It is my understanding that they have to be able to open and check it. I have found notes inside that they did open it to inspect.

Read the disclaimer on the back of the room door. They're not responsible for anything, valuables or not.

Although valuables are placed in carry-on luggage, I think a locked piece of luggage to store valuables in a hotel would be prudent.

It wasn't much, and I think well below a minimum stated value for liability, but still. It was a quick snatch, right off the racks while I was at dinner.

And I think the disclaimer was 'not responsible for valuables unless stored in the hotel safe'. So what good locked luggage is in a hotel room I don't know. If you want to know where to look for valuables, find the locked luggage. Thieves know where to search, even at home. Under the bed.

so it didn’t seem to make sense.

Private vendors in the airport would charge $5 per bag for the service, it's probably gone up. They've had so many thefts from passengers' checked luggage by baggage handlers people call them "ramp rats."

No wonder they want to enclose everything in plastic wrap.

I've flown a lot, globally and domestically. And only once was anything ever stolen. In Miami.

These locks are such that the TSA can open them if needed. As a matter of fact, it saved me once. I had just landed back from a long trip and realized my car keys were in my suitcase. I could not find the key to the TSA lock. I asked a gate agent and they got a TSA officer to come and open it for me with a special TSA lock pass key.

If you’re checking into a hotel before your room is ready, you may have to check your luggage with the front desk for a while. I also once saw baggage handlers at the airport curb checkin open a bag and rifle through the contents. I haven’t checked a bag outside since then. I also like to have a lock on my luggage in a hotel room since I’ve had items stolen from the room. I use the room safe if there is one, but even those are not foolproof. I usually avoid traveling with anything of real value except for an iPad that is too heavy to lug around when sightseeing so it goes in the safe.

I can instantly tell if the bag has been opened.

I just left it there, but never hooked it through both zipper pulls in an attempt to lock the case. It was serving more as suitcase jewelry. But one time after I flew I got to the hotel and noticed the lock was gone and there was a note inside my suitcase explaining that they had every right to cut the lock and examine the suitcase, etc., etc. Somebody just saw that dangling lock and cut it without even noticing it was only attached to one zipper pull.

I did not realize there were TSA locks available (don't travel by air very much), so I'll have to look into that.

hotels.

They're inexpensive and really worth the increased peace of mind. It's much harder for the casual theft to happen. These are the ones I have. If you look at the one lying on its side you can see the place where TSA security key can open the lock, if needed.

for my upcoming trip. Lots of good advice here. Thanks.