Hotel Security

Most contentious persons are careful about security around their home, but any hotel is an unfamiliar place. The diversity of circulation of clients and personnel in a hotel creates all kinds of risks to a traveller's security. When staying in any away from home accommodation consider the following:

Ask to see room before signing in. Look for small holes in walls especially behind near and pictures.

Ask for a room on second to seventh floors away from stairs and elevators. Count the number of doors to fire exit. Note where fire extinguishers and alarms are located.

Verify that you can't be locked in your room. Verify and window and door locks are secure. Ask for all room keys. Closed-door and lock tightly when entering or leaving room.

Keep money, passport, and tickets in a plastic bag with you when you shower. Wedge the door while showering.

Put valuables in the hotel safe, check their hotels in insurance liability limit and get a receipt.

Get an escort to your room late at night, if alone.

Report anyone loitering in corridors or the lobby to font desk.

Call desk if an unexpected person knocks at your door. Police require a warrant to enter your hotel room; ask for identification also.

When leaving room do not leave windows open. Block sliding glass doors with rod. Leave radio, TV and lights on. Put "Do not disturb" sign on door when absent.

Always take a matchbook stationary or business card with a hotel name and address on it to show a taxi driver or other persons when asking for directions to your hotel.

Hotel Fires

Fires in hotels are often unnecessarily tragic. Please heed the following advice. The following instructions can be applied to boat and aeroplane fires also.

One item that is indispensable in a fire is a flashlight for navigating in a smoky places!

Plan ahead. It is easier to evacuate a room on lower floors. Count the number of doors to fire exit. Verify that they are useable. Note where fire extinguishers and alarms are located. Verify that windows open. Does one provide a means of escape?

Always put your room key close to where you sleep. Take it with you if you leave your room; you may need to retreat back to your room.

If there is smoke in your room, roll out of bed and stay low. Smoke and deadly gases rise. If you can, turn off air conditioning. Avoid inhaling smoke. Put wet towel over mouth and nose.

If you can, call the fire department first, then the front desk.

Ensure that you have a room key, checked door for heat. If it is cool check the hall. If clear walk to the ground floor by way of the fire exit. When leaving close your room door so that it doesn't fill with smoke if you are force to retreat there.

If you can't exit because the door is hot or there is smoke in the hall, stay in your room. Put wet towels under door.

Filled tub, sink and waist baskets with water (the supply may be cut off).

Cool hot doors and walls with wet towels.

Remove curtains, open window, and try to signal persons outside.

Remember, most victims of hotel fires die from smoke, poisonous gases and PANIC! Panic is not knowing what to do! If you have a plan your chances of survival are great.

Elevators

Elevators can be used as traps in many ways by malevolent persons.

Never let elevators go to basement.

Keep foot in door while pressing floor number so you are not taken automatically to a floor that someone else keyed.

Pushed top button but don't get on. If it's safe it should not stop going up or coming down.