Smart and Secure Hotel Stay: Tips for a Hassle-Free Vacation
Enhancing your hotel experience goes beyond just air travel; it extends to the accommodations you choose during your vacation. In hotels, there are various practical tips and strategies that can significantly improve your stay, from ensuring room cleanliness to safeguarding your belongings and personal safety. Let’s explore these valuable suggestions to make your hotel stay more enjoyable and secure.
Be Vigilant About Bedbugs: Before settling into your hotel room, take a moment to inspect it for any signs of bedbugs. Examine the mattress seams and creases for small reddish-brown bugs or dark stains. This precaution can help you avoid potential discomfort later on.
Verify Sheet Change: If you have concerns about the cleanliness of your bedding, perform a simple test. Scatter a few coins on top of the bedspread before leaving your room. Upon returning, check if the coins have been rearranged or replaced. This can serve as an indicator of whether the sheets have been changed.
Secure Your Valuables: To protect your valuable equipment and belongings, consider investing in a portable safe or lockbox. Alternatively, you can use the hotel’s safe deposit box at the front desk. These measures will provide you with peace of mind while you explore the area.
Room Sign Etiquette: Contrary to popular belief, displaying the “Please clean my room” sign on your door may not always be advisable. Instead, communicate your cleaning preferences directly with the hotel staff, as this sign can inadvertently attract unwanted attention.
Choosing a Safe Room: Tracy Walder, a former CIA officer and FBI special agent, offers a valuable tip for selecting a secure hotel room, particularly in regions with security concerns. Opt for a room located between the 3rd and 6th floors. These floors strike a balance between safety and accessibility. Lower floors are more susceptible to intruders, while higher floors may hinder your escape in case of emergencies.
Walder emphasizes, “Most troublemakers tend to target lower floors for easy access, and staying on extremely high floors can hinder your escape in case of an emergency.” She even shares a personal experience of requesting a room change from the first floor to the fourth for added security.
Enhance Door Security: Improve your room’s security by using the top lock on the door. For added peace of mind, consider using a doorstop to prevent unauthorized entry from the outside, even if someone manages to bypass the regular lock.
Tracy Walder, now a professor of criminal law, acknowledges that these recommendations may not always apply or be necessary in every destination. However, they serve as prudent precautions for travelers seeking additional assurance. By incorporating these strategies into your hotel stay, you can enjoy a more worry-free and pleasant vacation experience.