Staying in a hotel can be lots of fun for children and adults alike. It’s nice to be catered to, to sleep in a big bed and to be in a different place for a few days. But just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your common sense should take a holiday, too.

Here are some quick hotel safety tips for you and your family to use, no matter where you travel.

1. Most hotels have card keys now instead of keys with the numbers printed on them. This is actually a good safety feature, because as long as you can remember your room number, you can carry the card around without the little paper folder that has your room number written on it. That way, if you should happen to lose your card, anyone who picks it up won’t know which room it belongs to.

2. If you do lose a key, even if it didn’t have any identifying marks on it, report it immediately and change to another room if you have a regular key or have the lock reprogrammed if you have an electronic key.

3. Make sure that any exterior doors and doors between rooms lock securely. It’s fine to leave a door open between rooms if your kids are staying in the second room, but you should always close and lock that door when you leave. Of course you should also check that your main door locks properly and that any windows that can be opened close and lock.

4. Open bathroom and closet doors to make sure no one is hiding in your room. I know, it sounds paranoid, but better safe than sorry, right?

5. Remind your children not to talk to strangers: don’t answer the door for anyone, don’t let a stranger in the room and don’t tell anyone who calls that there are no adults around if that is ever the case.

6. Keep an eye on your kids at all times. If you have a mix of older kids and younger kids, rely on the buddy system to help you out. This is the only way my husband and I can keep track of four kids at once!

7. Know where the fire exits are and how to get to them from your room. Remember that you’ll need to use the stairs instead of the elevator in an emergency, so locate them in advance.

8. Know how to get an outside line and what’s necessary to dial 911 on your room phone in case of emergency.

9. Keep an eye on your luggage when you are checking in. Things can get crazy with lots of kids running around, excited about being in a hotel. You don’t want to lose anything or forget something because you were distracted.

10. I’ve read that it’s ideal to choose a room on the fourth, fifth or sixth floor of a hotel, if you get a choice. You don’t want to be on the bottom floor because of noise (and if windows open it is very easy to break into these rooms) and most fire departments do not have ladders taller than six stories, should you require a rescue.

11. If your kids have brought money to spend on souvenirs or food, make sure they aren’t carrying all their cash with them all the time. If the room has a safe, lock the money up. Or, better yet, get your kids traveler’s checks or prepaid Visa gift cards, which can be used like cash just about anywhere. Always lock up other valuables as well, or just leave them at home.

12. Use that deadbolt! The biggest hotel safety tip I can give you is that you should always use the deadbolt lock. You’ll feel more secure knowing that no one can get in or out of your room.

Don’t let thinking about hotel safety tips and potential dangers keep you from enjoying your vacation. The truth is the vast majority of people never have a problem in a hotel or anywhere else, traveling with kids or not. Just pay attention to your surroundings, lock up things you don’t want to get stolen (including your kids!) and if you feel nervous about a situation, get out of there.