guard. Do not open the door at that time.

Get the person's name and job title, and ask him/her to wait outside until you can verify the visit by calling the front desk. When anyone knocks on your hotel room door, including friends, use the eyehole to scan the face before you open your door.

Some security gadgets may seem extreme, but recent news reports could make them sensible precautions. Recently, an obsessed man followed a woman sports reporter into hotels, and booked rooms next to hers.

He drilled tiny holes in the walls to use a video camera. If you want to take extra measures against such intrusions, use pieces of black tape on the door eyehole, keyholes and other areas open to prying eyes.

There are some gadgets that will help you keep safe in your hotel room, but the most effective is your own common sense for protecting your own security.