In-Room Hotel Safes: The Smartest Way To Protect Your Guest’s Property

There are many reasons people stay at a hotel and they are usually preoccupied with thoughts other than the safety of their possessions, but they shouldn’t be. Hotel theft is one of the top security concerns and many establishments take multiple measures to ensure that their guests are protected, as well as themselves. With today’s technology, it is not only the items lost but also the information the devices contain that are so irreplaceable to guests. In-room hotel safes provide a more secure place to keep travel documents, papers, traveler’s checks, and jewelry than traditional safety deposit boxes or safes that are kept in a centralized area in the hotel.

In-room hotel safes are unique from other safes in several ways: they offer maximum security and flexible access options, while remaining user friendly. If your guest can use a telephone, they can program and use an in-room safe. Most models offer magistrate and digital options for guests and management in interchangeable panels, which allow guests to create their own security code or combination while maintaining a master code in case the safe needs to be opened in an emergency situation. Hotel safes have a modern, sleek design that complements the décor in a hotel room and UL-approved steel bodies that are strong and reliable. Hotel safes are specifically designed to easily incorporate themselves into a hotel’s guestrooms and budget.

Hotel Room Safe Options
There are two main styles of in-room hotel safes to choose from: a wall style or a floor style. An in-room wall safe is excellent for hotels with limited guestroom space. They can be mounted in the open or hidden in a closet or cupboard. Guests are more likely to use a wall style safe because they are on eye-level and easier to use, as they do not require bending over. Floor safes may be preferable for larger rooms.

Recently designed in-room safes are made to accommodate the width and length of any laptops, but some are smaller. If you have business travelers that frequently stay at your hotel, you may want to make sure your safes meet this specification. Once you have chosen the style of in-room safe that best suits your hotel, you can select from a variety of safety features to increase the safe’s protection. The type and amount of features will vary with each model but can include:

? Mounting hardware
? Electric keypad
? Concealed hinges
? A mechanical key override if the lost combination or code is forgotten
? A power override
? Active motorized locking bolts
? Magnetic card readers
? Downloadable audit controls that store entries to increase in-house security and combat fraudulent claims.

Some in-room hotel safes, such as the Protex SHE-1108, offer both a mechanical key override and a power override feature. Other safes, like the Protex BG-30C, come with both types of overrides, as well as a magnetic card reader. Card readers, also called Smart Cards, are the simplest way for your guest to access a safe, but not always the preferred method. Current research based on surveys of nationwide hotel chains, shows that most guests prefer the security of digital safes because they are simple to use and allow them to choose their own access code. To meet the needs of all your guests, many safes equipped with card readers are accompanied by digital access codes.

The security options you offer your guests are only effective if they are used.
In-room hotel safes provide a convenient, secure way for your guests to store their valuables. Guests are more likely to use them because they can access them 24/7, without going to the front desk for assistance in storing equipment they use everyday. Frequent business travelers that stay in moderately prices hotels often demand the convenience of in-room safes for their expensive electronic equipment. Thieves tend to target valuables that are stored in a central location to make stealing worthwhile and in-room safes eliminate the downsides to safety deposit boxes and larger safes that are stored behind the front desk. The bottom line is that in-room hotel safes are necessary to protect your guests, as well as your business.

Home Safes: Don’t Leave Your Home Without One.

For most of us, our home is a sanctuary to relax, sleep, eat, and spend time with our families. Many people do not consider the potential dangers that can occur in their homes: burglary, fire or water damage; however, they are a reality. Every year in the United States there are more than 5 million home burglaries. In 2007, the National Fire Prevention Association reported that U.S. fire departments responded to more than 399,000 home fires, resulting in over $7.9 billion in damage and loss. Water damage, resulting from 6 inches or less total accumulation, is the number two reason people file damage claims on their home insurance, which results in over $2.4 billion damage annually (National Flood Insurance Program, 2006). While not all tragedies are avoidable, you can gain some peace of mind by securing your valuable possessions in a home safe to ensure they are protected against burglary, fire, and water damage.

Home safes are designed to provide you with the maximum protection for whatever you need to keep safe: important documents, cash, jewelry, electronic data or memories, guns, and much more. Take steps to prevent loss and damage to your valuables: purchase a home safe and use it.

What Type of Home Safe Will Best Protect Your Possessions?

