The National Human Trafficking Hotline recorded 3,596 cases of human trafficking involving a hotel or motel from its creation in 2007 to the beginning of 2018. This statistic should sound scary to you because it is. With so many cases, each with numerous victims, there is a good chance you’ve seen or spoken to a human trafficker or a victim while working at a hotel or motel.
The Polaris Project interviewed survivors of human trafficking to better understand patterns and identify where they make contact with the public. According to the survey, 80% of trafficking-related commercial sex occurred at a hotel. 69% of victims stayed at a hotel or motel during travel. Another 20% reported that their trafficker housed them at a hotel.
One of the hardest aspects of identifying human trafficking at hotels is that anyone can be a victim. Age, gender, body mass, ethnicity, and national origin don’t play a role when trying to determine what a trafficking victim looks like.
From a behavioral standpoint, there are some patterns. But, there’s no guarantee that those patterns will present themselves while you work in real life. A trafficker might brainwash the victim into thinking some hotel staff work for the trafficker, explaining that the victim can’t run away.
Although manipulation and deception are commonly used to keep victims under control, traffickers also use brute force.
The point I’m trying to make is that there’s no easy answer when it comes to the signs of human trafficking in hotels.
Just because this blog post lists plausible scenarios, doesn’t mean you won’t encounter something completely different in the real world while on the job or as a guest somewhere.
Nevertheless, you need to have some basic understanding of human behavior and human psychology while working or staying at a hotel. If you’re vigilant and see suspicious activities, then these 65+ signs of human trafficking in hotels could help you save a life.
Table of Contents
Indicators for General Staff
Hotel and motel staff interact with guests several times throughout their visit in a variety of situations. Since staff needs access to different parts of the building and property, they have the greatest chance of noticing something suspicious.
But, it’s important to note that no one person on the hotel staff is solely responsible for identifying instances of human trafficking. That responsibility falls on everyone.
General staff may interact with guests directly or indirectly. Not to mention the fact that nearly 80% of human trafficking victims come in contact with the hotel sector.
In other words, hoteliers have had a conversation with a human trafficker and saw a victim of human trafficking while working. You just didn’t know it.
As I mentioned before, there isn’t a guaranteed cluster of signs indicating that someone’s currently exploited for human trafficking at the hotel. While there isn’t a guaranteed easy answer, recognizing basic signs as a general staff member is important.
As a general staff member, ask yourself these questions.
Does the guest…
Appear malnourished or deprived of water?
Appear to lack access to basic hygiene, medical care, or other necessities?
Act fearful, submissive, tense, nervous, or paranoid?
Act depressed, submissive, disassociated, or “checked out”?
Human traffickers drug their victims to control them when out in public or to make them agree more readily to their demands.
Have bruises? Are these in different stages of healing?
Bruises in different stages of healing indicate abuse over an extended period.
Have tattoos or scars that would indicate some sort of “branding”?
Traffickers in Europe often use barcode tattoos to mark their victims as their property.
Have scars, cut marks, burns, or other signs of self-harm or suicidal tendencies?
Along with physical trauma, victims also deal with a lot of emotional trauma. They may suffer from a combination of anxiety, panic disorder, major depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
Let someone else speak for them when asked a question?
Look at someone before answering a question?
This may signal that the victim needs their trafficker’s approval to answer the question so they don’t face retaliation later.
Seem to have coached answers on what to say?
Seem to have rehearsed responses?
Have a hard time giving logical answers to basic questions?
Appear to be traveling with very few, if any, personal items, such as luggage and bags?
Behave in a way where you think they experienced verbal threats or verbal abuse?
Appear to endure demeaning treatment?
Have a “boyfriend”, “girlfriend”, or romantic partner with them who’s noticeably older?
Appear to be traveling with a group of children traveling with an older male or female?
Dress inappropriately for their age?
Traffickers may want their victims to dress provocatively for their buyers.
Dress inappropriately for the season?
Has lower quality clothing compared to the rest of the people in the group?
Appear to have no control over their money and/or ID?
This is a method of control so the victim won’t easily run away while in the hotel.
Talk about traveling to other cities or towns frequently?
Talk about getting paid very little or not at all for what they do?
Appear to not have any freedom of movement?
A trafficker will want to monitor a victim’s movement so they cannot escape or seek help.
Indicators for Housekeeping, Maintenance, and Room Service Staff
Guest rooms can hold a lot of secrets.
In the case of human trafficking, the hotel room itself can house many key indicators. Housekeeping, maintenance, and room service staff often have the most access to guest rooms, thus providing them with the best chance of noticing these signs.
To identify possible human trafficking activities and victims while working, ask yourself the following questions.
Does the guest…
Use the “Do Not Disturb” sign constantly?
Request additional towels, new linens, and other room items multiple times a day?
Victims of human trafficking often wash themselves constantly as a coping mechanism.
Deny hotel/motel staff entry into the room despite requesting new linens?
This is often because they don’t want hotel staff to see questionable things or evidence of illegal activity.
Refuse cleaning services for multiple days?
Keep excessive amounts of cash in the room?
Have multiple computers, cell phones, credit card readers, or other technology in the room?
Reserve multiple rooms? Does it seem like there are more beds than people for those guests?
Leave the room infrequently? At odd hours, or not at all?
