How do you protect your stuff when staying at hotels?

[fulltimewanderer]

Request for “NO” cleaning/maid service, keep the “Do not disturb sign on the door”. If you need additional towels you can request them at the check in desk.

 

[mjais]

I'd echo what someone else said about rental cars, especially if you are traveling to the Bay area of California. Smash and grab robberies are commonplace. My sister parked in front of a medical center after arriving from the airport and had her suitcase stolen within 1/2 hour.

There have been a few incidents of thieves waiting for birders to return from prime Bay area birding spots to their cars in the parking lot. After the people put their cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes into the car, the thieves pulled in behind them and smashed their back windows and grabbed their gear.

Tourist areas of SF are particularly hard hit.

I think thefts from parked rental vehicles are more common here than thefts in hotels. Certainly don't bring gear and leave in the vehicle that you are afraid to leave in the hotel, it's probably safer back in your room or stashed with hotel security, as others have mentioned.

I fully agree. I've been to Monfragüe National Park (Spain) many times and I was warned by locals and Spanish birders/photographers to not leave cameras, lenses, scopes or bins in the car. I always took my stuff with me when I was in a restaurant for lunch or dinner or when the I was not set up at the parking lot next to the rental car.
Thieves seem to know rental cars and probably target them specifically and they know that birders and photographers have expensive stuff.
Many years ago I was at the Albufera in Valencia with my former Spanish teacher and her car's window was broken when we got back from a walk along the beach.

 

[Len Shepherd]

I wasn’t aware of this. I’ll keep it in mind on future UK trips.

hotel proprietors act 1963

£50 an item was a decent amount of money back in 1963 - though the limit has not been increased in 61 years.

 

[Abinoone]

Hi,
I have two city trips coming up, one to Oslo, the other to London.
I will take some pictures of the cities but also do a lot of wildlife because both offer great opportunities for birds, e.g. at the Oslo harbour or gulls along the Themes in London or deer and birds in Richmond Park.
Oslo also has a forest as part of the city and parks with approachable birds.
A third trip, to Madrid is coming in November, and 2025 I want to do a National Park and seabird trip to Norway and maybe go to the US (Yellowstone or CA or both.)

I plan to travel light and only bring the 24-120 and the 600PF and maybe the 100-400 Z for the deer in London or for Landscapes near Oslo.

I wanted to ask how you protect your stuff at the hotel.
One thing is insurance, but what else?
I've never had problems with hotels in 25 years of traveling but that doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen next time.

Most hotels have a safe but not big enough even for a notebook or a tablet in most cases.
My suitcase has a lock but everyone with some criminal energy can break into it.

I will probably carry my gear most of the time but I may decide to leave one or two lenses at the hotel or everything when I go for dinner in the evening.
And a notebook or tablet would also stay at the hotel.

In the past, I always left some stuff at the hotel, sometimes I could look the wardrobe or, in one case, even got a bigger safe, but that is not the rule, more the exception.

Any advice is welcome.

Markus

When away from my hotel room, I usually will leave the TV on at a moderate volume that can be barely heard from outside the door (but not loud enough to disturb neighbors), and place the "do not disturb" tag on my door handle. This keeps housekeeping out of the room, and deters would be thieves by making it ambiguous whether or not someone is home.

 

[Butlerkid]

I've been all over the world and have never had a problem in a hotel room.....knock on wood! However, in 1997 I was the victim of petty theft of my camera in the Prague underground. They created a big distraction while someone slipped behind me and unzipped my camera bag! Good news, I was in Prague Dec 2023 and walked all over the city without any cause for concern.

I was recently in Washington DC and was more concerned there ! And I won't go to San Francisco, LA, Chicago, etc. Big cities just aren't my thing.

In summary, in over 30 years of travel......only 1 incident. I credit situational awareness and basic preventative measures as my best protection.

