NEXT time you’re staying at a hotel, you’ll want to leave your room cleaning sign off the door.
Holidaymakers often use the sign when staying for long periods of time at the hotel, and let housekeepers know the room needs cleaning.
GettyNext time you leave your hotel room, leave your cleaning sign inside[/caption]
But experts have warned you shouldn’t use it – as it flags you aren’t in your room.
Michele Bennett, General Manager at ADT said: “Whilst you may think it is helpful to leave a service sign on your hotel room door, leaving a ‘please clean’ note can notify potential thieves that your room is empty.
“It is recommended that you notify hotel reception staff that you would like your room cleaned and if you feel it necessary, for additional security, stay in your hotel room whilst it is being cleaned.”
The sign could even be used as a tool to break into your room.
YouTube user LockPickingLawyer often shows how easy it is to break into hotel doors.
In one video, he grabbed the sign on the door, before pushing it in between the large gap between the door and the frame to open it.
If you really need your room cleaned, you should call reception and ask them to put the request in.
And many hotels now ask guests to not request daily housekeeping to reduce costs.
It’s not the only way you are putting your hotel room at risk of being broken into.
Carrying around the key card holder you are given after checking in could cause problems if you lose it.
Justin Aldrich, who worked at hotels for more than seven years, said guests who lose the paper put their stuff at risk as it has the room number on it.
Anyone who finds it could then get instant access to the room – something which can’t happen if you just drop the key.
He explained to Insider: “A dropped key packet immediately gives the finder access to your space.
“But a random, unmarked key on the ground has no value besides the hotel name.”
GettyIf you want your room cleaned, you should call reception instead[/caption]