Hotel safety suggestions

[AmyontheFarm]

I'm tucked in safely for the first night in the hotel for my personal high school planning session.  As I got ready for bed, I gathered some comfy clothes and rolled them up put my shoes next to them and my purse on top.  I started to laugh because even without my fireman husband, I still remembered to create a "fire evac" kit for myself.  One set of clean clothes, my shoes and my credit card.  We do this when we stay at hotels because we were evacuated once due to a fire in a motel in the winter.  We stupidly left our car keys, wallet and purse behind as we ushered the kids outside into the cold.  The kids at least had coats.

 

What do you do to make sure you are safe when traveling? Either as a group or alone.

[Um_2_4]

I (or DH) sleep with our passports on us (may not apply in this case LOL). I had friends who had their passorts taken while they were sleeping (thay had been under their pillows). The hotel suspected an inside job, but it was a small hotel in a small town in Germany and no cameras.

 

I block the door if I am alone (chair with a luggage on it). Not sure if that is a good idea in case I needed help now that I think about it. 

 

I used to carry one of those portable door alarms (they are VERY loud FYI). Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Belle-Hop-Travel-Alarm-Flashlight/dp/B004RJWDWI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_9

 

 

[Barb_]

I travel a ton--enough that traveling is an extension of daily life and we don't do anything special. Oh, we line our shoes up by the door, but that's mainly so we aren't hunting for them in the morning. We lock electronics in the cargo hold on the van roof or take them in with us. That's about it.

[DianeW88]

Uh....nothing?  LOL

[Parrothead]

Nothing.  Well, I make dh sleep closest to the door.  That is just because I don't want to be in the line of fire.

 

Dh and I are lazy firefighters. Neither of us has ever had a fire evac kit. 

[Ripley]

When I worked outside the home, I spent an average of 200 nights per year in hotels. I had my little routine. :)

 

When we got to the hotel, we always did a room scan. We propped the door open with our suitcase, opened closet doors, checked behind shower curtains and drapes, kicked under the beds, and checked the phone for a dial tone. Less for safety and more for convenience, we usually checked that the tv/remote worked also. LOL If we were on the same floor, we'd stay outside each other's door during the checks; if we were on different floors, we'd check our rooms and call each other before closing the door.

 

I always safety locked the door.  I've never been walked in on, but numerous times a room was double-assigned and I walked in on others!

 

After changing out of flying clothes, I always filled the ice bucket. If it came with a bag, I kept it dry and separate.  One time I fell and sprained my ankle getting out of the tub, and had to hobble two floors down to find the ice machine. That stunk. Now I keep ice on hand always. It's been handy when I get headaches, I fill the bag with a few cubes and make an ice pack for my head. I keep bags in my suitcase since not all hotel chains still stock them.

 

I didn't order room service; I called down and order it to go, then picked it up. We had a few cases where colleagues were attacked. It wasn't always the initial delivery, sometimes it was the person coming back under the guise of forgetting to give/get something. It was particularly bad in some cities where there was no true room service and deliveries came from local vendors. I also didn't call down for toiletries or anything; I met whomever by the elevator on my floor. I had to haul an ironing board one time, but by that point it was just habit.

 

I always put a hand towel on the chairs by the big window. In case I ever had to signal during evacuation. That was paranoia more than safety. LOL I watched a news story once (in a hotel room, of course) I think after one of the big hurricanes. People died because they couldn't open their hotel windows, couldn't get out, and rescue crews had no idea where people were. Footage showed one dude waving his towel, and since he was saved ... seemed worth doing!

 

When I left the room, I wrote a note saying where I was going and what time I left. I put it by the tv.  We had a few colleagues go missing. One guy I actually knew. He had gone for a run, been attacked, and since had no ID the hospital listed him as a John Doe. He didn't show up for the airport shuttle, and when we checked his room there was no indication of where he had gone. It took a few days for him to come to and for the hospital and company to figure it out. If I miss the shuttle, I want them to have a head start on where to look for me!

 

I never kept my room key in the pocket they gave it to me - the one with my room number on it. I kept the key separate in my back pocket and tried to memorize the room number - four different rooms a week got tricky, so I usually keyed it into my phone. I almost always had the newspaper crossword puzzle with me, so if I had to write it down I jotted it on that piece of paper. Yes, we had colleagues mugged then their rooms ransacked. It was usually in a few particular cities known for crimes against Americans/tourists but became practice even in other cities.

