travdog

Okay, mainly out of curiosity here, do you leave your mild valuables (semi precious jewelry, laptop, etc.) in the room, do you put them in the in room safe (which I've never understood, because aren't those more or less portable) or do you leave them behind the front desk?

Do you keep your passports/airline tickets with you at all times? Hmmm......

nytraveler

I keep passport and tickets with me at all times. If anything happens to them I want to know it immediately - not put them in the safe and discover they're gone 2 days later. (And nothing ever has - in 60+ trips to europe and hundreds in the US).

Don;t travel with any but toy jewelry - except my ring which I never take off. Laptop goes in the undie drawer - and its never been disturbed - also in over 100 trips.

HappyTravels

but did you count your undies?

atilla

Never count your undies before they're snatched (as in stolen).

GoTravel

I leave all of my valuables including screaming child, out on the bed when I leave my room.

The monkey watches all.

GoTravel

Hit send to soon,

just kidding travdog, we leave everything in the room safe.

Not only do I travel with copies of my passport but leave copies with parents, inlaws, and animal sitter.

We travel on e-tickets so airline tickets aren't an issue.

The only time I use the front desk safe is if the room safe isn't working properly or there is no room safe.

highbay

GT: Screaming child should keep all burglars away from your room!

atilla

In all seriousness, I have left my passport in the in room safe. I don't take any expensive jewellery other than rings that I never remove.

I would be very curious to know, of all the travelling done here, how many people have actually had items of value stolen out of their hotel rooms? I would bet the percentage would be very low. There certainly isn't anything to gain for cleaning staff to take things, they would quickly lose their jobs if found out. And, I think it is probably rare that someone breaks into a room. Please comment, has anyone ever had valuables stolen from their room?

GoTravel

Being a former road warrior, flying over 100,000 miles a year and about 100 nights a year in hotel rooms, I have NEVER had one single item stolen from my hotel room.

On the other hand, I've left many phone chargers in my wake.

offlady

A screaming child would keep everyone away!

I've never had anything stolen either in my many years of travel. At one hotel I left tip money on the bed for the maid for 3 days and each day it was left on the nightstand. Also, I was told that in Hong Kong if you don't leave any tip that the maid will take something from your suitcase or room in lieu of tip money. Has anyone else heard that? I came home from Hong Kong and noticed a couple items I purchased were mysteriously gone. Hmmm...made me wonder.

lcuy

You and me both, GoTravel! I now travel with a plastic padded envelope attached to both my phone & computer chargers. It is pre addressed to me and has a $3.80 stamp, and says please return if I've left this in your hotel!

I also have address labels stuck on all my chargers with my name address and toll free phone number.

Maybe its because of the bright pink envelope, but I've not left any behind since I started this!

FainaAgain

One of my bosses had his camera stolen from a Hawaii hotel room. I don't know any details, and it was in 1992. Never heard from anybody else about stealing in a hotel.

I always carry my passport with me when outside of USA, usually in the waist belt. Never take laptop nor expensive jewelry. I don't take along what I can't afford to lose: my husband is left at home.

FainaAgain

Icuy, I hope it's your BUSINESS address you're leaving behind, not your home address which screams: nobody's at home, feel free to enter!

E

When there's a safe in the room, I use it; when there isn't, I usually just put stuff (e.g., jewelry case)away in a drawer. The only things I bother to stash with the front desk (again, if there's no safe in the room) are passports and tickets. I heard long ago that one should never travel with anything that's irreplaceable, and while I've broken that rule before, it's a good one to keep in mind. And lastly, the only thing that I've ever had taken from a hotel room is a brand-new lipstick. I agree that maids have little to gain from stealing from rooms, and I assume the one who stole from me was, or will be, caught eventually, and lose her job.

bonniebroad

My husband leaves his expensive camera and laptop in hotel rooms, sort of disguised in "odd places." I don't take expensive jewelry, wear my rings. My sister has traveled way more than I have, and neither of us has ever had anything stolen from our rooms. Important papers/tickets are carried in a zipped innerpocket in my purse.

nytraveler

Have never had anything stolen from my room - but a co-worker actually caught a maid stealing ner nightie (of all things). Perhaps the maid thought no one would notice - or report a missing nightie - but my colleague was furious - it was a Dior special gifted by her hubby - god only knows why she took it on a businees trip.

The hotel said they fired the maid - who knows - they really couldn;t do anything else considering the fuss my colleague made - since we had like 300 room nights booked.

jewelhawg

I love hotel room safes and leave everything in them...well, the stuff that fits...cash, passports, jewelry, etc. If there's not a safe, then I "lock" everything in my suitcase. That may be stupid after I've read some of the posts.

My husband, however, leaves his lap top, cell phone, etc. in plain view and has never had a problem.

Maybe he's due.

hugglynn

If I have any valuable jewelry, I keep it with me (in purse) as well as the camera. But we do use the in-room safe for other items. I've learned to travel mostly with my costume variety that won't be missed if lost or stolen.

Now, speaking of items stolen, I have $50 removed from my purse in the cabin of one of our last cruises (Royal Carribean). Ironically our cabin stewardess had become ill and had a sub, we figure he took it. As you can tell, I don't carry much cash, and my hubby even still tipped her at the end of the cruise, although we weren't 100% positive it wasn't her that took it.

Back in the 80's my husband had a hotel safe broken into while in Rio, at a very expensive hotel. He figured it was an in-house job....stole lots of jewelry from his, ahem, traveling companion at the time. Spent a whole day at their "police department" but nothing ever came of it.

gail

My husband like to invent "odd" places to "hide" his laptop - but it is hard to imagine that someone would not find it quite easily if they were interested.

I am far more concerned about my valuables that are left at home than I am about the stuff I bring on my trip. (Like the contents of my house!)

Craig

We always use the hotel in-room safe when traveling internationally and are reluctant to stay at hotels that don't have this amenity. I only carry copies of my passport and leave the originals in the in-room safe. I also make copies of our air or e-tickets. My wife leaves her engagement ring at home although we do wear our wedding rings. She brings only casual jewelrey. I do not wear an expensive watch.