Traffickers often bring their victims to hotels to exploit them, not to take them sightseeing. The victim isn’t allowed to leave the room or can’t leave alone. Therefore, the room has an occupant most of the time.
Possess children’s items or clothing without having a child registered with the room?
Loiter in the hallways?
Appear to monitor the area?
Keep an excessive amount of alcohol in the room?
The alcohol could be for the buyer when they come to get what they paid for. It could also be for the victim because they comply more readily or are more agreeable when drunk.
Have illegal drugs in the room?
Leave evidence of pornography or sex paraphernalia?
This includes condoms, lubricants, lotions, and other items that suggest sexual activity is taking place.
Leave minors alone in the room for extended periods?
These minors could be the victims themselves or the children of the victim.
Have an excessive number of people staying in their room?
Have an excessive number of people coming and going from the room?
If people unregistered with the room come and go, then they are likely buyers purchasing the services of human trafficking victims.
Similarly, ask yourself if there is a steady flow of people into a room at all hours.
Loiter in the parking lot, lobby, or hallways and return to the room after a visitor leaves?
This is a big red flag. Traffickers don’t usually intrude while their “customer” is with the victim. They will hang around nearby and return to prepare the victim for the next customer after the current customer leaves.
Stay for an extended time with few personal belongings?
If there is a discrepancy between the number of days someone is staying at the hotel and the amount of clothing they have, then this should be a red flag.
Keep their room stocked with merchandise, luggage, mail packages, and purses/wallets that all have different names?
These different names may be aliases the trafficker uses for themselves or the victims.
Indicators for Concierge, Bellman, Front Desk, Security and Valet Staff
If you work as a concierge, bellman, front desk clerk, security, or valet, then you’re probably one of the first people to see guests when they enter the hotel. Since you can observe and interact with the guests as they settle in, you may see a slew of signs that a trafficking situation is happening.
When checking in or requesting hotel amenities, a guest may consciously or unconsciously exhibit behaviors indicative of human trafficking.
While working, ask yourself the following questions.
Does the guest…
Appear distressed or disoriented?
Have any visible injuries?
Not know the hotel name?
Not know where they are or why they are there?
A victim of human trafficking doesn’t have control over their movements from city to city. A trafficker won’t take the time to explain to the victim where they are and where they are going.
Reserve multiple rooms? Does it seem like they requested an excessive amount of beds?
Pay for the room with cash, gift cards, or pre-loaded credit cards?
Traffickers do this so that they don’t leave a trail police can find if the law catches wind of the illegal activity.
74% of traffickers paid for a hotel room in cash. 24% paid with the victim’s credit or debit card.
Use hotel computers for adult-oriented or sexually explicit websites?
Seem hesitant to give out personal information when registering?
This information could be their full name, home address, or vehicle information.
Appear to be a minor taking on adult roles?
Appear to be behaving older than their actual age?
For example, they could be paying bills or requesting services when they look 12 years old.
Rent pornography while children are staying in the same room?
Have repeated visitors over some time? Have visitors dropped off at the hotel?
These visitors are likely buyers.
Have no identification or use an ID that isn’t theirs?
Rent a room by the hour for less than a day? Rent a room for a long-term stay that’s not quite normal?
Request information/access to adult services/entertainment?
Enter or exit through the side or rear entrances instead of the lobby?
Some traffickers do this to avoid surveillance cameras and get the buyers in and out without detection.
Attempt to prop open exit doors?
Park their car in the parking lot so their license plate isn’t visible?
Indicators for Food & Beverage Staff
Like housekeeping staff, food and beverage staff have access to a guest’s room. This allows them to see the condition of the room, any suspicious items left in plain view, and the amount of alcohol ordered to the room.
Food and beverage staff also run the hotel bar and/or restaurant. The way people behave at the bar can signal experiences of prior abuse or trafficking.
When working, ask yourself these questions:
Does the guest…
Bring a minor to the bar or restaurant that wasn’t with them originally?
Claim to be an adult although their physique makes them look like a minor?
Loiter or solicit patrons or staff?
Wait at a table or bar until a patron picks them up?
The trafficker might have a meeting with a buyer before picking up the victim to engage in human trafficking-related exploitation.
Ask staff or other patrons for food or money?
Take cash or receipts left on tables?
Attempt to recruit other victims?
Flirty guests might just be friendly, but they could also have evil intentions. Take note of grooming behavior or someone trying to get another to go up to their room.
Conclusion
As you can see from all the signs above, different types of staff may see a variety of signs of human trafficking in hotels. Depending on your ability to interact with guests and the room they use, your entire staff need to be aware of different suspicious behaviors.
Every day while you work, you need to ask yourself the questions above. Although we want to believe in the good in people or ignore the atrocities of life, you can give someone their life back just by doing your job.
Now that you know what to question, you might be wondering what you should do about suspicious situations.
If the answer to many of the questions above is “yes”, don’t confront the trafficker or alert the suspected victim of your suspicions. Oftentimes victims aren’t aware of their rights as a victim.
Meanwhile, confronting the trafficker yourself puts you and the victim in danger.
Instead, follow your organization's protocol, call 911, or call local authorities if you believe human trafficking is taking place.
To report your suspicions, you can contact the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 or submit an HSI tip form online. For victim support, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
