Simple Safety and Security Advice When Making Hotel Reservations

After you pick the location for your next hotel stay, savvy travelers recommend you do two things when making hotel reservations to ensure a more relaxing stay.

First, you need to give security some thought, even if you’re staying at a top resort. Next, you should make your personal requests known in advance. Here’s why.

Security Priorities  

Request a hotel room in the “safest room zone”
That’s defined as a room on the second floor or higher,  but below the 6^th in case there is a fire and the fire department needs to reach you.  A room on the ground floor that has doors or windows that open to the outside is riskier especially in the case of motels, rooms off parking lots, or if you like to sleep with an open window.

Who else can access your room?
Pack a portable travel door lock. You never know if there are extra keys, key cards or pass keys out there that can open your hotel room while you are inside.  You’ll sleep more soundly knowing your room is truly locked.

Identity theft happens most frequently in hotels
According to Experian, identity theft crimes took place most commonly in hotels (24 percent), restaurants (18 percent)  and followed by airports (12 percent). Guard your credit cards, ID, and passport when you travel. Do not give out your credit card number to someone calling your room, even if they say they are calling from the front desk. Do not use the open WiFi connection or business center computers to conduct personal business or anything requiring a password protecting personal data.

How safe is the room safe?
A common place you leave items with your personal information while you are away from the room is the room safe. All hotel safes have a bypass code or way to open them in case a guest forgets their passcode or if the safe’s electronics fail. Theft from a room safe is virtually unprovable.  Consider a safe lock that works to discourage and stop would be thieves. There’s a lot of peace of mind right there.

Personal Request for Comfort and Convenience 

Room location
Do you want to be close to the pool, lobby or an elevator? Have the hotel reservations agent mark your preference in your reservation at the time of booking (try to get that room between the 2nd and 6th floor.)

Room amenities
Do you want more pillows or special hypo-allergenic pillows? Ask for them at the time of booking so that housekeeping can place them in your room before your arrival or as soon as you arrive.  The same goes for extra towels or a bathrobe. Make sure your preferences are noted in your booking record and then confirm at the check-in desk even before going to your room. This prevents you from having to open the door to someone else.

Be hands-free and worry-free at the pool or gym

If you plan on lounging by the hotel pool or beach, bring a portable pool or beach safe to secure valuables you leave behind when swimming or walking around. Knowing your valuables are close and secure will let you enjoy your activities more without carrying your phone, room key, etc. with you or taking turns guarding the “stuff.”

Most importantly, confirm that your security and comfort preferences are noted in your hotel reservation 24 hours before you arrive by speaking to someone at the front desk, not the reservation center.  While asking for special accommodations does not guarantee that you’ll always get them, but by speaking to a person on the property does up your chances. If they do accommodate you be sure to thank them in person for their effort, and they may continue to help you out throughout your stay.

Personal safety practices once you’re at the hotel

Read the below article Must Read Hotel Safety Tips on personal security practices once you arrive at a hotel. It’s worth the read