Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Hotel safety tips: How to choose the best hotel room, best hotel location
While you're searching for your next hotel, keep these safety tips top of mind.
What makes a safe hotel:
Never compromise your safety for a dollar. A great deal on hotel room can certainly cushion you budget, but it's worthless if the hotel is in a bad neighborhood or isn't up to code on things like door locks and surveillance cameras. Once you find the right location, narrow down your hotel choices by taking into consideration the following:
- Is each room equipped with a dead bolt lock and a peephole?
- Does the hotel room have an electronic guest room lock? Key locks are cute and add a bit of charm, but electronic doors track the comings-and-goings of all who enter.
- Do the hotel rooms have a telephone enabled with emergency call button or the ability dial outside of the hotel?
- Do photos of the hotel show well-lit hallways, parking garages and lobby areas? (Side note: never book a hotel without viewing pictures first).
- Hotels with limited entry/exit options usually have less foot-traffic, which keeps stragglers off the premises.
- Does the hotel provide 24-hour concierge/security? Knowing someone is on duty at all times allows for peace of mind if you're feeling unsafe.
- Before booking a hotel room in an international destination, make sure it's in a safe area by checking with the US Embassy in that country.
When arriving at your hotel:
- Stay with your luggage at all times. If a bellman offers to take your bags, make sure to keep the bag with your laptop, wallet and jewelry in it, and get the Bellman's name.
- Once you check in, grab a few hotel cards or matchbooks with the hotel's address on it and place them in your bag. If you get lost, you have the address and phone number ready to give to a cab driver.
Selecting the safest hotel room:
After arriving in your room, check for the following:
When you leave your hotel room:
- While the higher floors have the best views, the lower floors have quicker access to the ground. In the event of an emergency, you want to get out fast. Keep in mind that some fire departments, including those in the United States, can only reach as high as floor 8 in an emergency.
- Whenever possible, do not take a hotel room on the ground floor if it has doors and windows that open to the outside. This is particularly important for motels with rooms off parking lots. If you can't get a room on a higher floor, forgo your view and choose a room facing the interior or courtyard.
- Guestrooms near the elevators are generally the safest, but can also be the noisiest. If you're staying alone, request that your room is in the middle of the hallway or near an elevator - while the alcoves and corner rooms are very intimate and offer great views, they are also somewhat hidden making it easier for thieves to access.
After arriving in your room, check for the following: - If the hotel room you're staying in has older door locks (metal keys instead of the electronic key cards) make sure to check the deadbolt and safety chain when you arrive in your room. If they seem jittery or loose, ask to change rooms.
- Check the closets and bathrooms for anything left from the last guests and ensure all windows and adjoining doors shut and lock properly.
- Check the phone to make sure an outside line is accessible.
- Locate the nearest fire exit and count how many doors along the way until you reach the exit. In the event of a fire and heavy smoke, counting the doors will ensure you get to safety if you can't see.
When you leave your hotel room:
- Leave the television on - it gives the impression someone is in the room. Ask the maid service to keep the TV on or turn on the radio during turn-down service.
- The 'please make up my room' sign is also code for 'I'm not here'. Don't worry about making your bed or needing clean towels - maid service keeps track of the rooms and what's been cleaned, so they'll get to you regardless of whether you have the sign on your door. If you don't need your room serviced, place the "Do not disturb" sign on your door when you leave. This gives the impression you're inside.
- If you have valuables and don't have an in-room safe, ask to use the security vault in the hotel. If you have an in-room safe, use it!
Gallery: Amusing Safety Signs
Gallery: Top ten historic hotels from around the world - compiled by Trivago
Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations, Women's Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jen Mar 29th 2010 5:01PM
Great safety tips! I usually only travel with the jewelry I am wearing. Cash and my i.d. is usually on me, not my purse. I always watch my bags, never looking away for an instant, when in the airport, or the hotel premises.
