Unfortunately all I need to know is which hotel you're staying at, claim I'm a friend and get a room near you, or even right next door. The big news story was Erin Andrews of ESPN was filmed undressing in her hotel room. How easy is this to do? So easy it's sickening.
What can you do to protect yourself? First, don't check in under your own name. Hold the room on a credit card, then go in and pay everything cash under a different name. Don't leave ANY identifying items in your room, as low paid hotel workers are huge snoops. They're the paparazzi's dream. When you get to your room, check the walls, pictures, doors, especially if there's an adjoining door between rooms. That peep-hole is NOT your friend. Carry black electrical tape and cover it! You can easily remove for viewing. Good tip, do this at home as well with any peep holes. Carry travel alarms and portable security items with you at all times. If possible, keep the do not disturb sign on the door so that no workers access the room if you're concerned about privacy. Celebrities have a lot more to worry about than most of us, but there are weirdos everywhere. A client of mine was stalked by their own family member who was trying to get blackmail photos to post online in hopes of extorting money. A total stranger will have no problem asking if a certain person has checked in, and if you act like you know the person and do a good acting job, you'll get plenty more personal info. Hotel workers aren't really bright and honestly don't care about your safety. They should ring your room and tell you someone's asked about you, but they never do. The hotel assumes that if you have the person's first and last name, that you must know them.
Rock stars had the right idea when they checked in under crazy names to avoid being found. REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin often used Mr. Graham Crackers. Hotels should allow you to use any name you wish, and if you have concerns about nosy people, tell the hotel that under no circumstances is your info to be given out. I've traveled and paid hotels cash, never showing any form of ID. If someone asks you for ID, be prepared and have another photo ID that you've "created" or had created such as a company badge with a photo, but a different name. Be sure someone in your close circle of friends or family has all your contact info, but don't give it out to anyone else. Don't allow anyone to ring your room either. Use your cell phone. Faxes, use an online fax service especially if what you're transmitting isn't for prying eyes.
Many problems for celebs and the rest of us arise because we're too comfortable and put convenience and speed over common sense. I always stress to people that they should become aware of who's obsessed with them by installing trackers on their social networking pages. If you want to know how to do it, email us or we'll post links and how-to on our site. Several of our clients who were not celebrities were shocked and sickened to see who was stalking them online, how many times pages were re-loaded and accessed. One woman's page was re-loaded over 60 times in an hour. The predator was reloading her page once per minute desperate to see what she posted. Her friends also installed trackers and they found that the predator was stalking all her friends on Facebook as well. He was later arrested for what else? Checking into a hotel she was staying at! How did he know her whereabouts? She shared too much with friends, mentioned her hotel and bingo, the stalker simply went to the desk posing as a friend. He even had her flight info since she had posted a link to it for a co-worker online. The predator was an acquaintance of a family member who had become obsessed.
Murders and kidnappings happen, rapes, robberies you name it. You are NOT ever safe in a hotel, famous or not. This goes for men too. Don't talk about your plans on social networking sites, don't use real names. Be sure to have trackers on social pages so you know who's a little too interested in you & when possible pay cash for your hotel rooms. If you feel your privacy has been compromised, alert hotel managers immediately & demand a change of rooms.
Click here to read the link about Erin Andrews and the stalker who not only peeped and took photos/video of her in her hotel room, but also had done this to other women. Erin Andrews Story
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