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Food for thought. I was staying in a hotel, and went for ice. The door closed, but somehow triggered the little flip over lock, so I was unable to get back in (the door opened about 2"). Went to the front desk, maintenance guy came up with a little tool, and had me back in in about 10 seconds. I wondered about how secure I was since.
This was New York, so I never carry when I travel there.
I usually stay at Motel 6 and watched a SWAT be defeated by one of their doors. They finally ended up breaking out the window.
I would avoid upper floors if height in a hotel setting was your fear for a quick exit or fires - although fires in hotel are quite rare with all the building code requirements. It's good to carry a glass breaking tool and you can get some simple ones that look like conventional pen (Tac pen).
The swing bolt safeties (as someone mentioned) are fairly easy to defeat for someone intent on breaking into a hotel room. Another 'safety security' tool which is effective to warn you of an intruder is the door stop alarm. They are about $10 at the home improvement type stores.
Don't forget to watch some of the YouTube videos about how easy it is to open those swing-bar "security locks" from the outside of the room. They're worthless. I always prop the desk chair up under the doorknob so that at least I'm alerted by the clatter of it being knocked over if someone breaks in.
I stayed near the top floor at a hotel in Los Angeles. Came downstairs and asked if anyone else felt that big earthquake. Nope.
As for windows opening, I just like them open for fresh air anyway, not a fan of a/c unless super hot.
This makes sense due to how buildings are constructed. Foundations are isolated and dispersed throughout the structure. The higher you are the more its emphasized. It probably didnt seem like it at the time, but you feeling that movement was the safest possible outcome.
I generally choose the second or third floor making sure I could handle the distance to ground level in an emergency. Ground level floors, especially those with a balcony/patio with outside entrance make them too easy for someone to enter, back a truck or car up to, etc., and more people staying in the hotel are likely to pass your room over one's on the upper floors.
Apparently Korea has a leg up on us with apartment and hotel safety, including emergency window hammers and rappelling anchors, ropes and harnesses....
The best floor to stay on in a hotel is the third floor.
Parking lot etc noise on the ground floor and easy pedestrian access to windows rules out floor #1. Floor #2 doesn't immediately fix either one of these issues.
Floor #3 is close enough to the ground one could quickly make a rope with the sheets to escape if they needed to, is far enough from the ground to be quieter, and since I don't like elevators, is just the right number of stairs to go up and down without feeling like it's too much.
If you have to stay at an airport hotel, the worst floor to stay on is the top floor. The aircraft noise is 100x quieter on the floor below.
Room safes are a gimmick. Thefts are inside jobs from people who have access to the rooms and safes anyway. You're better off hiding valuables or using diversion tactics.
Don't put valuables where they are expected to be. You might as well give them a treasure map. Don't leave anything in your hotel room you can't afford to lose.
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