Traveling with your family is such an amazing experience for you and for your kids. You shouldn’t miss out on doing it whatever your kids’ ages may be. When I became a parent, the importance of safety became even more important. I not only had to think about my safety, but now I had to make sure those little ones were secure. When traveling, safety is always at the forefront of my mind, so I’ve put together a list of ways to stay safe when traveling. This post is focused on hotel safety tips for traveling families.
This article is part of a 6-part series on how to stay safe when traveling. Did you miss the other 5 articles? Check out the links below:
7 Great Ways To Stay Connected When Traveling Abroad
7 Ways To Keep Money Safe When Traveling Abroad
Staying Healthy When Traveling
Safety Tips For Using Public Transportation
Crowd Safety When Traveling: How To Keep Your Family Safe
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. When clicking on the links and booking travel, I receive a small commission with no extra costs for you. Please note, I only recommend brands I actually use and trust.
Hotel Location
When looking for hotels to stay in with your family, besides making sure you all fit comfortably, location should be another consideration. Check a hotel’s location for proximity to attractions but always keep safety in mind too.
For example, if you visit Quito, I would recommend not staying in the historic downtown. It is perfectly safe during the day and you should definitely visit that area of the city, but in the evenings it is not as safe as other parts of the city.
Visiting Quito? Find out where I recommend staying that is safe and near attractions in our ultimate Quito travel guide.
Hotel Security Measures
Besides the safety of the neighborhood, also look into what safety measures a hotel has.
Here are some questions you might ask to check the safety and security in hotels:
- Do they have a security guard?
- Do they lock the doors in the evenings so you can only enter with a key?
- Are there security cameras outside?
- Do they have security alarms? Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors?
- Do they provide a safe?
You can either message the hotel directly or if you are booking on Booking.com, for example, after you find a hotel, you can click the tab for facilities and scroll down to see what’s listed in the hotel safety and security section.
And remember, if you arrive at the hotel and the location doesn’t comfort you, switch hotels. Always trust your instincts.
Hotel Door Safety
When staying in a hotel, it is always a good idea to lock your door with a deadbolt or chain lock and put the do not disturb sign on the door. You can even put your do not disturb sign on your door when you are out and about. This gives the impression that you are in the room when you are not. Although, the downside is that your room won’t be cleaned.
If you want a little extra protection than the safety locks for hotel doors that are provided, I would suggest bringing a door jam with you. They are small to pack and easy to slide under the door making it difficult for an intruder to enter.
I have also heard of people using an ironing board as a door jam by putting one of the legs under the door handle. I haven’t tried this myself, but if you feel uncomfortable and didn’t bring a door jam, it could be a good option to consider.
Secure Your Belongings
Most likely your hotel room is going to be more safe to keep your belongings in than carrying them while you are out and about sightseeing. I would suggest keeping your valuables in a hotel or cruise safe whenever possible. Items to keep in the safe include your passports, extra cash and expensive jewelry.
How To Use A Hotel Safe
To use a hotel safe, you will need to enter a code. The safe will tell you how many numbers you need to include. Then you will need to push either # or * to set it. There are usually instructions on the safe, so you don’t have to worry about remembering the details.
Choose a code that is something you can remember but not easy to guess like 1111 or 0000 or 1234. I almost always test the safe to make sure I can open it before putting my valuables in. I think I’m just a little paranoid that I will lock them in forever, which is ridiculous.
If you forget your code, you will need to speak to management. They are usually the only people in the hotel that have the master code to access all of the safes.
Don’t Let Others on the Elevator Without a Key
When staying in a secure hotel, you usually have to have a key to access the hotel elevators. Good practice is to not let people on the elevator that don’t have a key. If they need to use the elevator and don’t have a key, they can always go to the front desk.
Use Hotels With Good Reputations and Good Reviews
Choosing a hotel that has a good brand name, like Marriott, Hyatt or Scandic, is usually a good way to ensure that you are staying somewhere safe. Most brand name hotels have consistent security measures in all of their hotels and their hotel safety is top notch.
If you are unsure of how safe a hotel is, read their reviews. Boutique hotels can be great options to stay in as well and usually are very aesthetically pleasing. To make sure they are quality hotels and secure, check the reviews. Don’t stay in a hotel that only has a couple of comments. Also if you see any critiques that are negative, pay attention to these reviews! I usually aim for hotels that have a rating of 8.0 or more and have many positive reviews.
You May Also Like: Hotels vs Vacation Rentals: Which is Better For Your Trip
Avoid an Airbnb/Vacation Rental Scam
Choosing an Airbnb or a vacation rental can be a fantastic option for traveling, especially with a family. If you have a big family, it might be more economical to stay at a vacation rental than pay for a couple of hotel rooms for the night. Unfortunately, there are scams out there that you need to be aware of. Here are some ways to avoid them and make sure you are booking an actual room.
This list came from Airbnb’s website with some comments of my own:
- Do not pay for a room using cash, venmo or other methods. You will only pay for Airbnb through the app – unless permission has been granted by Airbnb. If this is the case, it would be stated on the listing before you book.
- Don’t stay in places that seem too good to be true. They are most likely a scam. Apartments or houses that look gorgeous, with a bunch of amenities and have a really low price are probably not real.
- Read reviews and stay at places that have a 4.8 rating or higher. Just like hotels, be sure the Airbnb is quality by checking what the reviews say.
- Don’t stay in places that don’t have reviews. This is hard because sometimes new Airbnbs can be great, but, for safety reasons, I would avoid them. It is better to be safe than show up and not have a place to stay.
- Message with the host before booking to see if they respond. This is a great way to make sure it is not a false listing. If the host doesn’t respond or doesn’t respond quickly, book a different place.
Want more information on how to book a good Airbnb? Check out this post: Cut Through the Bullshit: How to Book a Good Airbnb
Hopefully these hotel safety tips for traveling families have given you the necessary information to help you have a great vacation and help you feel secure in your hotel.
Happy and safe travels!
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