How safe are hotel room safes, for keeping passports and money and other valuables?

I will be carrying a fair bit of money when I travel for the Christmas holidays. I am not keen on lugging around all the cash with me wherever I go, so I wanted to know if hotel safes are reliable, and also what about the hotel maids and staff etc... can they break into them?

Thanks.

(genuine answers pls).

Most hotels have security boxes for free at the front desk they are equal to those that banks have for your important papers and other items.

I would never leave cash or important papers in the room safe you never know who used it before and if it really works.

I would convert most of my cash to either American Express travelers checks or THomas cook depends where you will be traveling. In Europe and the middle east Thomas Cook.

In SE ASIA American Express.

The USA doesn't matter. If you get robbed or lose your cash in travelers checks you can get a refund make sure you keep the receipts separate from your wallet for the checks.

They have safe deposit boxes usually located behind the front desk area. The boxes require 2 keys. You keep one and the hotel has a generic one for all the boxes. The box can not be opened with out both keys. Do not loose the key they give you because 1) you will have to pay to get the lock re-keyed, 2) if you are in a rush and need what is in there, you will have to wait for the bx to be drilled out.