Experts advise that you avoid booking rooms on the fourth or lower floors of a hotel.
Lloyd FigginsA former soldier, now a travel risk expert, stated that the third floor is the best for two reasons.
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He said this to Sun Online Travel “Biggest thing that is overlooked is the risk of fire.”
He explained that “When you arrive at a hotel you are in an unfamiliar place which you feel is safe.” Problem is, what should we do if a fire alarm goes off in our hotel?
“Do we know where the fire exit is? How are we going to get to it, and is it going to get you to safety? Is it blocked or locked?”
Lloyd agrees. “it is always worth walking the route of the fire escape, counting the number of doors between your room and the fire escape”.
He said, “Be sure to stay between the second- and fourth floors of the hotel. Fire department ladders rarely reach higher than the fourth floor.”
“Anything below this is targeted by burglars.”
The Travel Survival Guide author stated that to protect against burglary, guests should not say their room numbers loudly in a hotel. Instead, they should have the hotel staff write it down.
He explained that criminals are attracted to hotels because of the large number of people who have valuables or possessions in their rooms.
“Receptions or lobbies can be used to pose as fellow travelers.
“They are looking for people checking in alone because they can hear what room they are allocated – the receptionist says they are in room 301 for example.
“When they see the person in the restaurant or bar, they are likely to know that the room is empty and that they won’t be disturbed.
“It is often the case that they have a way of gaining entry into that room, sometimes an inside job like getting cleaning staff to open the door for them and know they won’t get hindered.”
A door wedge is a great investment for anyone who worries about being the victim of theft in their bedroom.
Lloyd explained: “Even if you’re in your hotel room and [criminals] have the master key, the door wedge underneath will stop even that.”
The policy covers guests who are the victim of a crime in the UK. Hotel Proprietors Act 1956, although this only protects guests up to £50 per item and £100 in total.
An ex-hotel worker also explained why you shouldn’t keep the keycard holder that you were given after you check in. This could put your room at risk.
Do you need to do this before entering a hotel room? According to an ex-flight attendant, Knock.
And a Royal Marine has explained how you can stop someone breaking into your hotel room on holiday – and all you need is a belt.
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