This summer has been all about traveling. Not just for myself and my family, but also for millions of us who’ve hit the road after being locked down for so long. The last few weeks, I’ve been discussing how to travel safely by making sure you’re car is ready for any emergency, your First Aid kit is up-to-date, and your pets are safe while you’re on the road. So today I want to discuss something else–how to stay safe while in a hotel, motel, or short-term-rental like an AirBnB.
Any kind of traveling requires a situational awareness you don’t normally use when you’re safe at home. There are all sorts of hotels and motels throughout the U.S., but just because one hotel is more expensive than the other doesn’t mean it’s safer. Thieves will target an area where they find things to steal and the opportunity to do so. And a higher price tag can often lull visitors into a false sense of security. The fact that expensive hotels have a lot of security measures in place proves that hotel security is a nation-wide problem.
There are crooks and gangs of thieves who specifically target tourist hotels. If you’re heading to a popular tourist area, extra vigilance is always advised. Your safety always begins with your attention to your surroundings–aka situational awareness. And it stinks that if you go away to relax that you still have to be on alert. But that’s the way of the world. So what should you do to protect yourself and your family? Below are a few ideas and things to think about, and you can adapt these ideas to the area and situation where you’re staying. How you protect yourself in a large city motel is different than what you’d do in a Summer cabin on a lake.
The tips below may seem like a lot, but I promise you I’m not paranoid. I’m just careful. Why? Because I’ve traveled A LOT in my life–all over the world–and have learned that only you are responsible for your own safety. So you need to take it seriously. It’s much easier to prevent a crime than to pick up the pieces afterwards. As a woman who once had her passport stolen in a foreign country, I speak from experience. The other thing I can promise that the more you do the tips listed below, the more they will become habits that you don’t even realize you’re doing. And that’s a good thing!
Now, having said all of that, I hope you all stay safe on your travels this summer. And, above all, have fun! You deserve this time off!!
Tips for Hotel & Motel & Short-Term Rental Safety
- When you check in, act as if you’re paying attention to security by asking questions at the front desk or rental representative. Ask about door locks, how the credit card information is stored, if the lobby door is locked at night…things like that. While the answers are important, the more important reason to do this is to show anyone who might be watching (including front desk staff) that you’re not a distracted traveler. You are telling everyone around you that you have situational awareness and are paying attention.
- “Be grey and Blend in” ~ this one is hard when you’re traveling with a family. But staying as nondescript as possible means that others won’t notice you. If you are a brightly-dressed tourist acting as if you’re lost or confused, you become a target. This is especially important when you have little kids and strollers and lots of baggage. If you’re traveling with a family, consider having one adult do all the check-in things while the rest of the family waits outside until the room is ready. Then you all process up to the room without making a lot of noise of fuss. Stay as unobtrusive as possible. Once you begin acting this way, you’ll be surprised at how many people are not “grey” and how much they stand out. If they stand out to you, they are being noticed by others, including others who are up to no good.
- Always keep your luggage in sight and close you. Even if you have to let others go ahead of you in line, or if you have to wait to use the restroom. Never leave your bags unattended.
- Avoid bottom and top floors. Large city hotels rarely have first-floor rooms, but beach motels and highway motels do have ground level rooms. Ground level rooms are easy to break into and get away from, like a smash-and-grab theft. And never leave things on ground floor balconies. It’s not uncommon for people to be in the bathroom, and to leave a sliding glass door unlocked because they’re in the room, and for thieves take all of their valuables before they leave the bathroom. Also, second floors and above often have an added layer of security if the elevator needs a room key to make it work. On the other hand, top floors may leave you trapped if there’s a threat coming up from below. If there’s no escape from that top floor, you’re trapped.
- Study the building’s layout. There are usually maps of the building and the individual rooms on the back of hotel room doors. If you don’t see one, ask the front desk. It only takes a few minutes to study this map and memorize all of the exits. This is important for fire escapes as well as for anticipating where thieves could be hiding or come from. And remember, the closest exit may not be the way you got to your room. By studying the building’s layout, you’ll have a better chance of escape regardless of the threat. Also check the restaurants, lobbies, bars, and parking lots/garages. I promise it doesn’t take long–unless you’re in a casino since they are built to be confusing and to keep you inside.
- Know where your car is parked. If you park it yourself, pay attention to how you walk to the hotel. Where are you in the parking garage? If you’re in a lot, check the surrounding areas. Is it deserted? In a sketchy neighborhood? Make sure you know how long it would take to get you and your family back to the car in an emergency. If the car is parked by a valet, it’s perfectly reasonable question to ask where it is being stored and what kind of security the valet lot has as well as where they store the keys.
- Be wary of open WiFi sources and protect your digital data. Always use a VPN and keep the apps you’ll be using updated. Even “secure” wifi sources can be suspect so make sure you use the most secure settings on all of your devices. And shut off any kind of bluetooth function on all of your devices while in public. Be careful about providing any kind of private date and, if in doubt, contact the front desk. Do not log into any of your financial accounts, including paying bills or buying things online. All of these apps provide a way for data thieves to steal your information, including your identity. I know ride-sharing and food-delivery services are used a lot while traveling–just be careful and always use a VPN. And when you’re surfing the internet, only go to sites that start with “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP”. The “S” means it has a security certificate.
- Always, always, always keep your doors and windows locked. If you’re inside and you have an upper floor room with a window or balcony, keep them locked if you’re not using them. Many thieves are former employees of these hotels so they know how the place runs and understand when people straggle back to the hotel after a long day and are tired and not as careful about locking their doors and windows.
- Hotel room safes aren’t always safe. If you’re not keeping your valuables with you during the day, you’ll have to decide if you want to hide your valuables somewhere in your room or use the safe. If the hotel has a central safe, you can always ask to use that. That one is usually protected and may come with some insurance coverage.
- If you’re in a hotel or motel in a sketchy part of town, keep the DO NOT DISTURB sign on your doorknob and keep your blinds close. Of course, keep all windows and doors locked as well. If you’re in a motel, park your car as close to your room as possible. If anything happens inside the room, you can press your car alarm button on your key ring. The noise will help distract the bad guys and may give you a chance to get away. Also, turn on the T.V. loud enough for anyone in the hallway to hear. The bad guys are less likely to choose your room if they know you’re inside.
- This may sound a bit crazy, but consider taking a portable bug sweeper & camera detector. These work great for short term rental properties. While companies like AirBnB prohibit owners from using these devices, some owners still use them. It doesn’t take long to sweep a room with a portable RF detector to find any hidden cameras or listening devices. These are all available on Amazon. I also use these when I am forced to stop at sketchy public bathrooms.
- Never keep your key in the paper envelope it comes with because that has your room number on it. Keep the key separate from anything that might identify which room–or even which hotel–you’re in.
- If you’re nervous about traveling alone, consider a travel-sized door locking device or a doorstop–these are available on Amazon and don’t cost much.
- Consider traveling with a portable Carbon Monoxide detector. They are cheap and easy to pack… because you just never know.
- Consider traveling with a back-up credit card. If your CC is compromised on your trip, you’ll need another way to pay for things like hotels, planes, rental cars and other things that require a CC instead of cash.
