Unfortunately, you won't always get the chance to hand pick your room or apartment, but if you feel uncomfortable with your accommodation don't be afraid to ask to be moved, even if it means going to another hotel.
Rooms on upper floors are more secure as they are harder for thieves to break into from the outside, or to escape from. The same applies to rooms that are away from stairs or fire escapes, although you may feel safer knowing that you can escape quickly in the event of a fire.
Just as at home, your accommodation should have a good solid door with decent locks and bolts. You should be able to secure the door from the inside so that anyone with a key cannot get in from the outside. Doors should have spy-holes so that you can see who is there before letting them in and a sturdy door chain. If you are unsure about anyone claiming to be hotel staff at your door, call reception and check with them before letting them in.

Look for signs of previous attempts to break into rooms such as marks on doors and window frames or scratch marks around locks. And make sure all windows and sliding doors are secured, especially if you're on the ground floor or if you have a balcony that someone could easily climb across to.

If there is a room safe, make sure you use it for your valuable items. The ones that let you to program in a combination code are best. Don't leave things lying around in your room that could tempt hotel staff and take valuables with you if you think they would be safer.

Whenever you're out, you could leave your TV or radio on loud enough so that it can be heard faintly from outside, but not so loud that it disturbs other guests. Alternatively, you could leave a light on and use your 'Do not disturb' sign on the door to give the impression that someone is inside the room. Leaving a light on will also make you feel much safer when returning to your room at night.

If you go camping it's likely you'll be using your car to store valuable items - see our Your Car section.

Be aware that hotel owners have a certain amount of responsibility to ensure your property is secure. However, in the UK under the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956, if the hotel owners display an appropriate notice they can limit their liability to £50 per item or £100 in total. UK hotels cannot rely on this limit if the loss was caused by the negligence of their staff, although you would have to prove such negligence to make a higher claim.