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12 HOTEL SAFETY STRATEGIES
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| With fear of crimes against
travelers on the rise, the travel industry has compiled the following tips
from safety experts to help hotel guests stay out of harm’s way. |
| 1. Stay particularly
alert upon arrival and departure. Most travelers are cautious on the road,
but let their guard down as soon as they walk into the hotel lobby. Criminals
target arriving and departing guests who generally have cash and valuables
with them. Departing guests are also a prime target because, in their haste
to catch a plane, they are unlikely to take the time to fill out reports
and debrief hotel management staff. |
| 2. Always call to verify
the identity of anyone knocking at your door. Most rapes occur in hotels
because guests don’t double check. One common scam is to pick up the breakfast
request menus hanging outside guest room doors. The criminal then knocks
at the door at the time the guest requested breakfast. |
| 3. Front desk staff
should write down guest room numbers, not call out the room number or the
guest’s name. Watch out for similar situations where hotel staff could
reveal the same information. For example, some cash registers at hotel
bars and restaurants have a small screen that displays guest names and
room numbers when they bill items to their room. |
| 4. Ask a bellman or
hotel staffer to stay in the room when you first reach it to make sure
it is empty. Check closets, bathrooms, etc. Lock the doors immediately
after the staff member leaves. |
| 5. Upon initial entry,
also check door and window locks, in-room safe locks, doors connecting
to adjacent guest rooms and sliding glass door locks to make sure they
work. If they don’t report it to the front desk immediately and ask to
be moved to another room. |
| 6. Make a mental note
of stairwells and fire exits. Walk on the fire escape to familiarize yourself
with the emergency escape route and to make sure the door works. |
| 7. Don’t leave valuables
in your room. Chances are, a seasoned burglar will find any hiding place
you create. Store jewelry, cash and important documents in-in room safes
or safety deposit boxes at the front desk. |
| 8. Watch out for criminals
in parking lots. Even if a hotel seems safe, it may border a deserted or
questionable neighborhood. Request an escort or use valet parking in you
feel unsafe. Also, ask yourself: is the parking lot fenced in and well
lit? Would heavy foliage make it easy for someone to hide near the cars?
How limited is access to the property? What is the area near the property
like? Keep the same issues in mind for suburban properties. |
| 9. Check location and
supervision of health clubs before using them. If they are remote and unattended,
they could pose a crime problem as well as a danger in case of personal
injury. |
| 10. Look into elevators carefully
before you enter. If anyone looks suspicious, don’t take a chance. |
| 11. Don’t be afraid to ask
for another room if you feel you may have been put in one that is made
unsafe, i.e.; at the end of the hall or on the ground level. |
| 12. Don’t reveal your room
number or travel plans in a crowded area where you could be overheard. |