By The World Protection Group

Unfortunately, planning travel arrangements may be the least of anyone’s worries.  During the summer, not only are there more travelers, the occurrence of criminal incidents is more frequent as well, especially around hotels.  Luckily, there are plenty of precautionary measures that travelers can take to decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim.  They can take the following steps to protect themselves and their belongings while residing at a hotel:

STEPS TO TAKE

1  Stay at reputable establishments as they tend to have better overall security.

2  Ask questions prior to selecting a hotel.  Are there electronic door locks?  Is there good key control?  Do the doors have peepholes?  And is there a fire alarm and water sprinkler system?

3  Avoid rooms on the 1st floor and above the 8th floor, which is high enough to prevent a break-in, yet low enough to facilitate evacuation during a fire or other emergency.

4  When registering, sign only your last name and first initial and do not use titles.  This makes it harder to determine gender, marital status or profession.

5  Instruct the desk not to give out your name and room number and ask for them to call you if someone inquires about you.

6  Never leave keys or personal belongings unattended and secure valuables using the hotel safe.

7  Always use the main hotel entrance, especially after dark.

8  Identify fire escape routes and read the fire safety instructions provided in your hotel room.

9  Ensure that windows, sliding glass doors and connector doors are secure.

10  When away from your room, leave the TV or radio and lights on with the curtain pulled giving the appearance that the room is occupied.

11  Place “Do not disturb” sign on door.  If you want maid service, request housekeeping and tell them to make up the room but leave the sign on the door. 

When it comes to safety, travelers must take a proactive approach to protecting themselves.  By planning ahead, they can avoid any situations that can tarnish their well deserved vacation. 

The World Protection Group, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based global provider of executive protection & threat management, uniformed protective service, security consulting and asset protection.  To learn more about WPG, please contact Craig Chamberlain, V.P. of Sales & Marketing at +1-310-550-4319 or by email at cchamberlain@theworldprotectiongroup.com.