If you travel frequently, then you have probably stayed in many different hotels and hotel rooms over the years. While there is a debate about hotels vs. Airbnb, staying in hotels is probably the default method of lodging for many people (though of course that is going to vary a lot). If you stay at hotels a lot, there are a few things that you can do to help minimize the chances that unauthorized people enter your room. I recently read a story of a lady who had an unauthorized man enter her hotel room, and it reminded me of a few of the tips that I’ve learned about how to stop people from breaking into your hotel room
Unauthorized Entry at a Courtyard By Marriott
19 News in Cleveland reports the story of 31-year-old Jarrett Lamb, who entered his coworker’s hotel room at the Courtyard by Marriott in Independence, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) without authorization.
Source: Cuyahoga County Jail
Perhaps the most chilling part of this story is that he did not BREAK INTO the hotel room. Instead, he was given a key to his coworker’s room that a hotel employee had given him!
Apparently, he had made an (unwanted) sexual advance towards his coworker, but later that night he went to her hotel and, at 2 in the morning he asked for a key to her room. The article doesn’t say exactly how that conversation went down, but I have to imagine that he represented himself as also staying in the room. In any case, the hotel employee gave him a key without verifying with the actual hotel guest or checking ID.
The good news (if there is any) to this story is that he pled guilty to attempted burglary and was sentenced to two years in prison.
How To Stop People From Breaking Into Your Hotel Room
This story could have had a much worse ending, except for the fact that the hotel guest did the one thing that you should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS do when you stay in a hotel
- She used the deadbolt AND the security chain
So when her coworker tried to enter her room (with the key that he had been given), the door would not open. At 2 in the morning, she had the presence of mind to get her phone out and start a video recording of the incident. This proved to be crucial as well in the man’s prosecution, since the hotel did not have any security cameras, and without her recording, they may not have been able to prosecute him.
So remember, ALWAYS double lock your hotel room door and engage the security chain, every time you are in your hotel room. While this may not 100% guarantee your safety, it could make a big difference.
(H/T: View From the Wing)
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
The swinging latch can be defeated without breaking down the door. (I will not describe how in order not to give criminals ideas). A better way is just to place a chair there. If it doesn’t wedge, at least it makes some noise.
A portable door wedge alarm works as well. I also use them when I’m put in a connecting room
Good advice for when you are actually in the room. We always double or triple lock the door. But what about when you are NOT in the room. That’s always been my concern. Anyone with a key can just walk right in and steal whatever (especially if your room does not have a safe. Many don’t).