 

I kept a go-bag. I never unpacked it, it was always in my suitcase.  It held: $20 in singles, a small spiral notebook, pen, granola bar, pint water bottle, flashlight w/extra batteries, and a pair of disposable gloves. I hung it from or right by the door. Every night before I retired, I added my work wallet (it contained my work ID, work keys, work contact numbers, and a $100 Visa gift card) and my room key.  I had a pair of shoes ready to slip into and go. Like the OP, I've been through a number of fire alarms, and also blackouts due to natural disasters.

[RoughCollie]

I check for bedbugs and I never walk around barefoot.

 

 

[jewellsmommy]

I do a bedbug inspection before we settle in and we do a quick wipe-down of surfaces with lysol wipes.

[T'smom]

One time in college, I was staying in a hotel room with 4 other girls. In the middle of the night, a man walked in, walked around the beds looking at us and then left. I slept through this, but one of the other girls woke up. The guy just left....maybe because there were 5 of us? Anyway, it was discovered that when we were "locking" the door, it wasn't actually locking...it had been messed with (the deadbolt), we had known that the chain part was broken, but we didn't really care because of the automatic lock and the deadbolt, the chain is kindof redundant. Anyway, since then, I always make sure that ALL of the locks are working.

[nd293]

Nothing, really, except I don't let the kids sleep in a separate room if we're in a suite - we either move mattresses into our room, or we sleep one adult with each child. I wouldn't be able to relax otherwise!

 

On our last overseas trip I counted doorways to the emergency exit (if corridors are filled with smoke you need to know where the exit is), which is something I read about and thought was practical without being excessively panicky. I like the idea of setting out shoes and clothes etc for a quick exit.

 

I once slept in an airport hotel room without windows, which I rate as the bravest thing I've ever done. It tells you a lot about the previous 8 hrs on a plane with a 5 month old that I slept like a log with not more than a few minutes spend envisaging horror scenarios!

[NotSoObvious]

This is what I do to make sure I'm safe in hotels.

 

-Check for bedbugs before setting anything down.

-Never put things down on the floor.

-Wipe down remote.

-Never walk around barefoot.

-Only stay in hotels with duvet covers, or never touch the comforters.

-Check for broken glass in the bathroom (we've had glass shards in the bathroom at least twice)

 

 

I hate hotels.

 

In all honesty, we rarely stay in hotels where I feel unsafe, and we travel quite a bit. I don't leave valuables in the room though. We had a camera stolen out of our room at the Westin in Puerto Vallarta. Totally an inside job. Now I distrust all hotel staff. Logical, I know.

[Hikin' Mama]

I always count the number of doors from my room to the emergency exit. That way, in case the lights are out and we have to evacuate, we can feel our way along the wall counting doors and not just be wandering around in the hall trying to get out.

 

Ripley, I'm going to add some of your tips to my list.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I always count the number of doors from my room to the emergency exit. That way, in case the lights are out and we have to evacuate, we can feel our way along the wall counting doors and not just be wandering around in the hall trying to get out.

 

 

Beat me to it.  Yes, count the doors.

[Stacia]

As already mentioned, count the doors to an exit w/ stairs. Make sure you have your room key on you when you leave the room. Have a small, working flashlight with you.

[MissKNG]

Minus bolting and chaining the doors, nothing. I am already the type of person that keeps my stuff all packed up nice and neat and in one place. So if there is an emergency, I basically just need to zip up the suitcase and run!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

These are great ideas!  We rarely stay in hotels- only when a flight is cancelled, basically, and I've never thought of any of these things!  My only safety tip is that I travel alone often with my kids, and I get nervous that I can't keep a hand on all of them.  The big kids all end up with MY name and cell number written on their arm, but hidden by sleeves.  If they get lost, they are instructed to go to either a person in uniform or another mommy with children and explain that they are lost and show the number. 

[alisoncooks]

Wow, I feel a little lax.

Granted, we only stay at a hotel 2x a year (Thanksgiving & Christmas) and the hotel is fairly new/nice, though still in a "rough" area.  But we walk barefoot, sit on toilets, lay on comforters, kids lay on the floor.  I know it's gross... but really, I don't think it'll harm anyone.  I could be wrong. :p

 

 

[NotSoObvious]

Wow, I feel a little lax.

Granted, we only stay at a hotel 2x a year (Thanksgiving & Christmas) and the hotel is fairly new/nice, though still in a "rough" area.  But we walk barefoot, sit on toilets, lay on comforters, kids lay on the floor.  I know it's gross... but really, I don't think it'll harm anyone.  I could be wrong. :p

 

 

Shudder, shudder, shudder!!! ;)

 

You're probably right, though! I just can't handle it. My husband used to work in hotels and the stories he tells...

