Hotel Safes - Not So Safe!

[Guest fountainhall]

Several Boards have had threads about the dangers of leaving valuables in hotel room safes. Here’s one story which explains why.

 

Grammy-Award winning Joshua Bell is one of the world’s finest violinists. Performing in Spain last week as soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, someone described as a “lookalike” -

 

- was able to impersonate the violinist and convince the front desk at a five-star hotel to give him a key to Bell’s room . . . Once inside the room, Bell says, the man called the front desk and asked for help opening the safe. The thief met security at the door wrapped in a towel as if he’d just gotten out of the shower; without checking ID, the staff opened the safe.

 

http://latimesblogs....-in-spain-.html

 

The thief made off with Bell’s US$38,000 Breguet watch, his laptop, a lot of cash and other personal belongings. Fortunately at the time of the theft, Bell was on stage playing his priceless 1713 Stradivarius. When he bought it about 10 years ago, it cost him $4 million! Interestingly, that violin has been stolen twice before. In 1985 it was only rediscovered when the thief confessed to the theft 50 years after stealing it from backstage at New York's Carnegie Hall!

 

A theft like the one in Spain can obviously happen in any hotel where security checks are not routine. That it can happen in a five-star hotel should be a lesson to everyone. The only unfortunate thing about the press release is that the hotel is not named and shamed!

[Guest]

The only unfortunate thing about the press release is that the hotel is not named and shamed!

1 If any of MY property was stolen from a hotel safe, the story would be posted on Trip Advisor and several other websites. I hope most other tourists think the same way, as the threat to the hotel reputation is the only thing that would motivate the less scrupulous hotel management to raise their game.

 

2 A Couple of years back, a poll on one of the gay forums had somewhere in excess of 90% of people saying they never had experienced a problem with hotel safes. Having said that, the Trip Advisor report for at least one Pattaya gay hotel has a single customer reporting 2 people experienced theft from room safes during his stay. So check those trip advisor reports.

 

I heard third hand evidence of the entire safe being removed from another gay establishment. No surprise, when they are often attached to chipboard via thin flimsy screws.

 

Were I to run a hotel, the safe would be held down by 8mm bolts going right through the wall. In addition to the keypad, I would want to offer a padlock loop so the customers have extra piece of mind.

[Guest thaiworthy]

There is a guesthouse in Sunee that has a padlock on its ensuite safes. However, the key is kept on the same ring as the one which opens the door, and that is held inside the slot when you come in to activate the lights and A/C. When going to bed, especially in the company of someone you don't know, you have to use a little common sense and separate the keys. Ultimately, you are the only one that can really safeguard your own valuables.

[Guest]

There is a guesthouse in Sunee that has a padlock on its ensuite safes.

I know the one & used my own padlock whilst there, even though they have a trustworthy reputation.

 

The best solution would be to keep both the electronic keypad AND provide a padlock loop which the customer can put his own padlock on.

That way, the keypad secures against overnight joiners finding the key and the padlock makes it difficult for hotel staff to gain entry during the day.

As a final refinement, the hotel should disable the bleeper so the clients can discretely use the safe keypad without their guests hearing it.

 

Combination padlocks could work, however the cheap variety sold in Pattaya can be opened blindfold within a few seconds.

[Guest fountainhall]

Considering the amount of travelling I have done, I guess I have been extremely lucky. I've never had a robbery from a room or a room-safe - yet! On the few occasions when I have screwed up opening the room-safe, I have always had a technician and someone from the management come to open it. But I am always slightly concerned at the ease with which they seem to be able to open these safe doors.

 

I now never consider putting anything more than a small amount of cash, my e-tickets and hotel vouchers in there. There are other ways to secure small valuables that would be too much trouble for a casual thief to find. On some occasions when for business reasons I have had to carry around a larger amount of cash, it goes straight to the reception safety boxes.

[Guest thaiworthy]

A reception safety box is the ultimate in cash security. I always use them where available, but I only put in what I think I will need for the short term, the majority is much safer if kept in the bank account, which is fed from another bank account, for which there is no ATM card. One might think I am being paranoid, but these measures do help me sleep at night.

 

Another note on Thai currency. I have a fortune in gimmicked US coins and currency that I use in magic tricks. Coins are lathed and melled onto other coins, bills are shaved, cut and defaced to look like other bills. While the US govt doesn't mind what you do to coins and paper currency, the Thai government does! Defacing anything containing the image of the King is a major bozo no-no. I would even be surprised if packets of cash were booby-trapped with red dye in the event of a bank robbery! That's just the way it is. TiT. Tsk, tsk.

[Guest]

A reception safety box is the ultimate in cash security. I always use them where available

 

1 Not very convenient though. A room safe is convenient for a small electronic goods and modest amounts of cash.

 

2 How can you be sure the reception staff cannot access your box in reception whilst you sleep?

[Guest thaiworthy]

1 Not very convenient though. A room safe is convenient for a small electronic goods and modest amounts of cash.

 

2 How can you be sure the reception staff cannot access your box in reception whilst you sleep?

 

I was hoping someone would ask that.

 

Re: #1. What price would you place on convenience if the room safe was compromised?

 

Re: #2. That is why you only put in what you need for the short term and you can replenish from an ATM as needed. When theft occurs from the hotel staff, the responsibility shifts to them, and you are justified in leaving without paying the bill, for at least the amount stolen. Since you only put in for the short term, it is unlikely the hotel bill will be less than that. Problem solved.

[Gaybutton]

someone described as a “lookalike” -

 

At least they won't need a police artist to make a composite of what the thief looks like . . .

[Guest snapshot]

I've never had anything stolen from my room safe or room either... and last year I spent a bit over 200 nights in hotels and serviced apartments and usually carrying several thousand dollars, laptop, hard drives, multiple phones and other valuables. 

 

Personally, I think the safe is mainly for stuff you access frequently like a small stockpile of cash, passport, laptop, wallet, watch etc. The rest goes into my locked suitcase.