Folks we rent the room for a few days but the staff is in and out of it all the time. It’s not our room, it’s their room and we are just using it for a few days. I like to think that the staff is honest but with recent reports of rooms accidentally left unlocked by the staff has me concerned.
We have all wandered by a room being cleaned and peaked inside to compare it to our own. We are honest but there is little stopping a casual thief from peaking in the same room and leaving with a small valuable item that was just sitting out in the open in plain sight. Tossing a room properly takes time, something that a thief has little of. Even a valuable stuffed in your winter coat and then inside a suitcase is safer than leaving it lying around since they have no idea that it is in there in the first place.
I use the Do Not Disturb sign often and only have the room made up once in a while when I travel. Towels etc. are set up for 2 or more guests and if I am traveling solo, I can have a new towel each day for a few days until I need a refill. Heck on my next trip I will be staying in a Pavilion room at the El Cortez, they all have 2 beds in the room so I can use one today and have an untouched spare bed for tomorrow.
If you think about it, there is probably a lot more to steal from rooms at the Wynn than at the El Cortez. Security, even at class joints like the Wynn, is in part your responsibility and certainly the hassle of a robbery will affect you more than the hotel, so be proactive. There are many websites that sell travel security items like travel safes, door alarms etc. If you google travel safes you will find a lot of interesting stuff. For example the “pak safe” brand which looks like a regular fanny pack, backpack or bag but has a wire mesh hidden inside to stop thieves. My issue with those is that the only way that a thief knows that it is armored is after the have cut it up pretty good.
Office supply stores sell travel safes starting at $10.00 and up that are geared for the business traveler made by Helix and other companies that range from the size of a paperback book to the size of a briefcase. The benefit of this type of product is that it looks like a safe without cutting it open. Get the kind that come with a steel cable that locks it in place around a fixed object so it cannot be taken to a quiet place and opened by force. You would need some big bolt cutters to cut the cable and they certainly don’t fit inside a pocket. These safes are fairly stout and will probably survive an attack from say a big screwdriver but would surrender to a few moments in a well equipped shop. Then again you are guarding against a casual thief in a hurry who probably would not have an electric drill or saw handy and would avoid the noise at all costs. Remember that the typical casual thief has only seconds inside your room to scoop up the things that are just lying about in plain sight and are easy to get to.
Keep things out of sight. If they don’t see it, they can’t steal it. When there is one, use the in-room safe for things that you will need to have close at hand and use the safe deposit box downstairs for things that you won’t need so often like your extra cash, your return ticket, spare IDs and house keys etc. If not, then look into the products mentioned above.
Security starts at home and I clean out my wallet and leave things behind that I don’t think I will need, like my local library card. I do research and get an idea of what to expect at the hotel in the way of security. Most, not all, hotels have a free standard bank type safe deposit box downstairs, (the Gold Spike does not), some rooms also have in-room safes. If staying at a new place, I will ask at this forum if there is an in-room safe, what the safe looks like and what its capacity is. After I stay there, I put that info in my own review so others will know. I then consider what toys I will bring, for instance a portable DVD player is a plus for me on the plane and will play CDs in the room but since it is small and easily sold on the street, I ask myself if will it fit in the safe when I get there then decide to risk bringing it or not. For an electronic safe that you can program yourself, use some number that is not readily apparent like your address and certainly not your room number, yes I know someone who did that.
Some thoughts on hotel room security.thank you for youe sound advice
Some thoughts on hotel room security.excellent advice as always Chitown.... good thread.
I only bring what I need, and all items such as Passport, extra cash, camera and any other valuables are always put into the safe in the room. In Mexico once I came back to my room after being gone all day at around 6 pm and the housekeeper had left the door open since cleaning it in the morning. Thankfully nothing was gone, but things I cannot go without, such as travel docs and other necessary valuables, go into the safe in the room or in the hotels safe.
You%26#39;re right about starting at home. I, too, make sure there are no unneeded credit cards/club card id%26#39;s, keys, etc. in my purse. We don%26#39;t take any keys, as a matter of fact, we hide one house key on the premises and leave all other keys inside. I%26#39;ve experienced going to my room when housekeeping was cleaning and had to give her my room key to swipe in the door before I could get in. I%26#39;ve read of others on here who had a different experience and were allowed entry without being challenged, so I can see how that could happen. I have a few pieces of nice jewelry my husband gave me and I like to take that with me. It travels there in my purse and if there is no safe or I feel unsecure about leaving it in the room, it stays in my purse (and I pray to avoid pickpockets). An accomplished thief knows where to look for hidden treasures, whether it%26#39;s inside a shoe or coat pocket, but at least that slows them down, if, like Chitown says, they are on limited time.
Since this thread was started to alert travelers to some possible problems, I%26#39;ll add another little reminder. Be sure to carry an ';In Case of Emergency Contact'; card on you in a strange town where no one knows you. I know about programming ';ICE'; in your cell phone, but not everyone knows about it.
Good advice, Chi!
Camille
Thanks chitown, excellent things in your post.
I%26#39;m like you, always go through wallet and only take with me what things I%26#39;ll be using/needing whereever I go.
As always....you%26#39;ve given great advise. I%26#39;ll be doing things differently next trip. Also, I always enjoy your reviews on the hotels....lots of info w/pictures. I always find your posts informative. Hun
Thanks everyone.
This started in response to recent posts about a similar problem at the Wynn.
ICE is a good idea, I had not thought of that but then again my fingerprints are on record from the Coast Guard
Some further thoughts on security outside your room.
Plan backwards from the worst, assume that your wallet or purse was stolen and think about it for a minute.
What would you have lost and how to replace it far from home?
How would you have gotten on with your vacation?
How to get back on the plane without a photo ID?
I bring the following:
2 picture IDs
2 health insurance cards, just ask for a duplicate
2 credit cards and my ATM card. I photocopy the fronts and backs of the credit cards and my ATM card, this gives the card number and the “in case of loss” phone numbers.
I budget my cash and keep envelopes for each day. This limits what I have on me at any given time and stops me from blowing it all at once.
I will add an “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) card.
I have some small ID holder type wallets from the dollar store with a string to go around the neck. I replaced the string with something almost as flexible but stronger and harder to cut (picture hanging wire) and use these as wallets and loop the cord around my belt so it attached to me. The wallet goes in a front pants pocket and in that wallet goes some cash, one ID, a health insurance card and a credit card.
The other cash, ID, health insurance card, credit card and ATM card are in the safe deposit along with the photocopy and my return ticket, house keys, shuttle bus ticket, etc. I am more relaxed because I know that they are safe in there until I need them
Worst case and I get robbed, I still have a backup so I can carry on with my vacation and get on the plane.
I travel lighter this way by carrying only what easily fits in my pockets.
This works for everyone and ladies, do you really need to carry that huge handbag around?
just to add a thought or two and to say, what%26#39;s up CTG
always be on red alert never trust any body , this is while traveling i dont care how nice or what they look like dont trust nobody,
lock your door and dont forget dont open the door unless you have asked for someone to come to your room, and remember their is saftey in numbers dont run around alone if you can help it.
common sense stuff yes but it works for me,
Chitown, great posts. True traveller knowledge in LV or anywhere, even at home. BTW, I use envelopes too. Nothing like not having to open days 2 or 3 and playing a whole trip on day 1!!!
Very well put Chitown!
No comments:
Post a Comment