Whether people drive or take an airline flight when they travel on vacations or holidays they customarily stay at a hotel or a resort. What they may not know aware of is that their vacation could be ruined by professional thieves who make their living by targeting some unsuspecting tourist. These thieves usually hang around hotels and resorts, mainly in the lobbies, waiting for tourists who are on vacation or holiday that seem to be easy pickings.

Here are some useful travel tips that may help you feel more secure in your hotel room when you travel on a holiday or a business trip.

First of all, the lobbies of hotels and resorts should never be considered secure, even in the five star ones. People on vacation may be easy pickings for opportunistic thieves, especially at peak times when the hotel reception staff are busy with new guests arriving and other guests that are trying to check out. Never leave your travel luggage, even for a minute, unless you know for sure that it’s being looked after by a bellman.

If you are having a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant when on holiday, especially a buffet, never leave your briefcase, laptop, or handbag unguarded to get a drink or something more to eat. It would only take a thief a split second to make off with them. It would be almost impossible for the staff of the hotel to be constantly looking out for these criminals.

When you are booking your hotel room, try to book one that is on the second, third, fourth, or fifth floor, as the ground floor rooms are more susceptible to break ins. Keep in mind that hotel rooms above the fifth floor may not be easily accessible by many fire engine ladders if a fire breaks out in your hotel.

Be sure and check to make sure that the door to your room locks properly, and that the windows and sliding doors open, but also lock securely. Many hotels and resorts use electronic card keys for their hotel room doors as they offer more security than metal keys. Do not carry your key card in its folder if the folder has the room number on it. Jot down the room number on a piece of paper, keep it on your person when you go out, and leave the folder in your room.

Always identify any unfamiliar hotel staff or visitors to your room before opening the door. Call the front desk if you’re in doubt as to the authenticity of that person. It is advisable to not give out your room number to anyone that you do not know and trust.

It’s probably not a good idea to hang a “please clean the room” sign on the door knob when you go out, as it tells a would be thief that there is probably nobody in the room.

Do not assume that your hotel room door is locked just because it closes automatically when you leave. Check to make sure that it’s really locked. If your room has a balcony, make sure the sliding glass door is also locked as it may be possible for someone to climb on to your balcony from a balcony that’s above, below, or beside yours.

Never leave any valuables lying around in plain view in your hotel room. They may be too tempting for some cleaning staff to resist. Place all small valuables in your room safe if there is one. Keep in mind that the safes that use metal keys are not as secure as the ones that use electronic key cards.

The next best bet if there isn’t a safe in your room is to lock your small valuables in your largest suitcase when you go out. Locked, hard sided travel luggage offers the best security. Some travelers use duct tape to secure small valuables to the underside of the hotel room furniture.

Always use your door’s deadbolt lock as well as the chain lock at night before you go to sleep or if you feel like taking a nap.

There is a very small, inexpensive, battery-operated, motion-sensitive, burglar alarm that can be hung on the inside hotel door knob, or there is a wedge-shaped alarm that you can shove under the door that accomplishes the same thing. If someone tries to open your door, the alarm will ring.

There’re two less sophisticated methods you could use. You can move a chair in front of the hotel door and place the back rest under the knob, or wedge a standard rubber door stopper under the door. Either one of these two methods are also effective.

When you pack and get ready to check out of your hotel or resort, be sure to empty your room safe. Last but not least, count the number of pieces of luggage and be sure that everything has been put in your taxi.

The most important thing you should keep in mind is to always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times when you’re on holidays.