Buckle up, burglars! The one accessory that can save your from a hotel break-in. Photo / Getty Images
Buckle up, burglars! The one accessory that can save your from a hotel break-in. Photo / Getty Images
Booked into a hotel but not sure about the neighbourhood? Make sure you pack a belt.
A Royal Marine commando with a large self-defence social media following has revealed his must-pack travel accessory.
Robin who shares his defence tips via TikTok page DutchintheUSA has explain how you cansure up even the most low-rent hotel room.
Demonstrating the technique in a short video - he loops the belt through the bolt chain and round the handle of the door, making it impossible to enter. Even with a key.
"Use your belt to go through the chain link. This makes it harder to pick it or even remove the lock."
Robin says a belt is the surefire way to stop a break-in. Photo / DutchintheUSA, TikTok
The Marine says he has often stayed in some sketchy place and the trick has never let him down. Other tips for combating hotel-room intruders include leaving a glass on the door handle, to make sure you don't sleep through a break in attempt.
One imagines the self-defence guru's tips are a bit overkill for your average BnB - but you can never be too secure.
In a step-up from the technique of using an upturned chair to block a hotel door - as done in the best spy thrillers - Robin advises using a curtain rail instead.
If your shower curtain detaches easily, the metal rod can be used as a door jam.
Referring to the technique as a "self-made barrier" - it can be used to jam the door shut, propping it between the door and the wall in a "triangle".
You can never be too secure. Photo / DutchintheUSA, TikTok
While some viewers advised Robin to check into hotels which spent more effort on security, he advised these techniques were not restricted by hotel star-rating.
However other viewers said they would bear these techniques in mind for the next time they booked into a sketchy hotel or were travelling alone.
Other commentators said they were ideal tips for solo female travellers, and would try it on their next trip.
