Most of us will probably assume that leaving spare cash, passports and jewellery in the hotel room safe is the best way to keep it secure on holiday. However, many basic safes used by hotels have a code that overrides whatever combination it is set to. 

Most hotels either have a master code or a key for when guests happen to forget the code they have set on the hotel room safe. A varying number of hotel employees may have access to the code/key and can easily gain entry to your hotel room. 

Furthermore, the default override code, left by the manufacturers, is often not changed by the hotel.

This eye-opening video shared on YouTube by “LockPickingLawyer” shows how easy it is for an intruder to break into certain safes once they have gained entry to your room. In the clip, it is quickly demonstrated that would-be thieves do not need to know the real code in order to break in.

In the clip, LockPickingLawyer is seen setting a personal code—just as any guest does when leaving valuables in their room. After checking that the box is locked, the man then enters an incorrect code on purpose but is barred from opening the door as he should be. However, the man then presses the “lock” button, followed by 999999, and the door opens.

In the video, 999999 is mentioned as a default code. It can also be 111111, 123456 or 000000 or 1111,1234, 9999, 0000, depending on the product and manufacturer.

Check the safe

As a result, all guests should check whether their own hotel safe opens after trying out any of these generic master codes before deciding whether or not to leave their own items alone on vacation. Do not use birth dates, room number or check-in date as the pin-code. Also check if the safe is actually mounted to the wall and not just the furniture.

Opening with a coat hanger