On a recent trip to Vegas we were sleeping at 7 am when the door suddenly opened. It scared the hell out of us. Fortunately it was just an elderly couple. Their key card worked because the front desk had wrongly recorded us as checked out. Are there ways to prevent such intrusions or worse? PPR, Long Branch NJ

A: We had a similar experience recently when we opened the door to our just checked-in hotel room one morning to find a shocked couple still in bed. Embarrassing! You can’t prevent such intrusions or worse in busy hotels, but there are simple remedies.

When you’re in for the night, be sure to double lock the door and set the inside latch. For more security, carry a small, sturdy plastic wedge with you. DoorJammer costs about $25 and is effectively set in the door bottom space against unwanted attempts to enter.