Check Out This CIA Operative's 9-Step Hotel Safety Checklist Before you pack your bags, learn this 9-step spy-approved system.

By Dan Bova

Shutterstock

When you spend 10 years checking in and out of hotels in the not-so-safest parts of the world, bed bugs are the least of your problems.

Drew Dwyer, a veteran of the Marines and a former CIA operative, knows this better than most. Here Dwyer shares his hotel check-in safety checklist that is smart to follow whether your next business trip is taking you to Dallas or Damascus. Get his full list of travel safety tips at SOFREP.com.

1. Acquire or make a copy of the fire escape plan on the back of your door. Most of these just slide out.

2. Do not stay on the ground or the top floor. The ground floor is readily accessible to intruders and the top floor does not allow any room to maneuver. The first or second (European) floors allow access for most third world country emergency vehicles.

Related: The Secret Business of Training Navy Seals

3. Keep the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, even when you are not there.

4. Always assume the room is bugged. Keep the radio or TV turned on with the volume on low at all times -- even when you are not in the room.

5. Keep the drapes/blinds pulled at all times, even when unoccupied.

6. Keep a light on in the room when unoccupied.

7. Keep a small "bug-out bag" packed with must-have items (money, ID, passport, etc.) in the event of an emergency departure.

8. Carry a motion alarm that can be placed over the doorknob. They are about $20 and can be found in most electronics stores.

9. Keep a flashlight next to the bed and within arm's reach.

Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia ZoneRoad & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Nvidia CEO Says '100% of Everybody's Jobs Will Be Changed' Due to AI

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says AI will transform how people get work done.

Business News

Google Swoops in to Make a $2.4 Billion Deal With a Startup Previously Promised to OpenAI

Google is hiring the startup's top leadership and paying for licensing rights.

Leadership

I Burned Down My House — and Learned a Leadership Lesson I'll Never Forget

How one fiery mistake shaped my approach to leadership — and can help you too.

Starting a Business

"I Never Managed a Bar, Let Alone Opened a Place': How This Musician Created His Dream Venue and Built a Thriving Nightlife Business

Music artist and entrepreneur David Handler breaks down how he and his team created (Le) Poisson Rouge, a place to experience music unlike any other in New York City.

Leadership

Most Entrepreneurs Approach Culture the Wrong Way. Here's What They're Missing.

Entrepreneurs who treat culture as an add-on rather than the foundational context that shapes all business rules and behaviors are setting themselves up for failure.