Nowadays, most hotel room doors come with robust security features. These include a protective door guard or latch and a lock that typically operates with an RFID card.
However, despite securely locking the door, potential vulnerabilities remain that could be manipulated by those with ill intentions. There are still ways for unwanted visitors to get in.
Thus, in this article, I'll reveal two straightforward techniques to enhance the safety of your hotel room door. These methods employ just two common items found in any hotel room: a hanger and a towel.
The deadbolt latch acts as an extra lock, preventing the door from opening fully. However, some intruders have found ways to bypass this latch, allowing them to open the door completely.
To counter this, a simple hanger, like the ones found in hotel rooms, can be used. This hanger can be positioned to secure the latch, so it will be difficult to force open from the outside.
Start by finding one or two hangers in your room. Then, attach one end of the hanger to the latch in such a way that it becomes hard to move. Next, fasten the other end to the doorknob.
If there's a considerable distance between the doorknob and the latch, two hangers can be used together. It's important to ensure that the ends of the hanger are securely connected to both the latch and the doorknob, making it challenging to press down the handle.
Hotel rooms that use RFID card locks are generally only openable from the inside when locked. However, as demonstrated in the linked video, intruders sometimes possess specialized tools that can unlock the door by manipulating the internal doorknob.
If the hanger method mentioned earlier is applied, the door handle becomes relatively secure and hard to operate. For added assurance, a towel can also be used to reinforce the door handle's security.
To do this, fold the towel and wedge it into the space between the door handle and the door. Make sure the towel is folded to fit the gap snugly, ensuring it doesn’t slip out and effectively secures the handle.
I recommend using a small towel or a towel-shaped mat instead of a bath towel. Bath towels are too big and can get dirty if you use them to hold the door handle.
For extra safety, you can also place a towel to cover the gap under the door. This makes it harder for anyone with bad intentions to peek or slip something through.
Those are two simple ways to boost security in your hotel room. These tricks can also work in apartments, hostels, or other types of accommodation that might have a higher risk of crime.
