What are the most important hotel safety tips for women traveling alone?
There are endless reasons why women travel alone as solo female travellers, whether to experience a spiritual enrichment, for business, fun or simply for relaxation and enjoyment, just like men. However, when it comes to health and safety, women travelling alone, do face greater obstacles than men.
When you travel as a woman alone, security is definitely the main factor of concern. This is true whether you are a seasoned solo female traveler or whether you are travelling by yourself for the first time.
Travelling as a lone female traveler, you may feel watched, on the spot and you might be constantly thinking that you are really vulnerable to be the target of dangerous situations. It is totally understandable, it is tricky.
It is, unfortunately true that, women travelling alone are much more exposed and much more likely to be the target of sexual predators and other crime perpetrators. This can be even more true so, when there is a contrast of culture in between.
As an experienced solo traveller, especially, in my younger years, I can confidently state that, pretty much, in all the countries I have visited by myself, I have experienced some forms of inappropriateness, such as, comments, sexual remarks, dodgy looks, and even unwanted touching.
Solo female travellers do tend to get much more involved culturally and personally with the people of the countries they are visiting, sometimes, risking their own safety, in order to comply with local behaviours.
It is extremely important to remember that, whilst being respectful and sensitive with local cultures and norms is a great attitude, you can’t forget about your physical and emotional integrity, and no matter what, if you are assaulted in any form, is not your fault.
Taking precautions is a great way to minimise risks, but sometimes still issues happen and by no means it would be a lone female traveller’s fault to be aggressed or assaulted.
In order for you to decide your destination, it is essential to carry out a risk assessment to address all your possible concerns, especially, around security, political environment and overall cultural local norms of the country of choice that you intend to visit.
Researching the place you will be visiting is really important, as the more you know about the place, the safer and more relaxed you will feel as a solo traveller.
I do this every time and if I feel that, all those issues become too challenging to overcome them (at least at that time) then, I simply, cross those locations off my bucket list. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to ever travel to those places.
Travelling as a solo female is such an exciting and fun opportunity, that the last thing you want is to be worried about your safety, and this includes your security around the hostel, hotel or accommodation that you choose to stay at.
It is pivotal that you feel safe and comfortable to relax in your hotel room after your day out exploring the place. There is a plethora of hotel safety precautions that all solo female travellers should take in order to enjoy a smooth and issue free trip.
We have dedicated this post to explain those security and safety tips about your hotel, lodge and accomodation in general, that will put your mind at ease when travelling solo as a woman.
What are the main hotel room safety precautions for solo female travellers?
While the type of hotel and accomodation will also impact the overall safety of the place (meaning, a 5 star hotel with a 24/7 security will feel safer than a hostel), still, there are some general guidelines that all female travellers should follow to relax in their rooms.
1- Hotel location
When travelling by yourself, it is really important to ensure that your hotel is located in a safe neighbourhood, well lit at all times, especially, at night time. It is reassuring if the hotel has a 24 hours security and lobby assistance. It is essential that it is well positioned, in terms of, reach of public transport and open alleys, rather than, hidden in a dark and unaccessible lane.
It is also important but no crucial that your hotel is well placed around food and entertainment, in case of bad weather, and close to a hospital or clinic, in case of sickness.
Good places to research about the safety of the area and the surrounding streets is by checking the place out on TripAdvisor and Google reviews, where people sometimes are brutally honest about their impressions. That is not rude, it is a good thing.
You must know, if there is anything dodgy going on in that place that you should be aware off. Usually, if a hotel has bad reviews, I would consider another one, no matter how cheap it is.
Whilst, sometimes, nearby airport hotels are handy, those areas are more likely to have higher crime rates, as loads of tourists stay there for short periods of time and that is a perfect place for a quick theft.
Once you have researched the overall ratings and impressions of the hotel across different reputable sites, make sure you also check the area by Google earth and Google maps on satellite mode to check the state of the adjacent lanes and streets.
Start making yourself familiar with the place and spot the emergency room and closest hospitals, as well as, the public transport stations.
