I don't know about you, but I definitely enjoy exploring new places. That's what traveling affords you to do. But as much as I like it, it's also crucial to be safe, especially when you travel alone.
Therefore I was happy to stumble upon this two-part TikTok series where a flight attendant shares her hotel traveling safety tips with her audience. I think we can all learn something from it, so let's check it out.
When you first get into your hotel room, make sure you walk around and check all the areas. For example, look in the closets, bathroom, and any other areas that somebody could hide. You definitely wouldn't want to find an intruder later at night, huh?
I know this seems elementary, but you wouldn't believe how many people forget to lock their hotel rooms once they're inside. I think some assume that the door locks automatically, but that might not always be the case, so make sure you double-check that.
Some hotel rooms are adjacent to one another, which means somebody could walk into your room without your knowledge. So look around to see if that might be the case, and lock the door from the inside of your room to be extra safe.
Here's a further step you can take to make sure nobody enters your room. Put a piece of furniture against the adjacent door to prevent somebody from messing with the security lock. Wow, I didn't even know about that trick.
When not in your room it's a good idea to put the TV on. That way, if somebody were looking to break in, they would skip your room because they would assume somebody was inside. That's a good tip, huh?
Even though you have the TV on with the volume up, somebody could still spy on you through the peephole. If they don't see any movement for a while, it could be a sign that nobody is inside. So cover that peephole and feel safe again.
Imagine if you had an emergency and the hotel room phone wasn't working? Now, you'd be in big trouble. This is definitely one of the first things I do when I check into my room. I go over to see that everything is in working order.
This flight attendant also recommends that you put the 'Privacy' sign on your door so nobody will bother you when you don't want them to. I do this as well, especially when I don't want my room to be made.
When you're checking in, make sure the staff doesn't tell you your room number out loud. Why? You never know who might be lurking around and listening. If they already did that, ask them politely to switch you to another room and not tell you verbally the room number. They can easily just write it done and hand it to you.
Here's another trick I didn't know that helps you keep people away from entering your room. You can stick a washcloth in your security lock just like that. Okay, I've never actually done that before, but I'm going to do so from now on.
This might seem like an annoying step, but you should familiarize yourself with all the fire and emergency exits. After all, this is an unfamiliar place you're staying, so it only makes sense, no? I think so.
You can even download an app called "Presence" that lets you know what is going on in your room when you're not there. You can get it on your phone or an iPad. Wow! I didn't even know that existed.
They're good, huh? Well, after this video was posted other people chimed in with their suggestions. So I'm going to list those as well. After all, the more knowledge you have the better. Am I right?
"Another tip. I take a hanger from the closet and put it on the door swing lock. You can’t open it when a hanger is on it."
Have you heard of this? Can you verify that it actually works? I have to say I'm intrigued.
"My spouse travels frequently. I gave her a rubber doorstop. It’s easy to pack in your bag."
Oh my goodness! Why haven't I thought of that? Isn't that such a great idea? This will definitely make me feel a lot more secure. I'm off to the dollar store to find one, haha.
"I bring a door stop - game changer! I have one that takes batteries and you can set it to alarm if it’s activated."
Say what? They have ones with an alarm? I had no idea. This is totally brilliant. Just make sure your travel companion doesn't activate it at night. That would scare the bejesus out of me, haha.
I wrote about this in another article specifically for Airbnbs, but I'm sure you can do this at a regular hotel too. Look for signs of a hidden camera by shining your phone light. For example, check the clock radio or any outlets. It can save you from worrying about it later.
It's very important to check that there aren't any open window locks, especially if you're staying on a lower floor. But even high rises sometimes have walkable ledges, so it doesn't hurt to check that as well.
But doing this won't take you more than five minutes and will give you more peace of mind. I don't know about you, but I want to enjoy my trip without worrying about security the whole time. So do this right at the beginning, and you'll be good to go.
