How can I increase my safety in the Hotel’s parking lot?

• Cruise the lot before you pick a space. Check to make sure no one is hiding between or inside the cars. This is especially important if your Hotel room has an exterior door that faces the parking lot, since someone could pop out and push you into your room just as you open the door.

• If you feel unsafe, use the valet service if available. If they don’t offer valet service, park at the lobby door. Then, go into the lobby and ask for an escort while you park your car in the lot. Your safety is certainly worth a small tip.

• Park your car in a well-lit area of the parking lot.

• If you can park close enough to the well-lit and often staffed lobby, it is usually the safest way to enter a Hotel.

• If you’ve just parked, check to see if the lot is safe before you open your car’s door.

• Lock your car and remove any valuables from your car or at least put them out of sight.

• Consider using the Hotel’s valet parking service, especially at night. Don’t forget to keep your room key so you can get in your room.

• If you use valet parking at other locations, remove your clearly labeled Hotel key from your key-chain and take out any other valuables from the vehicle.

• Before you leave the Hotel, request an escort to your car in the parking lot.

• Keep a watchful eye and look around for loiterers before you enter the parking lot.

• Always check the inside of the car before getting in.

How can I protect my valuables while staying at the Hotel?

• Keep an eye on your luggage both to and from your Hotel room.

• Don’t leave your room key lying around the pool, beach or anywhere else. Some Hotels still put room numbers on keys and if someone grabs your key, they’ll know where to go. If you don’t want to get the key wet, see if you can leave it at the front desk. However, if you do leave the key at the front desk, make sure the Hotel checks I.D. before they give keys out. In this case, you’ll need to bring I.D. along or leave it with the key.

• Don’t draw attention to yourself by wearing flashy jewelry or displaying large amounts of cash.

• Don’t leave a maid service tag on your door. It will announce to everyone that the room is empty. Instead, call the desk to let them know your room is ready for service.

• Always keep all your room’s doors and windows locked and keep the curtains closed.

• Leave the TV or radio on in your room.  A small amount of noise can discourage a burglar.

• Use the Hotel’s safe. Avoid leaving anything of value such as jewelry, traveler’s checks, credit cards or electronic items in your room. Never leave cash in your room.

• If your room has one of those little room safes, make sure it is securely bolted down and the bolts are not visible on the outside. If the bolts are exposed they should be welded. If the safe isn’t securely bolted down, all you are doing is saving a thief the trouble of searching your room for valuables and providing a neat carrying package.

How can I improve my safety while staying at the Hotel?

• Request a room that is above the first floor and will be harder to break into, but low enough for any fire rescue to reach you.

• If your Hotel has several buildings, request a room in the main building.

• Request a room accessed by an inside corridor, if they are available.

• Don’t draw attention to yourself by wearing flashy jewelry or displaying large amounts of cash.

• Register with your last name and only your first initial. The less information others have the better.

• Register under your business address and phone number.

• At check-in, ask that your room number be written down and not said out loud so it is not available to anyone standing by in the lobby.

• If your room key is labeled with the room number, take care not to let others see that number.

• If you lose your key, immediately report it to the front desk and ask to be moved to another room.

• On check-in, locate all fire exits; note where they have a fire extinguisher on your floor.

• Always keep your door locked.

• Use the door’s dead bolt, fliplock and/or chain at night.

• Make sure the windows and the between-room door are all locked.

• You might consider buying one of those little door alarms to take with you on your trip. If you don’t have one, place a glass in front of the door where it would be knocked over and wake you if the door opened. But, remember the glass is on the floor when you are walking around.

• Take along a small nightlight to light an unfamiliar setting.

• Always use the peephole and chain when someone knocks at your door.

• If someone knocks on your door and identifies themselves as Hotel personnel or security, call the front desk to verify that person’s story, fake uniforms are easy to come by.

• If someone follows you onto the elevator that makes you uncomfortable, either get back off if you are in a public area of the Hotel, or push the button that will take you to a public area of the Hotel, such as the lobby or rooftop restaurant.

• Immediately report any suspicious activity to the Hotel’s staff.

• Although they can clean the sheets each day, even the best Hotels find it too cost prohibitive to dry-clean the bed’s comforter with each guest. Since you don’t know what the last guest did on your comforter, you might want to avoid lying around on top of it.