Checking on these things before you book your hotel is an excellent way to protect yourself against potential issues and also, it is a good way to build your confidence about facing an unfamiliar situation.
2- Protect your luggage
Firstly, when you get to your hotel of choice, do not just put your bag/s on the floor and turn to talk to the receptionist or simply hand over the luggage to a lobby assistant. You need to ensure you know where they take it to and also whilst you get your room sorted and registered, do not lose sight out of the luggage. I have seen some customers get their backpacks stolen in a matter of 10 minutes. Some thieves, just walk in hotels, take the luggage from distracted travellers and then just walk out of the hotel with the stolen belongings.
Secondly, it is important to consider not to carry expensive pieces of luggage when travelling alone, as it will make you an easy target to steal from. Your baggage needs to be functional rather than based on fashion.
When you leave your luggage and valuables in your room, make sure they are well hidden under the bed or in a closet with a lock. Leaving them in plane sight, can lead to issues. This is because sometimes, the housekeepers keep the room doors opened to ease the process of cleaning, as they go in and out (they usually keep their cleaning cart outside). It is super easy (not that super frequent, but it happens) for thieves to casually hang around the area and break in to steal your things in one of those scenarios.
Lastly, you can get yourself a hard case or an anti-theft bag protector. When I go camping or on a low budget for longer trips, I, definitely, use a hard case protector to ensure it is well locked and hard to steal without noise. When I go to hotel rooms, a mesh based anti-theft bags are really handy.
3- Pick the safest room
Staying in a room located between the 2nd and 6th levels is the best way to minimise issues in hotel rooms. It is not recommended staying on the 1st floor, especially, if these rooms have outdoor access, as they are more prone and easier to break-in.
In addition, the ground floor gets you very exposed for thieves to break-in and the lobby assistance unable to hear or reach to you, if you were in an emergency. Upper floors beyond the 6th floor, can be difficult the reach for fire engine ladders, in case of a fire emergency.
If staying in a hostel, ensure you check all the females only rooms, that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with guys, but if you feel uncomfortable and want to extreme precautions, I would take this advise into account.
If possible, send an email to the hotel reception requesting the safest room based on the points described above, as well as, requesting information about the history of the room, and whether there has been asn issue before. It might sound silly, but those are the sort of things that can grow unexpected fear in you and ruin your solo trip.
4- Room Inspection
The very first thing to do right after getting the hotel room is to open the door, leaving it opened (as if there is a danger and you need to turn around quickly, you want to make sure you have the open door to get out), whilst you check the room thoroughly.
That is, checking under the bed, behind the curtains and blinds, double checking the bathroom and bathtub, as well as, all the closets. This is not just in case there is someone, which is unlikely, but also, to ensure the room is clean with no dirt, no bugs, weird smells and other issues.
Before you validate that the room is good and what you have paid for, ensure the locks in the door work properly, as well as, the ones in the windows.
By no means, ever, do not advertise or announce where you are staying or your room number. Together with this, it is crucial that you don’t raise your voice too much when speaking over the phone, as you want to be discrete with your whereabouts during your solo trip.
Lastly, for your peace of mind, ensure you mention that you are not travelling alone rather with companion and also leave the blinds and curtains opened. That, will give an impression that the room is not empty and that will make it less likely to be broken-in.
How can you protect yourself in a hotel room?
1-Place a towel under the hotel door
This is a very good tip when travelling as a solo female traveller. It might sound funny, but actually, it can prevent from night crawlers like cockroaches, spiders and other bugs to go through the door into your room. This is not uncommon, as hotels, do have a big kitchen, many pipes and big piles of garbage on the streets due to the many customers that the hotel can host.
It can also help mitigate the potential danger of a stranger to push the key from the key hole and collect it from underneath the door. This is not likely, but it can happen.
Lastly, and on the less dangerous side of things, it can help with noise, smell contention and also diminishing the light level penetrating in the room.
2-Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on the door handle of the hotel room
This advise will help you in letting people know that there is someone in the room in case someone would think of breaking in the room and also it is a way for the staff to know that you want to be undisturbed.