[KatieJ]

Don't shut the bathroom door.  Our door knob broke and we were trapped in the bathroom for hours.  (DH was in the shower, I was just reporting to him how our kids were doing at my sister's house, as it was their first time away from us. Bathroom was tiny, so I shut the door to have room to stand.  )

 

Throw a towel over the top of the door to remind yourself not to shut it.

 

Maintenance says it happens all the time. 

[Alessandra]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

 

What is the best way to check for bedbugs?

[Ellie]

Wow, I feel a little lax.

Granted, we only stay at a hotel 2x a year (Thanksgiving & Christmas) and the hotel is fairly new/nice, though still in a "rough" area.  But we walk barefoot, sit on toilets, lay on comforters, kids lay on the floor.  I know it's gross... but really, I don't think it'll harm anyone.  I could be wrong. :p

 

I've watched way too many episodes of CSI to ever walk barefooted or lie on the bedspreads. o_0

[Ellie]

I do some of these things; never thought to count the doors, though. I'll do that from now on. :-)

 

I keep my purse next to me on the floor where I can reach it. I sleep with my bathrobe on the foot of my bed, so if I have to leave in a hurry, I can easily grab it. I don't want to be one of those poor people standing out on the curb in just jammies (or worse, lol, which is why I wear jammies as well as having the bathrobe handy). And I always, always wear slippers.

[AmandaVT]

I check for bedbugs and make sure the deadbolt is bolted when I go to bed. and I frequently clean the TV remote. That's about it. I don't usually unpack though, so if anything happened, I could grab my purse or suitcase and head out. I've been in hotels when the fire alarms have gone off a few times and was able to throw on shoes and grab my purse each time. 

 

Oh and I take the bedspreads off the bed if it's not a duvet. Those suckers skeeve me out.

[QuirkyKapers]

I check for bedbugs.  (My exterminator said to lift all the covers off so you just see the bare mattress and look at the edging on it.  If it looks bloodstained, it means bedbugs.).  If there are glass drinking cups, I clean them.  I wipe down the phone, remote, and lightswitches.  I also put suitcases on hard surfaces and check the deadbolt.

 

Some great things I have never thought of before have been mentioned in this thread! Thanks Ladies!

[J-rap]

When I worked outside the home, I spent an average of 200 nights per year in hotels. I had my little routine. :)

 

When we got to the hotel, we always did a room scan. We propped the door open with our suitcase, opened closet doors, checked behind shower curtains and drapes, kicked under the beds, and checked the phone for a dial tone. Less for safety and more for convenience, we usually checked that the tv/remote worked also. LOL If we were on the same floor, we'd stay outside each other's door during the checks; if we were on different floors, we'd check our rooms and call each other before closing the door.

 

I always safety locked the door.  I've never been walked in on, but numerous times a room was double-assigned and I walked in on others!

 

After changing out of flying clothes, I always filled the ice bucket. If it came with a bag, I kept it dry and separate.  One time I fell and sprained my ankle getting out of the tub, and had to hobble two floors down to find the ice machine. That stunk. Now I keep ice on hand always. It's been handy when I get headaches, I fill the bag with a few cubes and make an ice pack for my head. I keep bags in my suitcase since not all hotel chains still stock them.

 

I didn't order room service; I called down and order it to go, then picked it up. We had a few cases where colleagues were attacked. It wasn't always the initial delivery, sometimes it was the person coming back under the guise of forgetting to give/get something. It was particularly bad in some cities where there was no true room service and deliveries came from local vendors. I also didn't call down for toiletries or anything; I met whomever by the elevator on my floor. I had to haul an ironing board one time, but by that point it was just habit.

 

I always put a hand towel on the chairs by the big window. In case I ever had to signal during evacuation. That was paranoia more than safety. LOL I watched a news story once (in a hotel room, of course) I think after one of the big hurricanes. People died because they couldn't open their hotel windows, couldn't get out, and rescue crews had no idea where people were. Footage showed one dude waving his towel, and since he was saved ... seemed worth doing!

 

When I left the room, I wrote a note saying where I was going and what time I left. I put it by the tv.  We had a few colleagues go missing. One guy I actually knew. He had gone for a run, been attacked, and since had no ID the hospital listed him as a John Doe. He didn't show up for the airport shuttle, and when we checked his room there was no indication of where he had gone. It took a few days for him to come to and for the hospital and company to figure it out. If I miss the shuttle, I want them to have a head start on where to look for me!

