
As a manufacturer of smart hotel lock systems for ten years, we have provided smart and reliable RFID hotel lock systems for hundreds of hotels.
At the same time, to help the hotel do a better job of hotel security and ensure the safety of hotel guests in the hotel room, we have compiled some suggestions on how to lock the hotel doors and secure your hotel room safer.
However. no one wants to have an unwelcome surprise when they get back from a day in the city or out of their hotel room.
Why need to lock hotel doors safer?
You might be wondering why I would need to lock a hotel door? After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Well, here are some excellent reasons:
To prevent theft.
There are plenty of reports of theft in hotels. You’ll keep them locked up if you don’t want to be stolen, like your laptop, jewelry, or skateboard collection.
To ensure privacy.
Theft prevention is one thing, but sometimes it’s not just other guests who can enter rooms—it can also be housekeepers or people who work at the hotel. They may have access to your room in case of emergency.
To ensure your safety.
You never know who’s staying in the room next to yours or what type of people may be walking down the hall when you’re not there—having someone else enter your room without permission and take something valuable or even hurt you.
To ensure Children’s safe
Keep children from wandering by themselves into an empty one where nobody will hear them crying for help if they hurt themselves or get scared by something as simple as a dark closet.
To ensure pets’ safe
People might choose to lock their hotel doors if they’re worried about their pets getting out when they aren’t looking! Some hotels even require guests with dogs in tow (or other animals) to keep them caged up while indoors due to safety concerns around this very issue.
Do hotel doors close automatically?
Yes, hotel doors will close automatically. But only if you leave the door open for more than 15 seconds. If you are holding the door open, it will not close.
But if you are standing in the doorway and keep your hand on the door or have a piece of luggage jamming it open, the hotel door will not close automatically.
Many hotel doors have door closers, which force the door to close automatically once it reaches a certain degree of opening. Many also have automatic locking systems, which lock the door from the inside as soon as you complete it.
If your hotel room door is not closing automatically, there may be an issue with your closer or locking mechanism.
Call the front desk immediately if you cannot close your hotel room door entirely.
Are you sure that door is locked?
Have you ever gotten to your hotel room, put down all your stuff, changed into your pajamas, and then realized that you never actually locked the door?
Sometimes, people can’t get the hang of locking a hotel door. Don’t feel bad—there are many reasons it’s hard to latch an entry on your first try. It could be the unfamiliarity of a new environment or the added crime threats of being in an unfamiliar city.
Whatever is standing between you and locking your hotel room door, here are some tips to help you overcome it:
- Double-check. One of the biggest mistakes people make when they lock their doors is not checking twice to ensure it’s done right. The first time you close your lock may seem like enough—but sometimes, you forget to twist your key precisely right or don’t push hard enough on the latch.
- If possible, triple-check when traveling with children/older adults/pets/luggage/etc. People busy carrying luggage or wrangling children often have trouble focusing on simple tasks like locking doors.
- Check again if the deadbolt is engaged.
- If you have double doors, check that the second door is locked.
- Make sure connecting doors are secure.
You should also test the door for security before going to bed and before exploring or going to the gym. This may seem excessive and paranoid, but being aware of your surroundings can prevent you from becoming an easy target.
Can a hotel enter your room without permission?
A hotel room is your private space. However, hotels have a right to enter your room under certain circumstances.
- They can come into your room with their staff hotel key cards if they need to access an adjoining room, and there is no other way to do so.
- Housekeeping or maintenance might need to enter your room to perform routine cleaning or repairs.
- If there is cause for a reasonable belief that there is a threat to security, especially in terms of damage or theft, hotels can enter guest rooms without permission from the guest.
Is it easy to break into a hotel room?
Suppose you want to break into a hotel room. Or maybe not.
It depends on how much you know about breaking into hotel rooms and your tools. It also depends on the type of hotel lock the hotel uses.
Breaking into one of these secured rooms is tricky unless you have the right tools, but it’s not impossible.
