How safe is the hotel safe?
One thing that hotel guests have always worried about is theft. When housekeeping staff are permitted (even expected) to enter your room and move your things around to clean, that worry is top of mind.
Just recently there was a news report about a hotel owner and his son who were arrested for stealing foreign currency belonging to guests that were stored in the hotel’s safety locker. This raises an interesting question; how really safe are your valuable when kept in your hotel safe? The short answer - not very!
Most consumer-grade and hotel-grade safes have a backup method to open them, for example, if the batteries in an electronic safe lock were to wear out. Thus, don’t assume that the hotel safe is the safest place to put your valuables. You might think you’re being smart by setting your own code, but there is at least one person in the hotel who knows how to override that. So, how can you ensure that your valuables are safe if the safe is not safe?
Here are a few recommended strategies:-
Ensure that your luggage has a decent lock, and use it. Your main bag should ideally have a lock, or at least a sturdy padlock. Many cheaper bags or fake designer ones come with a lock that can be opened with a toothpick – and no, you don’t need to be James Bond either. Buy a strong padlock instead and padlock your bag shut. The same applies for your laptop bag, camera bag, etc. although it may be easier to simply unpack your clothes and place all your valuables inside the now-empty bag, locking it securely before leaving the room.
Check your bags and belongings as soon as you return to your room. .As soon as you return to your room, check your bags and belongings for tampering. Time is of the essence here. The more you delay, the less chance you have of recovering anything stolen. If you want, be like James Bond and place a thin sliver of tape, or even a hair slicked with cream or gel across your bag seam, so that you can tell if it’s been tampered with.
Don’t place the DND tag if there are staffs in the corridor. Placing the DND (Do Not Disturb) tag on your room doorknob has become a common way to pretend that there is someone inside the room who doesn’t wish to be disturbed, thereby thwarting opportunistic thieves. However, if there’s someone with malicious intent in the corridor who observes you doing this, you have lost the advantage. In fact, it will spur them on to check out your room the moment you are out of sight, knowing that you’ve got something worth taking!
Don’t give out too much information on your whereabouts. By all means, be friendly to hotel staff. 99% of them have good intentions, after all. Hospitality is a demanding, thankless job that means any bit of gratitude and friendly conversation is most welcome. However, you don’t want to advertise your movements. If you’re planning to be out from morning till evening, for example, don’t communicate this to all and sundry. Be vague with your expected exit and entry times, as well as how far from the hotel you plan to go.
Have your room cleaned while being present. Yes, it can be an inconvenience and waste your time, but depending on what you have that could be possibly stolen... it may be worth it!
Get Techy. If you’re really concerned about thieves, or staying in a dodgy hotel or motel, consider investing in a portable security camera, or even a car dash cam that can run off a power pack, and place it in your room. Place it at the furthest point, facing the door so that it will get a clear view of any unauthorized persons who may enter before they have a chance to spot it.
Photograph your things of value. Lay out all your valuable belongings, such as items of jewellery, currency, credit card/s - even the passport and take a photograph. Do it in a recognisable part of the hotel room, such as on the bed so that you have proof of having had it with you at check-in and also a photo of the item/s to show the authorities, should any go missing.
Ashraaq Wahab – Director of Sales / Marketing and Technical, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive Journalist, Marketer, Photographer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics
|
|
|
|