 

I never kept my room key in the pocket they gave it to me - the one with my room number on it. I kept the key separate in my back pocket and tried to memorize the room number - four different rooms a week got tricky, so I usually keyed it into my phone. I almost always had the newspaper crossword puzzle with me, so if I had to write it down I jotted it on that piece of paper. Yes, we had colleagues mugged then their rooms ransacked. It was usually in a few particular cities known for crimes against Americans/tourists but became practice even in other cities.

 

I kept a go-bag. I never unpacked it, it was always in my suitcase.  It held: $20 in singles, a small spiral notebook, pen, granola bar, pint water bottle, flashlight w/extra batteries, and a pair of disposable gloves. I hung it from or right by the door. Every night before I retired, I added my work wallet (it contained my work ID, work keys, work contact numbers, and a $100 Visa gift card) and my room key.  I had a pair of shoes ready to slip into and go. Like the OP, I've been through a number of fire alarms, and also blackouts due to natural disasters.

 

Were you a spy in your past life?  :laugh:

 

[J-rap]

I don't do anything except hang the "Do not disturb" sign on the door so that housekeeping doesn't come knocking too early in the morning.  However, I've learned some good ideas from you all!

[nd293]

Wow, I feel a little lax.

Granted, we only stay at a hotel 2x a year (Thanksgiving & Christmas) and the hotel is fairly new/nice, though still in a "rough" area. But we walk barefoot, sit on toilets, lay on comforters, kids lay on the floor. I know it's gross... but really, I don't think it'll harm anyone. I could be wrong. :p

I'm the same, and I've stayed in hotels and youth hostels in a variety of countries, mostly in the 'less developed' areas. I've worried about hygiene twice, both in the Middle East: once in a youth hostel and once in a self-catering apartment. The first time a friend and I slept fully clothed with our towels over the pillows - the bedding was dodgy. The second time, travelling as a family, we actually bought a huge picnic mat and put it on the carpet so there was somewhere clean for the baby to play. Accommodation was very full at both times so there was no options to switch hotels. Even then, we went barefoot.

[Barb_]

Going barefoot isn't going to hurt you, unless you plan to put your feet in your mouth. It's more of a skeeve factor.

[MissKNG]

Aren't hotels equipped with emergency lights in case of a power outage? Usually those two giant lights mounted on a white box above the emergency exits? I think the chance of having to feel your way down a dark hallway is very slim. Not to mention the chaos and traffic flow of other room renters going down the hall to the exits.

[NotSoObvious]

Going barefoot isn't going to hurt you, unless you plan to put your feet in your mouth. It's more of a skeeve factor.

But then you put them in the bed! LOL. I have a sock system.

And possibly a problem.

[Lanny]

Put valuables in the safe deposit box. If there isn't one in the hotel room, there will be one near the Hotel Reception Desk.

 

Always have a flashlight, with new batteries, in case of a power failure.

 

Know where the nearest exit is, in case there is a fire or an earthquake.

 

Never tell anyone what room you are in, except when you sign in the restaurant, in reception, etc. Better when you are not in the hotel, not to tell people what hotel you are in...

 

Never leave a hotel with your room key. Always leave it at the Front Desk.

 

If someone comes to your room, knocks on the door, says they are from maintenance, etc., do not open the door. Call the front desk, to confirm.

 

 

[GreenKitty]

Never unpack (just use things as needed from bag)

Check for bedbugs

Never go barefoot

Always lock and bolt the door

Know where the exit is

When I go out I keep my key in my pocket instead of my purse

I always request a room with the window front facing of the hotel

[nd293]

Aren't hotels equipped with emergency lights in case of a power outage? Usually those two giant lights mounted on a white box above the emergency exits? I think the chance of having to feel your way down a dark hallway is very slim.

I read this in a list of safety hints for fires in large hotels, so it would be about smoke, rather than the dark. I also don't think that it's a likely scenario, but it cost a few minutes, so I figured, "Why not?".

Not really a safety issue, but my pet peeve is hotel alarm clocks that aren't even close to the correct time!

[Mama Geek]

Thanks to this thread along with a false alarm in the hotel we are at and a second emergency where we returned to the hotel to find a fire truck and an ambulance (medical emergency).  I just had a nightmare about living one of our previous homes and it catching on fire while we were there.  

 

This stuff is good to think about especially since we spend lots of time in hotels.