 

[Viathelens]

Hi,
I have two city trips coming up, one to Oslo, the other to London.
I will take some pictures of the cities but also do a lot of wildlife because both offer great opportunities for birds, e.g. at the Oslo harbour or gulls along the Themes in London or deer and birds in Richmond Park.
Oslo also has a forest as part of the city and parks with approachable birds.
A third trip, to Madrid is coming in November, and 2025 I want to do a National Park and seabird trip to Norway and maybe go to the US (Yellowstone or CA or both.)

I plan to travel light and only bring the 24-120 and the 600PF and maybe the 100-400 Z for the deer in London or for Landscapes near Oslo.

I wanted to ask how you protect your stuff at the hotel.
One thing is insurance, but what else?
I've never had problems with hotels in 25 years of traveling but that doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen next time.

Most hotels have a safe but not big enough even for a notebook or a tablet in most cases.
My suitcase has a lock but everyone with some criminal energy can break into it.

I will probably carry my gear most of the time but I may decide to leave one or two lenses at the hotel or everything when I go for dinner in the evening.
And a notebook or tablet would also stay at the hotel.

In the past, I always left some stuff at the hotel, sometimes I could look the wardrobe or, in one case, even got a bigger safe, but that is not the rule, more the exception.

Any advice is welcome.

Markus

I've never had a problem but I tell the hotel no one in the room, no cleaning, etc. I'll just get what I need from the front desk.

 

[RichF]

Money, passports, etc I lock in the safe (after testing it empty to make sure it works and I know how to use it).

Computers, cameras etc are stored in the bags, out of sight. Never had a problem but try never to leave anything interesting out.

Occasionally if I am there for only a day or two, i put a do not disturb sign on the door and skip cleaning.

 

[RichF]

So far, never had stuff stolen from a hotel in the many countries I have been to. I put the valuables in the safe when it is large enough, which in most cases it is. Where I am concerned about security or the safe isn't big enough, I take my gear with me every time I go out, even to a restaurant or cafe. Lately, I have taken this with me as an added option for security, Pacsafe mesh protection - I have a 55lt and 85lt version. I encapsulate my camera backpack with the mesh and then padlock it to an immoveable object in the room.

85L anti-theft backpack & bag protector

Featuring our patented eXomesh locking system, this adjustable high-tensile stainless steel locking device is designed to protect a variety of bags. Winner of the Backpacker Magazine's Editors' Choice Award!.

int.pacsafe.com

The mesh protector can be used in your car as well, just loop it through the seat anchor or whatever and they won't be able to steal your gear unless they steal the car, or bring bolt cutters or grinder.

Pacsafe also have other security bags etc so, you can use a bag with embedded wire mesh and locking and then strap that to an immoveable object in the room.

$95 from Pacsafe, $85 from Amazon

 

[RichF]

I've been all over the world and have never had a problem in a hotel room.....knock on wood! However, in 1997 I was the victim of petty theft of my camera in the Prague underground. They created a big distraction while someone slipped behind me and unzipped my camera bag! Good news, I was in Prague Dec 2023 and walked all over the city without any cause for concern.

I was recently in Washington DC and was more concerned there ! And I won't go to San Francisco, LA, Chicago, etc. Big cities just aren't my thing.

In summary, in over 30 years of travel......only 1 incident. I credit situational awareness and basic preventative measures as my best protection.

congradulatons on being safe.

 

[RichF]

I fully agree. I've been to Monfragüe National Park (Spain) many times and I was warned by locals and Spanish birders/photographers to not leave cameras, lenses, scopes or bins in the car. I always took my stuff with me when I was in a restaurant for lunch or dinner or when the I was not set up at the parking lot next to the rental car.
Thieves seem to know rental cars and probably target them specifically and they know that birders and photographers have expensive stuff.
Many years ago I was at the Albufera in Valencia with my former Spanish teacher and her car's window was broken when we got back from a walk along the beach.

at least in the US rental cars are easy to ID. They have bar codes on the windows.