By Gregory Colvin

Criminals like targeting hotel guests.  They know that people often get a false sense of security and let down their guard when they are staying in a hotel, because most are on vacation.  Guests in hotels usually are more relaxed and let down their defenses.  Vacations are a chance to meet new people and have fun.  Inhibitions are loosened.

Business guests are busy attending meetings and making appointments.  All these distractions avert attention away from personal security.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe during your hotel stay.

When selecting a room, try to secure a room on the third to fifth floor of the hotel.  I know that the view is better the higher the floor you stay, but safety should trump view every time.

These floors are usually out of the reach of criminals.  A ground floor unit is easier to access than a third floor, unless the criminal likes a challenge.

In many municipalities, the fire department’s ladder truck may not reach beyond the fifth floor.  This would make rescue a little more dicey in the case of fire.  On the subject of fires, on the back of the door of most hotels, the ones you want to stay in, is  a map of fire escape routes. For safety’s sake, glance at the map.  Those of you who really care about getting home again, will study the escape route and know where to go when the fire alarm sounds.

In the case of fire, touch the door to your room.  Is cool? It may be that the fire has not reached your floor.  If it’s hot, in fact, too hot to touch, the fire is outside your room. Celebrate the fact that your room is in reach of the fire department’s ladder truck.  It is important that the fire department know that you need to be rescued.  If you have a balcony and it is safe, I would go there  with a sheet and attempt to signal the fire department .

During World War II there was a slogan, “Loose lips sink ships.”  Keep that in mind when in public places.  Discussing your travel plans could alert someone as to the times that you will out of your room.

A chance meeting in a bar usually doesn’t make for long standing friends.  As interesting as these “new friends appear to be, use some common sense.  The “locals only restaurant, bar, private party” could, and in many cases, is a decoy to a date with robbery or worse.  From personal experience, we were in Alaska on a cruise. We stopped in a local historic saloon.  We met a couple who were very friendly.  They invited us to a cookout on a nearby beach.  Our ship had a set departure time and we certainly didn’t want to miss that.  The couple told us that they would easily get us back in time.  An alarm went off in my head.  It was time to get back to the boat and, as much as we would have liked to experienced a beach fish fry, something didn’t seem right.  Many times it is better to err on the side of safety.

When you leave the hotel room, it is a great idea to put your valuables in the room safe.  If the room doesn’t have a safe, check with the front desk for a hotel safe.  If neither are available, then you are in the wrong hotel.   Move quick.

On the subject of lost valuables,  many hotel guests leave the rooms looking like a hurricane just blew through when they leave for the day.  It’s easier to tell if something is missing if you keep the room tidy.

It is always best to use the door chain or door latch when in the room.  If the room has a deadbolt, use that as well.  And never just open the door when someone knocks.  Look through the peephole, and if you don’t know who the person is, don’t open the door. Call the front desk.

Don’t mention your hotel room number in public.  The reason hotels got away from the numbered keys is if the guest loses the key, whoever finds it will not know which room the key goes to.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can enjoy a safe stay in hotel.

Remember:  Your safety is up to you.

Gregory Colvin is a former police officer. He writes personal safety articles on the web.