I like rooms that do have a view, and it is good to know about the height with the fire department only reaching to the 8th floor. I also like it quiet. I have been in hotel rooms where the doors slam loudly. This wasn't the guests fault, but the design of the doors. We were in Reno, and when we finally headed to our room after our night of fun, we could hear doors slamming. I also hate being next to the elevator, the maid's closets, and the ice machine, and losts of kids. I always ask for a corner room. This way you have less noise. Bring ear plugs to block out noise.
Simzee Apr 5th 2010 6:08AM
Rooms by stairs and elevators make for EASY getaways for when stealing from hotel rooms. It's even better when lots of people are around. In other words do not believe everything you read hear. You'd be suprised how easy it is to rip off travelers.
joe Mar 29th 2010 9:47PM
never stay in older hotels with outside room access
use trip advisor.com and check the hotels out,some have really bad ratings,and bedbugs to boot
roomsaver.com has some great coupons for rooms
vrbo.com has some good deals on vacation rental by owner homes and condos
aroldfut Mar 29th 2010 10:29PM
If you avoid hotels that hire illegals you'll have a hard time finding a room anywhere these days. It has reached the point where I NOTICE if a hotel has maids that speak English.
patsy Mar 29th 2010 11:37PM
Do you know how annoying it is for those of us who have to stay in hotels to have the room next door keep the television blaring in the hope it will dissuade crooks. Please stop repeating that nonsense. Anyone who wants to get into your room can. Just, as with all things, be sensible and use the hotel's safe for your passport and valuables.
Franco Mar 30th 2010 12:23AM
Stay away from no-tell motels, they are full of congressmen and Hollywood types having trysts with their illicit lovers and be quite noisy. I was in a room next to Jesse James and the noises I heard from him and the other guy kept me up all nite...also The Rev. Jimmy Swaggert can be quite noisy, especially when he plugs in whatever electronic toys he is using!
hotelhaggler Mar 30th 2010 7:50PM
I particularly liked the tip about leaving the TV on and not having to post the Please Clean Up sign. Although I should say that the greatest risk are those who hotel staff who have access to the rooms. I think it is best to not give them any motivation to steal your valuables simply by keeping your these items out of their sight. Make use of the safety deposit box. And for really expensive items, the hotel itself has a deposit area usually by the business center where you can leave your things. I think this is extra service and comes with a fee.
samdog Apr 4th 2010 2:39PM
Here is a hotel tip for travelers to ireland. If you stay at "Juries" hotel in Dublin, DON'T get a room on the side of the hotel where Christ Church sits. The stupid bells ring LOUDLY every fifteen minutes all night long and you cannot sleep.
sunny Apr 4th 2010 2:51PM
All good advice BUT viewing pictures of the hotel is NOT always indicative of what you're going to get once you have arrived.
I booked what looked like a charming, clean hotel in the historic district of St. Augustine, Florida.
The pictures were lovely.
The place was a dump.
I was so glad I only had to stay one night.
Ole Guy Apr 5th 2010 8:05AM
Stay with the tried-and-proven chains: The Marriott and Hilton families, dollar for dollar, can't be beat. All hotel/motel photos are beautifully designed. Some of the dumpiest places can be made to look like they ooze luxury. Price is a pretty good determinant...a hotel, located in a prime location, and at a "reasonable" price will almost always be a dump. Hotel web sites usually have comments from guests; they can be rather brutal, so the chances of these comments being "doctored" by management seem slim-to-non-existent.
sunny Apr 5th 2010 9:05AM
This WAS a major chain,
The photos were beautiful.
The place was still a dump.
Don Johnson Apr 4th 2010 4:05PM
Leaving the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door when you are not there is one of the main reasons why the maids bang on my door when I have had a long late or overninght flight and am trying to sleep. They bang on it and wake me up umpteen times and then on the next flight the passengers get a pilot that is half asleep because selfish MORONS leave their signs on their doors and the maids have learned that they mean NOTHING and beat on the door anyway. Leaving the sign is stupid and selfish and is VERY poor advice. You should never leave anything worth stealing in your room anyway.
