You will be surprised to learn what ubiquitous items people leave behind in their hotel room safes. Generally, a secure place to leave your valuable possessions behind while sunbathing by the pool or eating out, hotel safes are like a treasure bounty for hotel staff that discovers the remnants of their guests.
But one must be careful how they operate their hotel safe. Why? Read on to find out.
The steal-worthy items while on holiday
Many of us have had an item stolen while on holiday. Whether it’s your passport or sunglasses, losing your possessions can be quite unpleasant.
Some steals can be quite minor. Emily Wise, a holidaymaker in Rhode Island, Greece, had her sunscreen and drink stolen while sunbathing at the beach.
“I had left my G&T and my sunscreen on the table next to my sunbed while I was swimming in the sea, and once I returned, I saw they were gone. That’s such a petty theft that causes minor inconvenience and financial loss, but it’s the act of it that’s disgraceful,” commented Wise.
Another holidaymaker, Jenna Stone, left her gold jewellery in the hotel room while she was in the main hall, celebrating her friend’s wedding abroad. The next day, after waking up, she realised it was not at her bedside anymore.
“I’d hate to think that it was the maid. I don’t want to be involved in a telenovela type of drama. That jewellery was very expensive too and custom-made by my husband. I feel really upset and wish I had just put it in the hotel safe,” shared Stone with regret.
The curious case of a TV star and her hotel safe
Hotel safes are a great place to keep your possessions secure and are there for a reason! At least, that’s the case with premium hotels that are using bespoke safes. If you’re staying in a motel or a one-star hotel, you probably shouldn’t apply the same level of trust to the hotel safe.
But while these little boxes ensure the security of our items when staying in a trustworthy hotel, often, we face another issue when using them – forgetting to pick up our things before we leave.
To prevent that, travel show host Samantha Brown came up with a quirky method. She would choose shoes to wear while travelling back and leave one shoe in the hotel safe.
“Believe me, you will check out of the hotel, you will go to the airport, and you will forget your passport, your wallet, all of your credit cards, money, and your laptop, but you will not forget to put on your travel shoes,” commented the TV star.
She uses the hotel safe to keep her passport, laptop, and travel wallet with all her credit cards.
Travel expert advises how to keep your possessions safe
When hotel safes are not the best place to keep your possessions due to the low category of the hotel, travel expert Toni Raurich, director of the booking platform eBooking.com, shares his tips.
He recommends not leaving valuable things in sight; but rather putting them in unusual spots.
“One of the most common travel tips is to hide money or jewellery in an empty shampoo bottle. In the same way, inside the suitcase itself, you can have hidden pockets where it is possible to hide larger objects,” shared the travel expert.
Often, not leaving any possessions in the hotel room, whether it’s in a safe or not, is your best option. There are a number of anti-theft bags designed specifically for travel, with in-built safety features, that will prevent you from getting mugged and give you a piece of mind that your valuables won’t be stolen in your hotel. This is ideal for all city dwellers!
The last thing you want to happen on holiday is having your possessions stolen. Before setting off, explore the best options to keep your items safe based on your destination and accommodation, whether it’s a hotel safe, a shampoo bottle, or an anti-theft travel bag. That way, you will save yourself the headache and the loss, enjoying your holiday to the fullest. Let’s not worry about theft on holiday; instead, enjoy the sun and the fun!