Keeping your hotel room and belongings secure

We know, we know — when you’re on vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is hotel security. But returning from a day of exploring Mayan ruins or sampling French wines to find that your hotel room has been ransacked is a surefire way to put a damper on an otherwise decent trip.

Break-ins, fires, natural disasters and terrorist attacks are just a few of the potential threats to travelers’ safety in hotel rooms. While we don’t recommend being too paranoid about some of these — after all, one safety expert puts a hotel guest’s chance of dying in a terrorist attack at a remote one in a million — it’s in your own best interest to take a few precautions to protect against more common risks, such as burglary or fire. Read on for our top hotel safety tips.

Before your stay
Long before you actually book your hotel, start by doing your homework. Take a careful look at the security situation in the country and/or city you’ll be visiting. Is terrorism a threat? Are tourists often targeted in local crimes? Are there certain neighborhoods, cities or regions that are more secure than others? The U.S. State Department offers country-specific safety information on its Web site.

When the time comes to book your hotel, don’t just look at rates and amenities — pay close attention to location as well. Is the hotel in an upscale residential neighborhood, a bustling business district or a seedy commercial area? Is it safe to walk around after dark? Is there a police station nearby? All of these factors could affect the likelihood of a break-in or assault during your stay. You can find neighborhood information online or in a good guidebook.

You’ll also want to find out about the hotel’s own security measures. Call ahead and ask whether the front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, if there are security guards on the premises and if there are surveillance cameras in the public areas. In areas where terrorism is an issue, are vehicles inspected before coming onto the premises? Is access to guestroom floors restricted to guests only? If hotel staff can’t offer any specific examples of what they do to keep guests safe, book somewhere else.

Arrange to pack a cell phone that will work throughout your trip. Program key phone numbers into it ahead of time — like the direct line to your hotel’s front desk, the number of your home country’s nearest embassy and the local equivalent of 911.

Make two copies of your passport and credit/ATM cards: one to leave at home with a friend or family member, and the other to bring with you on your trip. (Be sure to keep it in a separate place than the originals in case of theft.) It’s also a good idea to leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home to make it easier to track you down during a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

For protection during international travel — particularly long-term trips or visits to less stable countries — we recommend registering your presence with your country’s embassy or consulate in the region. U.S. citizens can do so here.