3- Watch out for the hotel internet
I can’t emphasise this point enough. Public networks are not safe. You can be tracked and followed, if someone is to hack your devices connected to those Wifis. It is also not that difficult to get your bank, credit card, email and other bits of sensitive information stolen.
I would stay offline in the hotel, as much as possible, if you do, don’t use any personal information or personal accounts.
4- Do not use the hotel safe
Not only, personal safety tips in hotel rooms are important, but also, how to keep your valuables safe in the room is another big concern for most of solo travellers. Most of the people and other travellers might suggest that you use the hotel safe to keep your belongings like laptops, phones or passports. They seem to be there in the hotel rooms for travellers’ convenience. But actually, those safes are not really theft proof.
This is because they can be carried away easily (unless, they are nailed to the ground) if someone, actually, breaks in the hotel room.
Also, they operate with a simple code that the management of the hotel has, as they have a master code to operate those machines.
Perhaps, you might think this is not that common, but actually, you would be surprised of how often this event actually happens around the world when travellers are out of their rooms.
5- Bedtime routine
Before you go to sleep, do a security round around the room, where you would check that all windows and doors are closed and locked.
Place all the safety devices mentioned below in this post, to help securing those doors and windows.
Locate all the fire escape routes and double check all the paths are free from obstacles, move all items that might be impeding the escaping routes.
Lastly, a simple tip like sleeping with a flash light under your pillow, goes a long way, to feel safe in your hotel room. Any moment where you might feel disturbed, you can simply turn on your flash light and feel calmed. This is, especially, true if you are in a dorm.
What are the best hotel room safety devices?
There are a wide range of hotel room safety devices that can make the lives of solo female travellers a bit easier and help with fear.
1- Portable doorstop alarm
One of the best ways to keep people away from trying to get in your room is by placing a door stop alarm. These can be, as cheap as, 15$ and they are, definitely. efficient. Together with the door lock, the alarm will set a loud beep where potential intruders will be put off and hotel staff will be put on guard too. Having this device, will put you soul to rest and will give you comfort when spending those nights alone in the hotel room.
2- Portable travel locks
A portable travel lock is another essential when travelling alone. This is, essentially, a hard and solid piece of metal that will be fixed to a surface like a radiator or a pipe and also, between the door and the wall. This will prevent from the door to be opened. If they try hard, it will be quite noisy and very difficult to break in.
If you don’t have one of these with you, to ensure the door won’t open, even if you lock it properly, simply, place a chair or a small rubber band, that will prevent the door from opening without making a loud noise.
Lastly, it goes without saying that, you should never ever open the door of your hotel room if someone knocks, unless, you are expecting someone. If they claim to be hotel staff, call reception to ensure that, indeed, that is the case.
3. Portable safe box
As mentioned above, hotel safes are not secure enough. In order for a solo traveller to keep and hide their valuables, there are some safety containers called portable travel safes, where you can put your documents and other belongings and then put them under your bed. It is not bullet proof, but, again, it makes it more difficult, if someone tries to steal your things.
4. Hotel safe lock
Alternatively, and it is not highly recommended, you can take a safe lock to ensure the hotel safe is well locked on top of the security code. This helps in providing an additional security step, in case, someone has the master code or key.
Conclusion
To conclude and to gather some final thoughts, it is not a matter of feeling paranoid and fearful everywhere at all times. Instead, it is worth investing some time before you travel and before you get to your hotel, to know how to behave and stay the safest in your hotel room.
It is crucial to be prepared for any potential situation and knowing what to do to minimise those risks. Taking prudent steps to increase safety, when travelling alone, is key, together with, trusting your instincts and being aware of your surroundings at all times. If something doesn’t “feel right”, simply, leave that hotel.
Lastly, ensure your loved ones, family, partners, friends or neighbours, know where you go and where you are, so that they can track your moves and expect you coming back. Letting those people know what your itinerary is, is for sure a great way to stay safe.
There you go! Now you know the best and most important tips to stay safe in your hotel room when you travel alone as a woman. Being aware of and exercising those common hotel safety tips, can help decrease unexpected and undesired problematic events.