Earlier this week, two Brazilian tourists returned to their hotel room to find almost $20,000 worth of goods missing. A thief heisted $1,800 in cash and $10,000 in jewelry, as well as an iPad, credit cards and other valuable items. It may seem like it took a mastermind to pull off such a large theft, but it was easier than you’d think.
A housekeeper has just finished cleaning a room when a man entered, flashed a keycard politely and said it was his mother’s room. Unsuspecting that he was a thief, she left him in the room where he gathered everything valuable into a suitcase. He later walked out the front door without anyone noticing a thing. That is until the two Brazilian women returned.
While you may not travel with such valuable items in tow, this is an important reminder that a hotel room is not as secure as you would like to think. Whether it is a five-star hotel or a budget room, you never really know who can gain access to your hotel room. A simple mistake by a housekeeper and suddenly all of your positions are fair game for a thief.
Instead of leaving your valuables in the hotel room, consider using a hotel safe to secure your most precious items. Try to leave as much as you can at home, but a hotel safe is a great way for extra protection for the items you need. If there is no hotel safe, keep your wallet, ID and other valuables on you at all times using products reinforced to protect against theft.