"Never EVER EVER go to Mexico" is good advice for people that are afraid to even get out of bed and tend to hide from life for their entire existence. I don't care where you travel, just use your head about what is dangerous and what isn't and you will be fine. Only idiots go certain places at certain times and this includes places in the good ole USA.
If you tend get lost and don't know where to tell your cab driver where you want to go without having post cards or matchbook covers from your hotel, you are either too stupid or too young (as in maybe under 10 years old??) to be travelling by yourself. Please take adult supervision or someone with you that has an IQ somewhat greater than their shoe size and you should be OK.
If your security chain is "jittery", maybe it is just nervous from too many cups of coffee. Who writes this crap, anyway?
Brew Apr 4th 2010 4:17PM
Another good thing to look for, is the hotel or motel equiped with a fire protection system.
Karin Apr 4th 2010 4:28PM
I'd say I'm amazed at the stupidity of comments pertaining to Mexico and illegal immigrants, but I am not amazed. These forums seems to filled with hate and stupidity.
That said, I have worked in the hotel/hospitality industry for many years. Trust me, the feds regularly check to make sure that major brand hotels have legal staff. Many times, our domestic staff does not speak fluent English, but that does not mean they're illegal. It means--duh--that they don't speak English, and because of that, it's very difficult for them to get any other kind of work.
Both my husband and I travel quite a bit for our jobs. We've NEVER had anything stolen from our room. We have had our vehicles broken into (a far greater risk, actually). Many people ignorantly think that their rooms are not safe, so they put their valuables in their car. Hotels rarely provide parking security; it's easier for them to just post a sign saying they are not responsible for loss in the parking lot.
Traveling in another country is always risky, whether it's Mexico, Canada, Europe, or Australia. The fact is, everywhere you go, you're quickly identified as a "Wealthy American." It's not true that everyone is out to steal from you---but you stand out like a sore thumb to the people who do want to steal from you. As Americans, we tend to be more trusting than many cultures. The best way to prevent this is to educate yourself about the culture and the area you're visiting. If possible, make contacts with others who have travelled to the area before; ask for references and any information other travelers can give you about good and trustworthy hotels/guides/etc. Keep emergency contact numbers with you at all times. Traveling abroad has become so popular, but few people prepare before they go, thinking that it'll all be just like the US when they get there.
Ole Guy Apr 5th 2010 8:07AM
Obviously, one's dress is often dictated by the nature of the business one has at hand. It is always a good idea, when practical, to "dress down". I've seen too many people at hotels dress as if to yell "TOURIST TOURIST TOURIST"! Those damn fanny packs, followed by the shorts-and-dark socks ensembles are a dead giveaway.
I travel out a few times a month; fortunately, the nature of my job allows for jeans and boots, so my team and I can look like local scum bags.
jerry l Apr 4th 2010 5:03PM
I for one am sick and tired of any help that does not speak English. We have this situation due to cheap American business milking us and the system for all it is worth....after all, their competition is doing it so we get screwed by all of them....I am sick of American business...if they go broke, so be it!
Steven Apr 4th 2010 6:39PM
I was staying in a hotel in Key West last summer, when a stranger just opened my door with a key and was about to enter. However he was startled just as I and quickly left. The Hotel management was very uncaring about this. I'll be going back to Key West this summer, guess where I won't be staying.
hew849 Apr 4th 2010 7:46PM
regarding the guest walking on you. it means somebody at the front desk did not mark the room as occupied and another front desk person rented the room again. i've worked in the industry for 22 years and have seen this happen many,many times.
dj Apr 4th 2010 7:59PM
Pull off all the bedding and check for bed bugs immediately. If you find them then get out as fast as you can to another hotel.
laramon Apr 4th 2010 8:12PM
if you stop walking around with your head up your ass,just maybe nothing will happen to you