Hotels 101: How to Keep Safe

 

Vacation is here and it is time to book plane tickets and plan countless itineraries. After all, where is the fun in your extra free time, if you are not spending it on yourself? Thus, after all the sleepless nights and stress, allotting yourself a little break might not sound so bad at all.

 

However, with all these tackled, is this the only thing you should not forsake during traveling in an unfamiliar place?

 

Newsflash, that is not the only thing to consider. One of the most important parts of the trip should be your safety, and how do we consider your overall safety? It comes back to a simple aspect, the place, you are staying. These days, the dangers of unknown bookings and impromptu hotels are rampant.

 

You have probably read a lot of advice and pointers on how to travel safely. But there is less information available when it comes to hotel safety advice. Perhaps because you expect a hotel or inn will be secure when you check-in. That is not true, though.

 

To guarantee your safety, you must take personal responsibility for several things, including understanding how to flee a fire and dealing with a potential theft. You need to be ready since the security of your hotel room is quite crucial. Following a few essential safety guidelines is the first step.

Invest in your hotel bookings

Traveling with fewer expenses than usual is the goal for cost-effective travelers. However, in terms of hotels—invest in a good and safe hotel. Make sure that you are not forsaking your safety just for the price of each room. Taking fewer chances than ever is more important than being in a plight of danger. It is good to be more cost-efficient in traveling is it will teach you how to be more friendly in handling your money, but if you are in an unfamiliar place with no companion—you are on your own. So make sure that when finding a hotel it must have a good security system, and facilities regardless of how much it can cost. Ensure your safety and invest your money in a place that not only you will enjoy, but can make you feel comfortable and safe as well. Better prevent danger than being saved from danger, and that is an aspect that even money cannot buy or guarantee.

 

Common hotel facilities can be unhygienic

If you are a fan of common baths and spas, well don’t. Aside from being physically safe, there is far more dangerous than being robbed or getting into a fire—health problems. Although the hotel might have ensured the hygienic practices of their common facilities, we cannot guarantee its safeness of it in terms of health. So even though the hotel may have made all of its amenities available, it is still best to avoid using them. Additionally, even if you exercise while others don't, their respiratory secretions might go further. Although the danger would be marginally reduced in the spa scenario since it involves physical contact, we nevertheless advise against it. We do not fully discourage you to stop using common hotel facilities since these things are intended for you, but if you are a traveler who can be easily affected by airborne diseases, then maybe you need to avoid them.

 

Never leave your door open

One of the mistakes a newbie traveler can do is to leave their door open and unattended—especially if they are too tired to remember to close it. When you are in a place that you barely know of, you still cannot be complacent about the people and the environment around it. Who knows? Maybe a drunken old man can mistake your room for theirs—worse throw a rampage inside your hotel room! Not to sound so negative, but I am only stating the worst-case scenario of this dangerous action. So to avoid those from happening, make sure that you always leave your door closes—whether you are going inside or leaving your hotel room. Reminder, some hotel doors do not automatically close when you leave, remaining open and inviting anyone to enter whenever they like. So before rushing out, pause for a moment to hear it click and give it a little tug. Make sure that the door is closed and locked properly.

 

Always let them know that you’re inside: even if you are not

When you are staying in a hotel room, you should always put the “do not disturb” sign on your door to let others know that you are in your room: even if you are out. This then gives them the idea that they cannot enter inside it since the occupant is there—preventing the risks of possible theft.

 

Bring your pocket Wi-Fi

Like any other public internet connection, it is not safe. Regardless if you are staying in a 5-star hotel, you cannot guarantee your cybersafety if it is public Wi-Fi. Thus, to protect your data, make sure that you bring your Wi-Fi. When utilizing any public Wi-Fi, including that at your hotel or another place of stay, you should always utilize a VPN. This is a little bit of safety precaution when traveling.

 

Never provide personal information in online bookings

Online booking can be essential for travelers who do not have enough time to book everything by themselves. That is why there are a lot of scams who choose the industry of travel booking—since it allows them more revenue and clients to trick and manipulate. That is why during online booking, whether the agency is credible or not—do not give out your personal information online. Even when you are in your room, do not give them your room number. Criminals can contact the hotel from a landline or a hotel phone and ask to be connected to a specific room number all too easily. Despite public awareness of this specific fraud, victims continue to fall for it. If someone calls and claims to be from the front desk and requests any personal information, hang up right away.