There is a home safe designed for any item you need to store. They vary in the type of protection they offer, where they can be stored, and how much security they provide.  There are portable safes that can travel with you; hidden safes that are difficult to identify as a safe; firearm safes to secure one or many guns, and fire resistant and waterproof safes that provide specific elemental protection. 

Think about what your needs are before purchasing a home safe so you spend your money wisely: What do you need to protect? How large does your safe need to be? Do you need fire and water protection? What type of safe will make you feel secure: a visible one or a hidden one? Do you want to keep some of your things in a safe that you can take with you? What will your store your safe? Below are descriptions of each type of safe and how they can help you protect your valuables.

Portable Safes

Portable safes are smaller than other home safes and work well for people who need to secure small valuables in their home, as well as in their car or on their person when they travel. The personal safe and car safe include a tether to attach the safe to your body, furniture, or to the inside of a vehicle. An additional benefit is that Helix designs their personal safes with rounded edges to prevent snagging on clothing or skin.

Personal Safe with Tether

If you need a very small safe (4-3/4″ x6-1/2″ x 2″), then a personal safe with tether will be ideal to protect your tiny valuables. A personal safe will secure a wallet, small items of jewelry, a cellphone, or keys. An added benefit to this type of home safe is that it can go where you go without a hassle.

Car Safe with Tether

Car safes provide a high level of protection and convenience. You can use the heavy-duty steel cable to attach the safe to car seat frame or trunk frame to ensure your safe is secure. Most models are designed to withstand a 5-minute attack and thick, internal foam cushioning to protect your electronic devices.

Hidden Safes

In-wall safes, book safes, and strong box drawer safes can be concealed within walls, under beds, behind paintings, or appear to be something they are not, such as a book safe. Thieves spend less than 8 minutes in a home before they find something of value (Chicago Crime Commission).  Hidden safes will provide the extra security of invisibility to burglars and lessen the chance that they will discover your valuables

In-Wall Safe

Hidden in-wall safes provide security and privacy: no one can noticeably see the safe if you cover it with a picture or mirror. They are burglary resistant but allow quick, easy installation and access for the owner. A residential wall safe may be equipped with a mechanical combination or an electronic keypad. Some in-wall home safes offer fire protection but most will not have water protection because they are located high enough away from floors that they are safe from most water damage. Wall safes are ideal for individuals who do not want to advertise they have valuables to protect; people who live in areas that are more prone to water damage; and those who have large items to secure. Gardall has designed several models of in-wall safes to offer varying levels of protection. You can choose a basic model with a key lock or a fire safe that has a combination lock.

Book Safe

Books safes are considered to be a diversion safe because they can be kept on a bookshelf in plain sight and are usually overlooked by a burglar. They are indistinguishable from a real book, weighted to feel genuine, and are perfect for storing valuables, such as jewelry, money, or documents. If you have a small supply of valuables that will fit in the space of a paperback book, this safe is ideal to protect your possessions. Helix has developed three designs of book safes to suit every need: a paperback book safe, a hardcover book safe, and a deluxe book safe.  

Strong Box Drawer Safe

Strong box drawer safes can be put inside a drawer, attached under a bed, or bolted to a wall. They are convenient and offer enough security to protect one firearm plus other small valuables and are equipped with a removable shelf. While a strong-box safe is not recommended to secure electronic items, they do work well for someone who needs versatility and tough protection for other valuables. Stack-On offers several versions of the strong-box safe: foam padded safes, motorized, locking deadbolt safes, and optional shelving unit safes.

Fire Resistant and Waterproof Safes

Natural disasters like fire, flood, or snowstorms can destroy important documents, electronic memory devices, heirlooms, and other valuable possessions. Prepare for the worst by securing them in a fire resistant or waterproof safe before something happens! Sentry®Safe designs robust, reliable safes to withstand the elements.

Fire Proof Safe

Home and apartment fires happen quickly and leave behind unbelievable devastation, which is why it is necessary to protect your important papers, electronic memories and data, and other valuable possessions in a fireproof safe. Sentry®Safe puts all of their fire safe chests and security boxes through rigorous fire and explosion testing for ½ hour, 1 hour, or 2 hours to make sure your belongings will be protected for that amount of time at degrees up to 1850ºF. You can choose the smaller fire safe security boxes to store small valuables, file protector safes to secure important documents only, or larger safes for multiple, large possessions..

