How to stay safe in a hotel room: tips from an experienced traveler
When traveling, safety is key. It's important to protect yourself when you're on the road in a variety of places, from checking in at the hotel to what surrounds you when you head to your room. A big part of travel safety is figuring out how to stay safe in your hotel room.
Brittany Anas, a travel writer who has spent the last decade completing assignments around the world, shared her tips with Simple Most.
Bring your own carbon monoxide detector
Deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in hotels and vacation rentals in the Bahamas and Mexico City in recent years have prompted tourists to start carrying a portable carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas, and while I have installed detectors at home, there are no universal standards for hotels, which means there is no guarantee that the hotel you stay at will have these potentially life-saving detectors.
Do not write your room number on the key card
Most hotels write your room number on the key card they hand you. But if you drop the key packet with the room key card, someone with bad intentions will know which room the key card opens.
Install a door lock with an alarm
In addition to locking the door with a deadbolt and locking the chain lock, an additional security measure that prevents someone from entering your room while you are in it involves lowering the doorstop.
Check before you open the door
There are many legitimate reasons why hotel staff will knock on your door, from cleaning to bringing extra towels you asked for. But it's a good habit not to open the door unless you're expecting someone. And if a stranger knocks on your door, call the front desk.
Add an extra lock to the door
Another way to protect your door from unwanted guests is to bring a travel lock with you. Buy one that is easy to install and requires no tools.
Check for double-sided glass
While scrolling through TikTok, you might have come across videos of creators checking the bathroom mirrors in their hotels or vacation rentals to make sure there is no double-sided glass that would allow someone to spy on them.
Book rooms on the safest floors
Staying in a high-rise hotel? You might get the best views from a penthouse, but security experts recommend requesting a room between the third and sixth floors. That way, you're not too close to ground level, where there's a higher chance of a break-in, but you're also not located too high up. That way, if you need to evacuate, you can do so quickly during an emergency.
Inspect your room for bed bugs
While it's not so much about staying safe in a hotel room as it is a health measure, checking for bed bugs is one of the top things you should do when you check into a hotel. Not only can they leave irritating bites on your skin, but you can bring them home with you, and they are expensive to deal with.
Check the lock on your safe
Many hotels have in-room safes, and you can usually find out if your room will have one by checking the hotel's website. You will see a list of room amenities and if there is a safe, it should be listed.
Bring your own portable safe
If your hotel or Airbnb doesn't have a safe, a portable one can come in handy. Alternatively, a portable safe can be left in your room, which makes sense if you don't want to leave your credit card in your beach bag while you jump in the pool.
Earlier, TravelWise toldyou that experienced traveler Chloe Pantazzi shared what helps her enjoy returning home after a vacation.