Many hotels use the same doors and locks, making them surprisingly easy to pick open with something as simple as a paperclip or straightened wire hanger. You can search YouTube and find dozens of videos demonstrating this.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, though: if you’re in a hotel and want to make sure no one will enter your room while you’re gone, never leave anything valuable out in plain sight (including laptops, wallets, and purses).
How can I make my hotel room safer?
If you stay in hotels a lot, you probably have a routine of checking into your room and familiarizing yourself with things like the phone, emergency exits, light switches, and bathroom.
But if you want to be as safe as possible, there are some additional steps you should take:
- Lock your door. It sounds obvious, but it’s an important step that can be easily overlooked when lugging suitcases into a room and unpacking them. Lock the deadbolt on the door and close it before leaving again as soon as you get inside.
- Don’t answer the phone or door unless you’re expecting someone. If someone calls and asks for an employee who isn’t working that day, don’t give out information about other staff members or guests staying at the hotel.
- Don’t leave your valuables in your room. Take these items with you, or bring them to the front desk.
- If your room is on a higher floor, check that all windows are locked. This will help make sure no one can get in from the outside.
- When checking in, let the staff know if someone else will be arriving later than you (such as with family members). They understand who should access the room when you aren’t there.
- It’s also important not to leave anything of value behind while traveling; this includes electronics like computers, cell phones, credit cards, or other forms of identification such as passports or driver’s licenses.
How to lock the hotel door with a hanger?
If you are in a hotel or motel room but need to leave the room for a few minutes, you can use a hanger to lock the door from the inside.
- Grab a hanger with a hook and a curved back (most metal coat hangers will work).
- Place the hook end at the top of the door and the curved back at the bottom, then lie against the door.
- Fold up to 180 degrees so that it is perpendicular to the door.
- Push down on both sides until you feel resistance from the spring-loaded pin, which should be sticking out horizontally from each side of your lock mechanism—this will click into place if done correctly. If you have trouble finding it, run your fingers along each side until you see two thin metal rods (also known as pin tumblers).
In most cases, this does not prevent someone from breaking into your room but only prevents them from opening your door without breaking it down.
How to lock a hotel door from the inside?
These are all just quick ways to add extra security to your room. If you need something more permanent and reliable, some locks can be installed inside your hotel room or apartment doors. These locks do require installation, but they are also more secure. Some options include:
Internal Hotel Door Latch
Internal Hotel Door Latch is an easy-to-install option for added security in your apartment or hotel room. It adds additional locking mechanisms other than just the standard deadbolt. It’s excellent for locking inside without worrying about keys, like when on vacation with kids.
Use the deadbolt.
The deadbolt should be on your side and easy to reach on most hotel doors.
Use the chain lock.
Primarily for peace of mind, a hotel chain lock is better than nothing but can easily be snipped with scissors or broken if slammed against with enough force.
Use the doorstop.
Keep it under your door to keep it from being opened by someone on the outside to open the handle from the inside.
Use a portable door lock.
This portable door lock provides an additional layer of security. At the same time, traveling makes it impossible for someone to enter without your knowledge since they would have to break through this before gaining access by unlocking anything else!
Use a doorstop alarm.
The Door Stop Alarm is a great device to bring on your next trip. It’s only six inches long and about two pounds, so it’s easy to keep in your suitcase or carry-on bag and won’t take too much space. The Door Stop Alarm comes in handy when you have no other way to lock the door from the inside.
Place this gadget behind your bedroom door handle, and an intruder will not be able to open it without triggering an ear-piercing alarm that will notify everyone in the area of his presence.
Use a door wedge.
The door wedge lock allows users to install it on any surface, including most types of wood paneling, tile floors, etc.,
Meaning it won’t damage flooring and not skid across carpeted areas, as other devices may do if left unattended (this product does come with instructions regarding installation).
Use a door jammer
The last line of defense for your hotel room is a door jammer, which blocks the door from opening. A door jammer can be a security measure if you have trouble sleeping in new places.
If you’ve ever used an Airbnb and wanted to ensure the space was secure, this would be the product. Position the bar underneath the handle on your side of the door, and slide it into place.
