The first thing that comes to the mind of every traveller when lodging in a hotel is how to get a comfortable accommodation that could be a safe haven throughout their stay.
Howbeit, there are some things that every traveller must keep in mind irrespective of how well travelled you are especially when you are going to be visiting a terrain that you are not too familiar with.
You might want to start by checking out the hotel you will be staying during your visit to that particular place.
Google map, google earth can be of help when trying to study your to-be new environment, when lodging in a hotel.
Sometimes, when I don’t know the area I am visiting well, internet Apps are some of the tools I use to get at least a bit familiar with where I will be staying in the next few days or weeks.
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Here are some few safety tips to help give you sense of safety during your trip when lodging in a hotel.
Security: Trying to study ones environment on your way to the hotel is key. It’s not the right time to take a nap or to be absolutely busy on your mobile phone. When you get to your destination, don’t be in a hurry to rush in, take a little time to survey your environment even from the security post. Be friendly to the security guys but avoid too much familiarity.
Vigilance: This is also key especially at the check-in. You must be very vigilant even from the time you touch down at the airport to your hotel room. There have been cases of someone planting illicit stuffs in the luggage of unsuspecting travellers/lodgers .
Make sure your bag is beside you and be at alert even if you are being helped by any of the hotel Assistant, make sure your bag is in front of you or your hand is physically on them at all times.
Inspection Of Your Room:
Before you close the room door for the first time, take a look around, make videos of the room including the toilets and send to your love ones if possible, also take records of the time you check-in into the hotel and your room. There is nothing to hide even if you don’t want to share too much details. Open doors, look behind the curtains, inspect the bathroom and shower. You just never know. One of the latest act being perpetrated by hoteliers or staff is the act of inserting cameras in the room, these camera can be hidden even in the air conditioner. If you are wondering why you can’t sleep the way you like in a room you paid for, it’s simply because some people are monitoring the cameras and watching you sleep naked.
Nearly every hotel front desk will have business cards. Take at least 2 and keep one in your wallet and one on the nightstand. This way you’ll have quick access to the hotels name, address and phone number, you can also keep this and snap to any of your relatives.
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Let me also stress that most hotels these days have a public wifi that your phone, tablet and laptop can access during your stay. However, this is a PUBLIC wifi. That means that just about anyone can access all the information on your device. Activating a VPN provides more security for your devices and the information stored there. Most computer security companies like Norton have VPN options.
Be Nice To Hotel Staff: This one is a great tip. When you check into any hotel, strike up a conversation with the desk clerk especially the cleaning crews around the hotel, stop and talk with them a bit, these guys even clean your room in your absence sometimes and they can get you into trouble if not treated well. So tip them whenever you can. These little things will make an impression with them so in the unlikely event anything occurs, they remember you and are more willing to help out if needed. Never under rate what theses ones can do either good or bad.