Thanks to Lee for starting this off.
I've seen a number of stories that people >>could<< but I don't remember many accounts where people >>have<< lost items from room safes.
I personally have never lost anything from hotel safes, and I've never been locked out of one. I've had a few that didn't work, which we always test as we arrive.
And I've never lost anything from desk safes.
What about you? Have you lost anything from either kind of safe?
We'll use the room safe, but have never had anything gone missing. We've also never had anything ever gone missing from our bags left in the room while we're out for the day and evening. We stay in small B&B type places where the hosts/owners have always been friendly and we have never even worried about theft anyplace we have stayed.
No, neither from the hotel desk safe nor the room safe in hotel or cruise ship.
No, I haven't. But I found a cell phone in the room safe in Ortygia when I checked in. It belonged (and I heard later was safely returned) to the RS Sicily tour member who had been assigned the room for the nights before me. I always test them before using, too.
No to both questions.
Nope and I use them all the time. Have never heard of anyone getting anything stolen from them either.
Thanks for posting this, Nigel.
Nigel,
The simple answer is "no", as I never store anything in hotel room safes.
No, not even when spouse has left the safe door wide open all day.
No, never. My bigger fear with a safe is forgetting something in it, so I use it with caution...of my own forgetfulness. I do always test it first.
A corollary question to the hotel safe question is "Have you experienced any loss from your hotel room and is so which town"?
I don't know to what extent I am the exception, but I have had crime free foreign travel experiences. My son did catch a strange hand entering his pocket in Spain on one ocassion, but didn't experience any loss. Our other son had a monkey steal his glasses in Asia but a local helped him retrieve the glasses and experienced no loss. Are we the the exceptional foreign travelers or the norm?
I use the room safe and have never lost anything from it. I do worry a bit about forgetting something in it, though, so I empty it (and recheck it compulsively) the night before checking out. I have also never been the victim of any kind of crime while traveling. On the contrary, I have left things behind on trains, station floors, and airport counters and have had people run after me to return them.
I use hotel room safes when available and have for many many years, have never had anything go missing. I also test them first before putting anything in them because I have had one instance where it wouldn't open and had to call the desk to come and open it. I also don't know anybody else who has had something taken from a room safe. Have never had anything taken from my locked bags in a hotel room either. I'm sure it has happened but certainly not often enough to be paranoid about using them.
I've never lost anything and have been using both in many countries for years.
I always use the hotel safe. I have never had anything taken from it, nor have I ever forgotten to remove the items. I always put my passport, laptop and Ipad in the safe when I go out for the day.
I always use the hotel safe.. the room ones and if not available I have used the ones behind the front desk . I do not wear a moneybelt all day unless travelling.
I have never lost anything from the safes.. I am not nervous about forgetting stuff in it either as I have always used them and always check them before I go.. its second nature.
Rarely use safes but have never had anything to missing from my hotel room or suitcase.
Seldom have I used the safe, and never had anything go missing from my room. In fact I remember leaving out tip money for the maid and she didn't take it day after day until I left a note with the cash.
I have never lost anything from a hotel room at all, in at least 1000 hotel-stay nights. I don't carry many valuables and don't leave them lying around in the open, but also have almost never used a safe.
This April when I was in Italy I had an experience that has led me to distrust hotel safes. I couldn't get the safe to work. Finally the desk clerk sent one of the chambermaids to my room. We could lock the safe but couldn't unlock it. She had a key on her key ring which opened the safe, over and over, as we tried and failed. We finally were able to figure it out - the instructions were wrong. I asked the desk clerk why the chambermaid had a key to the safes. She explained that every hotel employee had one, so they could empty the safes in case of an emergency, like a fire. Sure, I thought, the chambermaids are going to go through the rooms saving everyone's valuables as the rest of us are running out of the burning building.
Never have lost anything in a hotel safe, but then again have never stored anything in there, and not because I don't think they are secure places, but because I don't want to.
For me, the more pertinent question is, have you ever left anything (safely) in a hotel safe and then wished you had that item with you later when out and about?
No, but then I never use the hotel room safe either in Europe, never lost anything from the hotel room even if it's just lying there in the open on a small desk.
No. I always put my passport, laptop and some cash in the safe when I am out for the day. Have never lost anything.
The likelihood of leaving my stuff in a safe when I depart is high, so I never use them.
Any tricks for remembering to check the safe when you go?
In the US I put my car keys next to the item I need to remember. In Europe I usually don't have a car.
No, we've never had anything taken from a room safe, nor have we ever forgotten anything. Same with leaving valuables in bags in room or out in the open.
Any tricks for remembering to check the safe when you go?
Kat, I put one shoe of the pair I'm going to wear on check-out day in the safe, and put the other out where it's visible so that it's clear that something is missing! :O)
good answer regarding shoes! that's who I keep track of my phone charger.....frequent thread cord thru my Birkenstock overnight as phone is charging.....never forget phone, cord OR shoes!!!
I've never lost anything from a safe nor have I ever left anything in a safe.
After years of travel I have a set method for arriving and leaving a hotel room. My wife used to think it strange but experience wins out.
I always knock the first time I enter a hotel room; you never know. I've never found someone in the room but I did enter an occupied room once so the potential is there. The desk assigned the wrong room.
Here's how to leave a hotel room and never forget something. Pack and stage everything just outside the door. Go back in search the room. Don't look around, search it. I open every drawer and run my hand along the bottom into all four corners; same with the safe. Look under the bed and behind any furniture. Turn over the bed linen. Did you bring a pillow? Check behind doors for stuff on hooks. Check the shower. Pick up the towels and put them in the tub / shower; underwear likes to hide here. Stand on something to check any shelves (or the safe) that's above eye level.
It takes less than a minute. Your spouse and children will stop rolling their eyes when you come back out with a bathrobe, keys, video game, etc.
Never had any problems with a safe. I do carry my passport with me though. We just put electronics in the safe.
Haven't lost anything, but I did store about 5000 HUF in a safe in Vienna with the intention of changing them to Euros but broke my leg that night and promptly forgot about the cash in the safe in my panic. Hope the next person enjoyed a nice lunch on me.