Use a privacy latch
A privacy latch is similar to a chain lock because it allows users to open their doors. It installs on top of your regular lock with minimal effort—no tools are required! Its unique design means no one can pick or force it open while an occupant wants to see who is knocking before answering.
Use Door braces
Door braces are a simple solution for a hotel door that won’t lock. They work similarly to the deadbolts you have on your home doors, but instead of being paired with a keyed lock, they are designed to be used in tandem with the existing lockset.
The door brace slips underneath the door and extends into the room to be secured against either the floor or furniture.
In this way, it provides extra security by preventing someone from prying their way into your room and making sure that no one can force their way in should they unlock your deadbolt.
Most also come equipped with an alarm that will sound if an intruder attempts to enter; some even have motion sensors to know if someone is trying to sneak into your room while you’re asleep.
Use A nightstand or desk chair.
A nightstand or desk chair is another quick option for locking a hotel door without using a key—pull one over next to the door and slip its legs under the doorknob! That’ll make opening it from the outside impossible (and very noisy).
It’s not too secure, though, since anyone who wants could break through quickly enough using brute force. Keep this trick in mind only temporary protection until help arrives when there’s some emergency such as theft happening nearby or medical distress requiring immediate response outside in hallways.
Detection alarm.
If someone tries to enter when the alarm is activated, they’ll be greeted with a loud noise that will likely make them turn tail and run. Depending on how far away from the door you want to walk before it goes off, you can adjust it. These alarms typically run around $25 and include sensors that stick onto your door. It’s not foolproof, but an added layer of protection never hurt anyone!
The Lock Locker
The Lock Locker is another option for those worried about safety on their hotel doors. It works by using magnets to lock your sliding chain from the inside so no one can shimmy their way in if they did manage to get past the lock on your doorknob or deadbolt.
While this might seem like overkill for those not super concerned about safety, it won’t hurt anything if you bring one along and use it just in case—it weighs less than half a pound and is ideal if you plan on traveling alone!
How to lock a hotel room door from the outside?
Many people will want to know how to lock a hotel room door from the outside. There are many reasons why you would need this ability, such as:
- A child is in the room, and you don’t want them to go out.
- You have dangerous items in the room that you don’t want other people to find.
- You have costly items in the room, and you don’t want anyone else to see them or steal them.
- You want to go out and keep your expensive items safe in a hotel room
Locking a hotel door from the outside is quite simple. Most of the time, it’s just a case of putting the “do not disturb” sign on your door handle, but there may be other steps you’ll need to take.
- The Double cylinder lock system works by securing the door without having any keyhole on the outside, meaning that no outsider can get in even if they have their own set of keys – unless they break down the door entirely! It would be best to have a simple lockpick skill or creative thinking like putting a toothbrush through a hole.
- Put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door handle. This is all required to lock a hotel room door for many hotels. If this does not work for you, perhaps because the hotel has automated doors or guests have been caught tampering with those signs to avoid housekeeping services.
- Call down to reception and explain your situation. The staff will help you out with locking your room from outside. Be prepared for any possible questions, and know how long you plan to step out of your room to send housekeeping if necessary.
How to lock a hotel room with a card?
With magnetic keys, you can tell when the lock is in the set position: insert the card, turn the lock handle to the right, and if there’s a bump or click, you’re all set. The card should be inserted halfway or all of the way into the slot. Another trick is to swipe your card several times; if it works on one of those swipes, then it’s probably set. It may take a few tries.
RFID key cards require less work than magnetic keys. You’ll want to hold your RFID key against the door handle for a brief moment as you attempt to enter—but not so long that you look like a villain from an old James Bond movie.
Conclusion
The goal of this article is to let you know how to lock the hotel door and secure it when staying in hotels. There are some simple steps that you can take for your next trip, such as keeping your valuables out of sight, using a TSA-approved lock on luggage and hotel doors, and locking interior doors in your room at night as well as using deadbolts on exterior (patio) doors.