You don’t have to be a star to get star treatment. Hotels are as focused on you having a safe and secure stay worth repeating as much as they are seeing A-listers celebs grace the front desk. Celebs know the drill better than most. There are very certain things you can do on your next hotel stay that can substantially bolster your own personal security and safety.

BEFORE HOTEL ARRIVAL

• Ahead of your check-in, reach out in advance to the hotel and ask them about security.
• Do they have a 24/7 security staff member.
• Are guest room floor accessible without a guest key.

WHILE CHECKING-IN

• Once you arrive to check-in, here’s what will make it safer for your stay.
• Request that your be made “incognito”. This universal word in the hospital means your name is never a part of public record, staff never utters your name so that prying eyes are less likely to overhear a way into gaining access to your room’s location.
• Celebs often go “incognito” and also use an alias.
• Aliases are good for dodging prying eyes, and at the same time it’s important to switch up your alias name frequently.
• Make a point to say that you are not expecting any visitors.

WHILE IN YOUR ROOM

• First thing is to call the hotel operator and ask that your phone be put on Do Not Disturb where outside calls don’t come in, and outside calls are also not allowed.
• Use your mobile phone instead.
• Give the room a privacy tour. See what vulnerabilities are obvious. Trim drapes from being wide open. Use a bandaid or tape to cover the peep hole in the room door.
• Make sure to put all personal information in the safe.

WHEN AWAY FROM YOUR HOTEL ROOM

• Always lock away any extra hotel card key in the safe.
• Use passcodes and anti-theft technology such as iAlertU for MacBooks and PreyProject.com for Android devices and Windows laptops.
• The good one above sends a photo to your phone when someone in your room tampers with your laptop or tablet.
• Electronic hotel safes are generally safe. In order to open, it usually requires a loss prevention employee with strict protocols or general manager to open it and the information is logged.

Hotels respect guest privacy since return business depends on the fact that hotels act within a guest’s interest. Less than 2 years ago, case law determined that hotels have a right to exercise a right under the 4th amendment to maintain guest privacy and guest records. A court issued warrant would be about the only method to force a hotel to reveal details about your stay. You have zero rights to privacy the moment your stay ends. And even while at a hotel in the U.S., the hotel is able to determine what level of expectation to privacy you are provided. Quizzing a hotel in advance of a stay can go a long way to understanding how the property values your personal safety and security.