You’re crouched in the dark. The air in the Pittsburgh hotel lobby feels heavy, damp, and smells like twenty years of decay. Joel’s breathing is heavy in your ears, and somewhere nearby, a Clicker is making that rhythmic, terrifying sound that lets you know you're about ten seconds away from a game-over screen. But you aren't leaving. You know there’s a hotel safe in The Last of Us somewhere in this mess, and honestly, the loot inside is basically the difference between having a shiv when you need one or dying in a corner.
Most players walk right past it. They see the flooded floor, the debris, and the looming threat of the hunters upstairs and they just bolt. Big mistake.
The Pittsburgh hotel lobby is one of the first major "resource checks" Naughty Dog throws at you. If you’ve been playing on Grounded or Survivor difficulty, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Every single supplement, every scrap of binding, and every bullet counts. If you miss this safe, you're essentially playing with one hand tied behind your back for the next hour of gameplay.
Where is that Hotel Safe in The Last of Us anyway?
Look, finding the safe is easy; finding the combination is what trips people up. When you first enter the Grand Hotel, the place is a disaster. It's flooded. You’ll see the check-in desk on your right. If you hop over that counter, you'll find the safe tucked away in a small side office. It’s sitting there, mocking you, locked tight.
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Don't just stand there staring at it.
To get the code, you have to find a ladder. In the main lobby area, there’s a ladder leaning against a wall or lying on the floor (depending on if you've moved it). You need to pick it up and place it against the balcony on the opposite side of the room from the check-in desk. Climb up. Once you’re on that upper level, don't head toward the elevators just yet. Instead, shimmy along the narrow, broken floorboards to the right.
The Note You Can't Afford to Miss
In a suitcase on this upper level, you’ll find a Note to Staff. This isn't just flavor text about how bad the service was before the world ended. It’s the key. The note explicitly mentions the code for the safe downstairs.
The combination is 22-10-56.
Write it down. Or just memorize it for the five seconds it takes to jump back down into the water. Once you're back at the safe, interact with it, dial in those numbers, and reap the rewards. In most playthroughs, you're looking at some serious supplements—the stuff you use to upgrade Joel’s skills like craft speed or health—plus some explosive materials and maybe some ammo. It’s a goldmine in a world where everyone is trying to kill you for a can of peaches.
Why Missing This Safe Ruins Your Momentum
The Last of Us isn't just an action game. It’s a resource management simulator disguised as a prestige drama. If you’re playing on the "Part I" remake or the original Remastered version, the math stays mostly the same. The supplements found in the hotel safe in The Last of Us are often the final push you need to unlock a crucial upgrade before the basement sequence.
Ah, the basement.
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Anyone who has played this game knows that the hotel basement is pure nightmare fuel. You’ve got the generator. You’ve got the Stalkers. You’ve got the Bloater that spawns as soon as you try to find the exit. If you didn't loot that safe in the lobby, you might find yourself entering that basement with zero Molotovs and two bullets. That is a recipe for a very frustrating Saturday night.
Does the Code Ever Change?
Nope.
Whether you’re playing the 2013 original on PS3, the PS4 Remaster, or the shiny 2022 PS5/PC remake, the code remains 22-10-56. Naughty Dog is consistent like that. They didn't feel the need to randomize it for the remake, probably because the puzzle is more about environmental navigation than actual cryptography. It's a test of whether or not you're actually paying attention to the world around you.
The Strategy for the Hotel Lobby
The lobby isn't empty. While you're hunting for that note, you'll likely encounter a few hunters. My advice? Take them out quietly. Bow and arrow or stealth takedowns are your best friends here. If you start a firefight, you’re just wasting the very ammo you’re trying to find in the safe. It’s a zero-sum game.
- Step 1: Clear the ground floor of any immediate threats.
- Step 2: Locate the safe behind the check-in desk so you know where to return.
- Step 3: Grab the ladder and head up to the balcony.
- Step 4: Navigate the broken floor to find the suitcase with the Note to Staff.
- Step 5: Drop back down, open the safe, and upgrade Joel immediately.
Honestly, the supplements are the real prize. If you can get your weapon sway reduced or your healing speed increased before the next big set piece, the game feels significantly more manageable.
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The "Realism" of Safe Cracking in the Apocalypse
There’s a bit of a debate among fans about why these safes are even still locked. You’d think after twenty years, someone would have just hit them with a sledgehammer. But these are heavy-duty commercial safes. Without the code, you aren't getting in. It adds a layer of "pre-outbreak" history to the game. It reminds you that this hotel was once a place where people stayed for business trips or vacations, worrying about their jewelry being stolen, never imagining that one day, the most valuable thing in that safe would be a handful of vitamin pills and some gunpowder.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Run
If you're currently standing in that lobby or planning your next Permadeath run, keep these specifics in mind to ensure you don't get caught off guard:
- Check your supplements total before opening: If you’re just a few points shy of an upgrade, opening the safe will usually push you over the edge. Use them at the next workbench or in your character menu immediately.
- Save your shivs: Sometimes safes in this game require a shiv to open if they’re "locked containers," but the hotel safe is a combination lock. Don't waste your precious blade durability on it.
- The Stalker Trigger: Opening the safe doesn't trigger enemies, but moving too far into the hotel toward the elevators will. Get your loot first. Always get the loot first.
- Listen for the "Click": In the Remake, the haptic feedback on the DualSense controller actually gives you a slight vibration when you hit the right number. It's a cool touch, even if you already know the code is 22-10-56.
Go get that gear. The basement is waiting, and you're going to need every single item that safe is holding.