Years ago, in-room hotel safes were opened and locked with a key.
Of course, guests would sometimes lose their key. The solution to that was the front desk having either a backup key, or perhaps a master key. Otherwise, they’d need to call a locksmith.
All three situations meant the hotel (or perhaps the embarrassed guest) would have to pay extra money (for the new key [or lock!] and/or the locksmith). So, over time, as technology improved, most hotels (and cruise ships) invested in (or were built with) room safes with electronic locks, where guests could input a code of their choosing.
Of course, guests forget their codes all the time. Or leave without emptying their safe, which not only means their valuables are stuck in the safe, but the next guest can’t reset the code (which can only be done if the safe is unlocked). So safe companies have master codes for hotel/cruise staff to unlock the safes.
Unfortunately, those codes are all over the internet. And THAT’S why we’ve warned our readers that leaving stuff in your electronic room/cabin safe is not safe. Because anyone with the code to that particular safe could break in.
TIL (Today I Learned) that you don’t even need to have a master code.
Take a look at these safes. They’re all different brands, but have one thing in common. Do you see it? (Hint: it’s not anything to do with the locking mechanism).
Give up?
They all have a little metal plate on the front.
Well, it turns out that the little metal plate isn’t a decoration or a place for the safe company to put their logo. Nope, it’s actually hiding a little key hole that’s made for a master override key.
So all you need to do is have the override key and you can open the lock.
And, of course, those little master override keys can be purchased online. Because, of course, they can.
Here’s more information about it:
Before anyone freaks out, I’m no locksmith, but according to my research, override keys come in different shapes and sizes, tailored to the safe manufacturer and specific safe model. So, if nothing else, a potential thief would need to have the correct override key to access your safe.
That being said, a lock that can be opened with an override key is, unfortunately, also a lock that can be picked open. And there are some people who are really good at picking locks. So there’s that to consider. That’s why some hoteliers and cruise companies choose safes that don’t include an override key.
Now, to some extent, having this fail-safe (you see what I did there?) method to get into your hotel/cruise safe is a good thing. Say, if the electronics conk out. But other than that, just like potential thieves having access to override codes, it’s just one more way that someone can get into your hotel or cruise safe.
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2 comments
Under a lot of those little plates is just a hex socket that operates the safe mechanism. To open one of these safes, you need a Phillips screw driver and a hex key. No stinkin’ key required.
I only use room safes where there are CCTV cameras that monitor the hallway. At least you can see who entered your room and at what time.