Ensure Your Hotel Stay is Safe: Tips for a Secure Vacation
When booking your hotel, security should be a top priority. Consider these tips to enhance your safety and avoid a sleepless night.
Choose the Right Room Location
When checking in, always ask about your room’s location. Chahanler Marks, an IT specialist from Chattanooga, Tennessee, learned this lesson the hard way. During a stay in St. Louis, he was placed on the ground floor in a room with a sliding door that led to a patio.
Around 2 a.m., Marks woke up to sounds outside his room and discovered the sliding door was slightly open. Even though nothing was stolen, the door latch had been tampered with. This unsettling experience left him uneasy for the rest of the night.
Avoid Risky Room Types
Ground Floor Rooms are among the most vulnerable, as they are easier to break into. Connecting rooms and those near emergency exits or stairwells can also pose significant risks. These areas allow easy access for intruders without being noticed.
Sheri Howell recalls a terrifying incident in a room with a connecting door. At 2 a.m., an intoxicated man mistakenly barged into her room, believing it was a bathroom. Fortunately, his wife intervened, but it was a close call.
Do a Quick Security Check
Marks now requests a room on a higher floor, ideally between the third and sixth floors, to balance safety and fire risk. He also does a quick security check upon entering: double-lock the door, ensure windows are secure, and use a doorstop to reinforce the lock.
Be Mindful of Hotel Crime Risks
While hotel crime statistics are hard to come by, incidents like Kim Kardashian’s 2016 robbery in Paris have made travelers more cautious about hotel security. The rise of social media amplifies these concerns, turning even minor break-ins into viral events.
The Most Dangerous Rooms:
— Ground-floor rooms: Easy access for burglars.
— Rooms near connecting doors: Risk of accidental entry.
— Rooms next to emergency exits: Increased vulnerability.
— Rooms with less foot traffic: Low surveillance and higher crime risk.
Chad Barnsdale, a former hotel worker, recalls a break-in at a hotel in Miami Beach. The room next to a service entrance and facing a quiet side street was targeted. The guest lost valuables, teaching Barnsdale that rooms with less foot traffic are more vulnerable to break-ins.
Book Your Safe and Relaxing Vacation with MWR LIFE
This summer, don’t take hotel security for granted. For a worry-free vacation, book your next getaway with MWR LIFE, where safety and comfort are top priorities.
It sounds like you’ve had an interesting experience at a hotel! It’s a good reminder about hotel safety—sometimes we don’t think about the little things that could make a big difference, like not announcing your room number or locking up the doors properly. The expert tips on selecting safer rooms, like choosing mid-level floors, avoiding rooms near elevators or ice machines, and sticking to standard rooms, are really practical and can help avoid unnecessary risks.
It’s also worth considering the things you can do to further protect yourself, like using additional locks or wedges when you can. Staying aware and being cautious about your surroundings is key! What do you usually prioritize when booking a hotel?
