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Your hotel room safe: not as safe as you think
Most travel safety tips suggest that you should always remember to leave your valuables in the hotel safe. But just how "safe" is it? A new video posted by consultant skyrangerpro suggests that your hotel safe may not be as secure as you think.
Posted while skyranger was on travel in Markham, Ontario (hotel name not specified), the electronic safety boxes that allow you to program your own four digit codes opened with the default code of all zeroes, usually 0000. This standard safe looks just like most of the ones we've found in our hotels across the country.
It's a valuable lesson for travelers who think they are being secure with their valuables - check to make sure this password isn't your default setting before storing goods in your safe. If it is, opt to check your goodies at the front desk (where another safety box is usually available).
Our intrepid gear reporter Scott Carmichael wrote about the hotel safe issue back in 2009, and suggested a worthwhile but expensive alternative - a personalized locking device. Sean McLachlan suggested ways to hide valuables around your hotel room.
Tell us, which tactic would you take?
Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations, Video, Travel Security
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
jeff Sep 7th 2011 10:18AM
wait a minute....what if the hotel password is 222222? how do we know what their password is???
Vik Sep 7th 2011 10:23AM
This article is untrue. The safe which they tested may be a poor quality which uses a 0000 to reset password. Most Hotel Safes require Management approved codes or a special external device to reset the safe. Hotel Guests should feel safe when using their in room safes in most Franchise Hotels in the US.
Our media is misleading the public unfortunately again.
Thank you.
Notme Sep 7th 2011 2:00PM
@Vik: The article doesn't say that EVERY single safe uses 0000 as the reset password. IT ONLY says that someone found one at a hotel in Markham, Ontario that used that. It then advised people to check to be sure it isn't set for 0000. Your comment would only make sense if the article came to the conclusion that every safe is set to 0000 and can't be changed. It does not say that AT ALL. So the article is quite true since it reported about ONE safe in Ontario being set for 0000, and thus that one should check to see if that works on a room safe. If it does, then store things somewhere else. If it doesn't, then all is well most likely with the room safe.
So anyway, good job making the wrong assumption and reading WAY too much into this article.
Hotel Eng Sep 7th 2011 10:46AM
Hi, i working in a hotel as a Engineer and i saw this video and i can tell you guys, the hotel engineering didnt do the right job, every new safe comes with a default password (000000) , the Hotel have to put his own default password in to reopen a safe in the case the guest forgot his combination. That means, after installation the safe's the hotel staff or engineering has to put his own secret default password in, i know a lot of hotel brand's don't do this, its for taste unprofessional. I agree that everybody please check the safe or feel free and ask front desk or somebody from engineering about the default password after he checked in. Its your personal right.........Be Safe Guys.......
Chris Sep 7th 2011 1:56PM
...And certianly DON'T PAY the HOTEL "SAFE" surcharge!
AverageVee Sep 7th 2011 10:55AM
Very simple solution. Anything critical (passport) carry on your person when you leave the room, and just wear the jewelry/wristwatch. If it is too ostentatious, some places you risk having it taken right off your person anyway. Ship any valuable purchases. If you are at events or the level of traveler that requires expensive jewelry, you are probably not staying at the type of hotel that has this problem. Unfortunately, many travelers treat every destination as if it is the same as their home, and do not believe they are obvious targets for crime. If your home is NYC, then you assume everyone has an angle and would be just waiting for you to drop something or look the other way, so you might function just fine!
Jen Sep 7th 2011 9:28PM
It's not necessarily that you bring valuables. Where should you leave your wallet, cell phone and passport while you're at the pool, etc, if not in the safe?? This is scary :(
john Sep 7th 2011 11:07AM
Well thanks alot dumbass........now everyone knows this
notMe Sep 7th 2011 2:06PM
@john: Uh-huh. As opposed to only one guy who stayed in a hotel in Ontario and some crooks knowing it? :P
It's not like crooks do nothing but log onto an AOL travel blog on the off chance they give tips on how to break into hotel safes.