Waterproof Safe

Most damage occurs in less than 6 inches of water but it only takes 1 inch of water to destroy your property. Flash floods, hurricanes, snowstorms, and floods occur in every state and usually homeowners are not prepared. A waterproof safe can protect your important documents or articles. Sentry designs waterproof and water-resistant safes designed to protect files, CDs/DVDs, electronic data, and more. Honeywell has designed multiple waterproof safes: file protectors, large safes with combination lock/key, media safes, and security boxes. 

Fire Resistant/Waterproof Safe

Make sure your important documents, heirlooms, or other invaluable possessions are protected from fire and water damage by storing them in a fire resistant waterproof home safe. Sentry®Safe designs fire resistant/waterproof safes to provide 30 minutes-1 hour of fire protection at degrees up to 1550ºF, as well water invasion of up to 6 inches. You can choose small safes, CD/DVD file safes, data storage chests, and more to protect anything you need to..  

Firearm Safes

If you own a gun or firearm, you need to store it in a safe to guard against burglary and to protect your family. Over 35% of the homes in the United States own at least one gun and there are over 1.7 million children living in these homes (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms). Gun safes are a necessity: They provide safe storage and fire protection for one gun or a collection. Stack On designs a variety of gun safes to meet the needs of any firearm owner or collector.

Pistol Safe Box

Anyone that has a gun in their home, whether it is hidden or kept in an unsecured location, needs to lock their weapon in a pistol safe box. This type of safe will allow you to quickly access your firearm while preventing access from children or thieves. Most gun vaults will hold 3-4 handguns safely but make sure the model you order suits your needs as some safes will only store 1 pistol. There are design variations of the pistol safe: security box with pistol safe to house a pistol plus other valuables like the Stack-On PB-201 Security Plus Steel Pistol Box, and single pistol safe boxes. 

Gun Safe

Gun safes are designed to blend in with your home décor and provide exceptional security with advanced options at an affordable cost. They are built with steel construction, pry-resistant door, combination or an electric lock, and a steel 3-point locking system with a combination lock.

No matter where you live or what valuable items you own, a quality home safe is a smart investment. Don’t wait until it is too late, keep your possessions secure from burglary, fire, and water damage and buy a home safe today!

Deposit Safes: The Quick and Secure Way to Protect Your Money

Every business that deals with cash worries about theft and how to avoid it. A drop box or deposit safe can minimize the risk of robbery and loss. They are designed to help motels and hotels, gas stations, retail stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and other cash-based businesses, safely store and secure their money.

Drop safes use front or top loading drop systems. Deposits are made through a bin which places the cash in the interior of the safe as it closes. An anti-fish baffle mechanism prevents anyone from pulling a deposit out of the safe. Multiple people can deposit cash quickly and easily throughout the day without the use of a key or combination. Most drop box safes also have a time delay to discourage robberies, and flush doors and heavy jambs to prevent thieves from using a sledgehammer or a crowbar to open them. There are additional safety features that can also be included, such as pre-drilled anchoring holes, steel plated doors, steel locking bolts, and anti-drill lock plates.

Buying Tips:
A good drop safe should have at least a U.L Group 2 lock. This is an Underwriters Laboratories Group II label and ensures that the lock has been tested and can withstand at least 5 minutes of a trained professional trying to break in with crowbars, chisels, and other equipment. This also means that only a locksmith is able to change the combination.

You should also make sure that any depository safe you use has a minimum steel door thickness of 1/2″ and a minimum steel body thickness of ¼”. Some manufacturers try to cut their production costs by using sheet model or other types that are listed as “composite” but these are not as strong as steel and not as resistant to robberies.

If you are using a drop box safe for your restaurant make sure it is bolted down with epoxy anchor bolts, this will ensure that the safe bolts are not compromised by water. Also, if you plan to install a drop safe in your vehicle, buy a safe that includes a mounting kit.

There are three main styles of depository safes to choose from, a compact model, single-door model, and a double-door model.

Compact Deposit Safe:
This type of drop box safe is ideal for retail stores or other businesses that need to store cash temporarily. Because of its smaller size, it can be easily stored away from view under a counter. The Protex TC-03C is a depository safe that offers maximum security in  a compact size.

