A Hotel Safety Checklist For World Travellers From A Former CIA Operative

No matter where you travel, you want your hotel room to be a place you can take a load off and relax. It’s hard to do that, however, if you don’t feel comfortable and safe. This hotel safety checklist from a former CIA operative can help.



Photo by McKay Savage.

Drew Dwyer, a Marine veteran and former CIA operative, has seen his fair share of travel around the world — including some not-so-safe places for travellers. If you plan on seeing all of the world and want to stay safe, Dwyer shares his personal hotel safety checklist at SOFREP.com:

Acquire or make a copy of the fire escape plan on the back of your door. Most of these just slide out. Do not stay on the ground or the top floor. The ground floor is readily accessible to intruders and the top floor does not allow any room to manoeuvre. The first or second (European) floors allow access for most third world country emergency vehicles. Keep the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, even when you are not there. Always assume the room is bugged. Keep the radio or TV turned on with the volume on low at all times — even when you are not in the room. Keep the drapes/blinds pulled at all times, even when unoccupied. Keep a light on in the room when unoccupied. Keep a small “bug-out bag” packed with must-have items (money, ID, passport, etc.) in the event of an emergency departure. Carry a motion alarm that can be placed over the doorknob. They are about $20 and can be found in most electronics stores. Keep a flashlight next to the bed and within arm’s reach.

Some of this might seem like overkill for most travellers (especially the bugging bit), but it’s good information to know just in case. You can find more great world travel safety tips at the link below.

The CIA Operative’s Guide to Safe Travel [SOFREP via Entrepreneur]