THAT and all they suggest is to check safes to see if the hotel management are too lazy to change the reset/default password keycode. I'd think a crook who's actually breaking into rooms to loot the safe would know to try 0000 on a lark just in case.
You know..basic logical assumptions..oh skip it.
Linda Sep 7th 2011 11:12AM
Hey, I solve the problem by not traveling! Literally. But I know most people won't choose my option! LOL.
sadie Sep 7th 2011 1:00PM
I leave my things in my large suitcase and then lock this with my own non-TSA approved lock. Why non-TSA approved? Well, once I did this but used the same TSA approved lock I use on my suitcase when flying and came back to my hotel room and someone had gotten into my suitcase and the TSA approved lock had been opened! This was at an airport hotel. So here is my tip for all of you. Keep your things in your hotel room locked in your suitcase for the day and use a non-TSA approved lock. (You only need the TSA ones when you are actually traveling). I never take things like "Grandmother's old necklace" when I travel.
TFUNK Sep 7th 2011 2:26PM
umm the better lock will keep some people out but if someone wants to get in the will get the lock off or better yet just take the suitecase after all someone leaving a hotel room with a suitecase isn't out of place...
sadie Sep 7th 2011 11:23AM
I leave my things in my large suitcase and then lock this with my own non-TSA approved lock. Why non-TSA approved? Well, once I did this but used the same TSA approved lock I use on my suitcase when flying and came back to my hotel room and someone had gotten into my suitcase and the TSA approved lock had been opened! This was at an airport hotel. So here is my tip for all of you. Keep your things in your hotel room locked in your suitcase for the day and use a non-TSA approved lock. (You only need the TSA ones when you are actually traveling). I never take things like "Grandmother's old necklace" when I travel.
Ed Sep 7th 2011 11:37AM
The cleaning lady could get rich!
1JayFresh Sep 7th 2011 11:43AM
I know you guys are trying to help but I don't think that information is in the Average Thief's Handbook. All I'm saying is though you're informing the people of a security risk, your're informing crooks as well.
Zou Sep 7th 2011 11:45AM
You should had not reveal this code. There are several overide codes, I know about 20 of them, and I don't post a video or disclose them. When stupid people like you locked their safe and they forget their password you need someone to get access to it. Passwords are given to the hotel staff to do so. The houskeeping should had not let you see the password. We usually asks the hotel guest to go away from the safe to look back while we open their safe after verification of registration to the hotel. The housekeeping who did this did not follow proper protocol.
Flute Lady Sep 7th 2011 1:51PM
How about keeping your passport with you at all times, which is recommended anyway as ID in foreign countries (and could be requested for various banking and shopping purposes), and leaving really valuable and unnecessary items like heirloom jewelry at home? I never really liked "packing light" because I like having a lot of clean clothes to choose from, but surely you can live without expensive jewelry that you'll constantly be worrying about when in a strange place.
Eric Jeffrey Sep 7th 2011 12:07PM
It is a good thing to check. I wonder if there is any issue with the system -- common on cruise ships and in some hotels -- where you use a particular credit card to open and close the safe? As to passports that someone mentioned, you generally do want to have your passport with you, typically protected in some sort of travel wallet, and also have a copy of your passport (xerox type copy) that you can keep in your room and use if your passport is lost/stolen. Nobody is likely to steal the xerox, and it can help if the original is lost.
John Sep 7th 2011 12:05PM
Wow!! Thanks for telling me!! I really appreciated it!! We went to The Palace of the Lost City in Sun City, South Africa. My friend want to put her money in hotel safe in our room. I told her," I dont think Im not going to put it in. Im going to keep it with me wherever I go." But she didnt put it in. I guess she's afraid, too. Thanks so much! Im going to send this video to my friend so she can see it for herself!!!
mikemaj82 Sep 7th 2011 1:31PM
some people are really paranoid.