Single Door Deposit Safe:
Drop safes with electronic locks offer up to 1,000,000 possible combinations and include a continuous locking lug on the hinge side for greater protection. The Protex TC-O1E Heavy Duty Drop Safe is an example of this type of safe. It also has a spring-loaded relocker to make sure your safe stays locked during a robbery. A relocker is a hardened pin that is triggered during an attack and cannot be retracted without hours of drilling.

Double Door (Dual Compartment) Deposit Safe:
This type of drop safe is best for long-term storage of cash for any business. Its dual compartments allow for two security levels. Access can be granted to employees to coinage in the bottom compartment while cash in the top compartment remains secure. The Protex FDD-3214 Dual Compartment Depository Safe offers 3 live locking bolts in each door, as well as a spring-loaded relocker, wrong-try penalty lockout, and an internal dead-bar.

A robbery can happen at any time to any business and the best prevention is to be prepared. A drop safe can be a simple, yet effective way to keep your money safe.

Coin Sorters Explained

If you have ever manually counted and sorted a pile of coins, you know it can be a tiring and tedious chore. It is also a significant waste of valuable time since it is a job that can easily be automated using a coin sorter. If you own or operate a business that frequently takes in large numbers of coins as payment, you can easily be overwhelmed if you try to count them manually. But laundry mats and car washes are not the only places that will benefit from an automatic coin counter and sorter. Any company that spends man hours counting coins can easily make the purchase of a coin sorter pay for itself in a very short time. Once your business reaches a certain size it will become virtually impossible to keep up with all the counting by hand. The only scalable solution to this problem is to invest in a coin sorter for your company.

What Is It?
A coin sorter is a simple machine used for sorting coins into individual denominations and then depositing them into slots so they can be rolled. These machines come in several varieties ranging from manually operated versions, to battery operated ones, and all the way up to high end, high volume digital sorters. By making use of the size, weight and shape of each coin, these machines are able to quickly sort and, in some cases, count your change. It takes just few minutes to complete this task, so you save lots of time.

Basically a coin sorter consists of a vertical load hopper that empties and sorts into slots below. There is usually a rotating disc beneath the coins that moves them along in a certain direction. The coins are loaded in a batch and then sorted into a single layer and single file line. Mechanisms in the sorting area are able to distinguish between coins of different denominations, so only certain coins are selected to exit at certain times. The coins can then be further sorted . They are pushed along and then deposited by denomination, based mainly upon size. Each time of coin will be neatly stacked by type. If you have a sorter and counter, it will display the total amount counted.

Choosing a Coin Sorter
When choosing a coin sorter, you need to consider two basic aspects. The main thing to consider is the speed of the machine. Most people will want to count change as fast as possible, but there are varying speeds depending upon model and price range. Coin sorter speeds are measured in coins per minute, so you will want to choose one that will count fast enough for your needs. Size of the coin sorter would be the other thing to consider. Usually with increased size, you will get increased speed, but smaller companies will not want to consider incredibly large machines just to save a few minutes. Most small to medium sized businesses will be fine with a machine that handles 1000-3000 coins per minute. If you have a large company, or deal with a lot of coins you might want to consider a larger machine. The bigger models will have larger hoppers and greater storage capacities. This means you can handle a larger volume with little hassle, but a large sized coin sorter can be inconvenient because it needs more room and is difficult to move around. Be sure to completely weigh your options verses your needs before purchasing your new coin sorter.

Electronic Coin Sorters:
The electronic coin sorter is designed to make the task of rolling coins faster. It is a step up from manual models, but does not have the ability to count your coins, just sort them by type. Simply press a button and drop in your change. That’s all it takes to use one of these useful machines. Electronic coin sorters are able to sort your coins rapidly and then deposit them into pre-formed coin wrappers that fit perfectly into coin holder slots. Some electronic coin sorters may be battery operated.

Digital Coin Sorters:
The digital coin sorter is the best type of coin sorter. For this reason, there are many different models available in today. Some are heavy-duty coin sorters, which handle large amount of coins per minute. Some are battery operated and small coin sorters, which handle just 20 coins at a time. The real benefit of these machines is that they will batch count your coins as it sorts them. Just a press of a button will give you a grand total on the digital display. You can also see totals by coin type. Most of the digital sorters can accept newer coins. This will save you from having to manually sort your coins and separate the old coins from the new coins.

Shop for Coin Sorters