Hotel safety is a major concern for women on the road, whether traveling for business or leisure, alone or with family or friends.
Cosmopolitan called on Marybeth for advice on how its readers could avoid similar trouble. Here’s what she had to say.
1. Ask to be assigned a room above the ground floor, especially if there are sliding glass doors — an entry point offering easier views of and access into your room. Once inside your room, check the door and window locks.
2. Hang the Do Not Disturb sign on the door when you’re out so would-be thieves will think the room is occupied.
3. If the desk clerk mentions your room number out loud and there are other guests around, request that you be given a different room.
4. If you’re planning to arrive at night, have the rental car agency or hotel arrange for someone to accompany you to and from parking lots.
5. If you use the pre-order menu that hangs on your door all night, don’t mark a first name or the number of people in the room — this reveals to anyone passing your room that you’re alone.
6. Pull the drapes shut as soon as you walk into your hotel room. If you plan on staying at an inexpensive motel, pack some safety pins and duct tape so you can make sure the curtains are completely closed.
7. If you like to walk around naked in your hotel room (no judgment!), cover the peephole on the interior side of the door with a Band-Aid. This way you can easily peel it off when you need to peek out.
For more safety tips, check out Marybeth Bond’s Website, The Gutsy Traveler.