The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: August fifteenth, advising you against leaving the family jewels on the hotel dresser.

Too often travelers are shocked when they discover how little responsibility hotels and motels assume for theft of their guests' valuables from their rooms. Depending on the state's innkeeper laws, the hotel's theft liability ranges from nothing to $1000, even if the valuables are locked in the hotel's own vault. The situation abroad is even more problematic.

An infamous heist at New York's posh Pierre Hotel over two decades ago illustrates the risk. Crafty thieves cracked the hotel's safe and looted dozens of deposit boxes. Guests claimed millions in losses, but the most any individual got from the hotel was $500.

In-room safes offer little in the way of liability protection, even though their actual safety record is relatively good. They're fine to store important papers, travel documents and ordinary valuables. But for expensive items, such as significant jewelry, use the hotel vault. You'll have to fill out and sign an inventory form, but that will still only protect you to the hotel's posted liability limit.

Hotels are not obliged to accept goods that exceed that limit. Trust them with your diamond ring, and you do so at your own risk. When it comes to storing large amounts of cash, precious jewelry or other items of really significant value, speak with the hotel's manager. He or she may be more comfortable directing you to the vault of a local bank, and you'll rest more comfortable following that advice.

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