TheRustyScupper
10-04-2010, 08:08 AM
Orlando Sentinel, 10/04/2010
Milsa and Juan Palacios had been saving for a trip to Orlando, where they planned to take their 10- and 13-year-old daughters to Islands of Adventure and relax for a couple of days.
The Naples couple's plans were shattered, however, when their motel room was burglarized shortly after they checked in and went to dinner. Everything of value — including electronics, cash, a designer purse and sunglasses, theme-park tickets, a passport, checks and Social Security cards — was gone when they returned.
"We thought it was going to be a vacation," Milsa Palacios, 37, said. "It turned into a nightmare."
The Palacios filed a police report and demanded reimbursement from the motel for the $5,200 loss, but it was denied. A Florida law protects operators of public lodgings from most liability. Even when a hotel is negligent, a guest cannot recover more than $500 in most cases and $1,000 for jewelry or cash left with the hotel for safekeeping.
"It's obviously a statute that is meant to protect the hotel industry," Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame said. "The clear intent was to limit the rights of the guest and protect the owner."
So, what's a tourist to do?
Your simplest line of defense: Leave your valuables at home. Beyond that, don't flash money, electronics or anything else a thief might covet, said Orange County sheriff's Cpl. Marcus Camacho, who combats crime against tourists. Make sure you lock your hotel room and car doors.
"Tourists are more likely to take risks on vacation," Camacho said. "They're a little more relaxed and take fewer safety precautions."
If you must bring jewelry, large sums of cash or a passport, store them in a hotel safe, Camacho advises. Avoid leaving anything in plain view.
In Orlando, where tourism is the engine that drives the economy, hoteliers are well aware of the need to protect their guests as much as possible, said Rich Maladecki, president of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association.
Most hotels have full-time security staff and work with law enforcement to root out problems, he said. Look for hotels with good lighting in hallways, at entrances and in parking lots, experts caution.
"We understand the importance of the repeat visitor," Maladecki said. "We're very conscious of the social-media networking. Who needs [to read online] 'Don't come to Orlando?'"
Visitors can further help keep themselves safe by avoiding excessive drinking, staying away from isolated areas, particularly at night, and generally avoiding looking like a stereotypical tourist: backpack or fanny pack, sunscreen across the nose, camera, map. They also should leave anything they don't need immediately and don't want to lose — or have stolen — at their hotel or lock it in the trunk when nobody is looking.
"You have to be aware of your surroundings," Camacho said.
If the worst does happen, notify the hotel, law enforcement and your insurance company. Many homeowners' and renters' policies cover the theft of possessions away from home, said Gary Landry, vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, an industry group.
Check your coverage before you go, and buy a rider to protect jewelry and other expensive items, Landry counsels.
"Everything, of course, is subject to questions of fraud because fraud is a big issue in Florida," he said.
Palacios said she has submitted her claim to her insurance company, but she has a $1,000 deductible. She is enraged and saddened that her family ended up driving home the day after the theft instead of going to the theme park. Now they are out a lot of money, too.
"I've learned not to stay at hotels with exterior access," Palacios said. "To never leave my stuff — anything — in the room. Don't carry personal information with me.
"It was a really costly lesson."
Milsa and Juan Palacios had been saving for a trip to Orlando, where they planned to take their 10- and 13-year-old daughters to Islands of Adventure and relax for a couple of days.
The Naples couple's plans were shattered, however, when their motel room was burglarized shortly after they checked in and went to dinner. Everything of value — including electronics, cash, a designer purse and sunglasses, theme-park tickets, a passport, checks and Social Security cards — was gone when they returned.
"We thought it was going to be a vacation," Milsa Palacios, 37, said. "It turned into a nightmare."
The Palacios filed a police report and demanded reimbursement from the motel for the $5,200 loss, but it was denied. A Florida law protects operators of public lodgings from most liability. Even when a hotel is negligent, a guest cannot recover more than $500 in most cases and $1,000 for jewelry or cash left with the hotel for safekeeping.
"It's obviously a statute that is meant to protect the hotel industry," Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame said. "The clear intent was to limit the rights of the guest and protect the owner."
So, what's a tourist to do?
Your simplest line of defense: Leave your valuables at home. Beyond that, don't flash money, electronics or anything else a thief might covet, said Orange County sheriff's Cpl. Marcus Camacho, who combats crime against tourists. Make sure you lock your hotel room and car doors.
"Tourists are more likely to take risks on vacation," Camacho said. "They're a little more relaxed and take fewer safety precautions."
If you must bring jewelry, large sums of cash or a passport, store them in a hotel safe, Camacho advises. Avoid leaving anything in plain view.
In Orlando, where tourism is the engine that drives the economy, hoteliers are well aware of the need to protect their guests as much as possible, said Rich Maladecki, president of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association.
Most hotels have full-time security staff and work with law enforcement to root out problems, he said. Look for hotels with good lighting in hallways, at entrances and in parking lots, experts caution.
"We understand the importance of the repeat visitor," Maladecki said. "We're very conscious of the social-media networking. Who needs [to read online] 'Don't come to Orlando?'"
Visitors can further help keep themselves safe by avoiding excessive drinking, staying away from isolated areas, particularly at night, and generally avoiding looking like a stereotypical tourist: backpack or fanny pack, sunscreen across the nose, camera, map. They also should leave anything they don't need immediately and don't want to lose — or have stolen — at their hotel or lock it in the trunk when nobody is looking.
"You have to be aware of your surroundings," Camacho said.
If the worst does happen, notify the hotel, law enforcement and your insurance company. Many homeowners' and renters' policies cover the theft of possessions away from home, said Gary Landry, vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, an industry group.
Check your coverage before you go, and buy a rider to protect jewelry and other expensive items, Landry counsels.
"Everything, of course, is subject to questions of fraud because fraud is a big issue in Florida," he said.
Palacios said she has submitted her claim to her insurance company, but she has a $1,000 deductible. She is enraged and saddened that her family ended up driving home the day after the theft instead of going to the theme park. Now they are out a lot of money, too.
"I've learned not to stay at hotels with exterior access," Palacios said. "To never leave my stuff — anything — in the room. Don't carry personal information with me.
"It was a really costly lesson."