12 Little-Known Tips to Avoid Hotel Room Theft

[Music] well you're finally on that long-awaited vacay and the only thing on your brain is fun and food if you're like me but what you're forgetting is that you're a prime target for thieves who love to hit that cozy hotel room you've settled in so how can you outsmart the bad guys and keep your stuff safe first of all leave your prized possessions at home I'm sure you have an important something you don't want to part with but hey do you really need that pair of diamond earrings or fancy watch on a beach vacation and how exactly are you planning to use your pricey laptop on a sightseeing tour if you don't need it leave it at home and only pack the essentials make use of that safe even if you've decided to leave your precious things at home you still probably have your passport cash and debit or credit cards with you none of which you want to take with you if say you're at the beach luckily most hotel rooms have a safe where you can store your valuables even if you have to pay for this surface it's usually worth the money just don't assume that in room safes are foolproof the thing is that almost all hotels have an emergency way to open up be it a master code or a master key and yes those things can fall into the wrong hands also most hotels warn that they're not responsible for any theft that occurs in the room even things stolen from a personal safe yeah the nerve luckily there's one exception if you leave your belongings in the safe behind the front desk it will be the hotel's responsibility should something go missing use a lock for your electronics let's say you've decided to lug that laptop with you maybe your job requires you to take work with you on vacation oh no thanks anyway most laptops can be secured with a laptop cable lock just attach it to something in mobile like a piece of furniture or radiator then you can even leave your computer lying on the desk in your hotel room although I still wouldn't be that bold ask for a room on a higher floor it may not always be possible to choose a room when you check into a hotel but if it is go for the third floor and above by all means try to avoid a first floor room especially if it doesn't face the hotel's parking lot if first floor rooms are the only ones available it better be one that opens to the hotel courtyard or even interior hallway and no matter what floor your room is on keep the windows locked and the curtains closed whenever you head out keep your room tidy the problem with leaving things lying all around the place is that either the cleaning staff or people outside will see your belongings but you're on the fourth floor so you're good right I mean I did just tell you that mm not quite don't underestimate the lengths or Heights thieves these days will go just to get their hands on some expensive stuff so always lock your things and souvenirs away in suitcases even if you're just going out for a few hours you can also take security luggage cables with you they'll let you tie your bag to some stationary thing again furniture radiator take your pick as long as it doesn't move make your room look and sound occupied even when you're out you can leave the radio or TV on and don't switch the lights off just make sure the noise doesn't disturb your neighbors keeping the volume low but audible is best now I know what you're thinking um there are hotels where you need to insert a key into a slot near the door to make everything work what then huh well in this case ask reception for a spare key make sure you've locked the door every time you leave your room now hold on before you call me Captain Obvious there have been times when I felt like I pretty much slam the door closed when heading out but then living by my own advice here I checked it only to find that it opened right up also don't leave your door open or even slightly ajar if you make a short trip down the hall to I don't know help some elderly person with their bags or something it doesn't take much time to sneak into a room and grab a cellphone from the table lock everything up you can not only before you go out but also when you get ready for bed by everything I mean the room door balcony doors and windows in a lot of hotels balconies are right next to each other and a thief can easily climb across to get to your room don't leave anything important out on the balcony for the same reason and one more thing when you're in the room use the additional lock at all times not just to prevent crime but also to keep other guests from entering your room when you're completely unprepared for an unexpected visit yep such things do happen when they make mistake at the front desk and give a new visitor the wrong key huh keep the Do Not Disturb sign on your door at all times obviously it'll keep the cleaning staff out of your realm hey unfortunately there are those with sticky fingers but it also helps prevent someone else from sneaking into your room while it's being freshened up and if you decide to leave it off because you really need to have your room clean take all your valuables with you or lock them up securely however you should know that the Do Not Disturb sign can't guarantee the cleaning staff will stay out of your room to make sure nobody goes in there while you're away call reception and say you don't want your room clean ask for a new set of electronic keys not a duplicate if you've lost yours this way the lock on your door will get reprogrammed so anyone who finds your lost key or the person who purposely took it can't get in and don't assume that these hi-tech doors can't get picked or hacked into it does happen so it's best to use all the other tips too in case you're gets broken into at least the burglar won't find anything of value if they do get in don't flaunt your money no I'm not talking about making it rain in the hotel lobby I mean don't count your cash anywhere in public also even if you've bought something awesome don't pull it out of your bag to show your friends or travel companions you're pretty much announcing the fact that you have disposable money to spend get it always be on the alert if you hear someone knock on your door saying they're from the hotel staff well you haven't asked for room service call the front desk open the door only after they confirm the person behind the door is indeed a hotel employee don't just count on seeing someone in a hotel uniform when you look through the people you can never be too sure and if you're still suspicious don't unlock the security chain when you open the door it's not paranoia it's just being careful and alert now just to prove that all these tips can really make a difference check this out about 42% of people who were victim to hotel theft left their belongings lying around the room 45 percent didn't use the in room safe and almost 30 percent were bathing lounging in the room or sleeping when the theft happened so stay cautious at all times and don't let the relaxing vacation atmosphere cloud your judgment other than that have fun out there so how do you protect your things while on vacation let me know down in the comments if you learned something new today then give this video a like and share it with a friend but hey don't go anywhere just yet mm-hmm we have over 2,000 cool videos for you to check out all you have to do is pick the left or right video click on it and enjoy stay on the bright side of life

Channel: BRIGHT SIDE

Views: 684,255

Rating: 4.8351812 out of 5

Keywords: travel tips, traveling, travelling, travel safety, traveling the world, safety precaution, tourism, being a tourist, save your life, travel hacks, hotels, do not disturb sign, privacy, using the hotel safe, travel with confidence, burglary, hotel safety tips, safety rules, robbers, burglars, burglary fail, security tips, hotel safety

Id: P-xx9XYbOnQ

Length: 8min 39sec (519 seconds)

Published: Wed May 29 2019