Traveling brings joy to everyone. Whether you’re traveling with friends, family or alone it is an experience worth restoring. It reenergizes you to go back to the mundane nature of everyday life. An integral part of that traveling is finding a place of accommodation. It can be a hotel or a resort or a guest house, the main point is how safe and secure it is for you and your family to stay.
If you want your travel experiences to be carefree then you have to start with finding a place of stay which is safe for you to come back to after a long day of adventure. Here are some tips that will help with the decision of finding a place which is safe as well as hygienic and comfortable to take away your travel loads.
1. Location
Location of the accommodation is always of utmost importance no matter which country or city you’re going to. If it is a big city you have to make sure you book a hotel which is in an upbeat area. It doesn’t have to be too pricey but don’t go looking for only cheap options without taking the area into consideration.
Try avoiding places near a bar or pub as the crowd around those places will never is sober enough to make you feel fully comfortable. Also, if you’re in a city which has a high rate of crimes or threats of terrorist activities get a hotel with proper security, closed gates, metal detector and other necessary safety equipment’s.
2. Pick a floor carefully
Never choose the ground floor as majority of crimes take place in this part of a hotel due to the easy access. Try to get into a hotel which has elevator facility so that so you choose a room a bit higher up. Also make sure people staying in the hotel and the staffs are the only people who are allowed to access the elevator. In simpler words, any outsider with access to the elevator makes the hotel a bit vulnerable for your stay.
But having said that you also have to remember that in case of emergencies fire department ladders can’t reach you beyond 5th floor so do not get a place so higher up that in case of any emergency or accident your only option is the hotel staircase. If you have a balcony, that too on a higher floor, make sure the railings are solid and tall so that children don’t fall off.
Try avoiding places near a bar or pub as the crowd around those places will never is sober enough to make you feel fully comfortable. Also, if you’re in a city which has a high rate of crimes or threats of terrorist activities get a hotel with proper security, closed gates, metal detector and other necessary safety equipment’s.
3. 24*7 reception
It’s a lot safer when you have a reception which is manned 24*7 as if you have a medical or other emergency in the middle of the night you have the guidance and support of the hotel staff to take care of the situation for you in an unknown city.
It is smart to let the front desk know your daily plans and the approximate time of your return everyday so that they take appropriate action in case you can’t get back to the hotel.
4. Look for valet parking
Most of the crimes take place in the parking lot whether it is a hotel, or a mall or some other place you’re visiting. So if you’re traveling to a place for the first time or traveling completely alone it is a good idea to find a hotel which has valet parking. It will cost a little extra for sure, but at least you’ll have the peace of mind.
5. Picking a room near Emergency Exits
Again, this concerns situations where you are faced with an emergency or an accident and you immediately need to vacate the place. In those moments, chances are that elevators will not work and it is better to be closer to an emergency exit than being dependent on the stairwell.
6. Try to avoid shared rooms and connecting rooms Both you should avoid for the same reason. That is security. When you’re sharing a room or you’re staying in a room that is connected through a common door which has locks on the other side or a common bathroom opens access to your place you’re putting yourself in a position that is vulnerable. You don’t get to choose whom you share the room with, so it’s better to avoid a situation like that altogether than have to be extremely vigilant all the time and lose the precious sleep that you clearly need before the next day of traveling.
7. Pay attention to reviews
Though all reviews on a travel website are not authentic and many which are authentic are not informative enough, it never hurts to look at the reviews before booking a hotel room. Sometimes those reviews save you from smaller but very annoying issues like molds and bed bugs in hotel restaurants and bedrooms which can give you allergies and be adversely effective to your health.
8. On a lighter note
When you think about it, it is as much important to find a place with all the safety hacks as it is important to find a place which lets you enjoy the local flavors of the area including food, lodging, and the overall experience of the local culture through decorations and ambience so that you get a feel of the tradition of the ethnicity of the area of your visit even before you step out of the hotel to explore the city.
9. Picking up the phone helps
This is the day and age of the internet but it helps to pick up the phone sometimes and enquirer about your requirements on the phone. Sometimes it’s even possible to get last minute bookings in a hotel if you directly call the front desk even when the travel website shows you the place is full.
10. Amenities and airline programs
It depends from person to person what kind of amenities you’re looking for when you’re booking a room with any hotel. But if you have any specific needs per see you should make sure the hotel or resort has that facility before confirming a booking with them.
Moreover, if you’re in any frequent flyer program of any airline then you can also join the hotel loyalty program and avail facilities which come with it, such as, car rentals, cruises and other kinds of entertainment options.