Safety and Security Products for Airbnb and Hotel Stays

Call me paranoid, but incidents of nonworking monitors, hidden cameras, and the like aren’t unheard of. As recently as 2024, a family in Florida told a harrowing story of having to use the balcony to exit an Airbnb after alarms didn’t go off during a fire.

CNN published an investigation into a short-term rental company’s lack of appropriate response when vacationers complained of having found hidden cameras in homes they rented.

And while I am not comparing my life to the Kardashians, in 2016, Kim Kardashian was the victim of a hotel break-in while in Paris. 

Regardless of who you are and where you vacation, you want to feel secure while you are away from home. Our tests of portable locks, doorstops, hidden camera detectors, UV flashlights, and door alarms turned up a few clear winners—and a few that were a waste of money. (No one wants to be alerted to an intruder after they’ve entered the room.)