[VillagesFlorida]

Some years back my husband's elderly aunt and uncle stopped for the night at a Hampton Inn in Fayetteville, NC. Upon their return from dinner in a nearby restaurant, they discovered that they had been robbed. Their suitcases were gone. They lost clothes and all of their personal items, including her costume jewelry. This motel had exterior doors to the rooms. They felt that two men, who they saw hanging out beside the pool, probably watched them leave and then burglarized their room. Apparently, the thieves didn't like what they found in one of the aunt's suitcases. Weeks later it was found by the side of a North Carolina road, its contents of corsets, bras, and girdles intact! What I learned from this was two things: Never put your belongings in the room and then leave to go out. Eat first. Also, stay where there are interior doors to the rooms. The less anyone knows about your comings and goings, the better. I am not sure there are any "safe" motels out there. All we can do is be vigilant and be aware of our surroundings.