Hotel Safety Tips for Family Travel

This past July was a fun and busy traveling month for our family. With three trips under our belt during that month, it prompted me to seriously think about family safety while traveling. I wanted to know everything I could about keeping my loved ones out of harm's way while staying in all of these different cities and hotels.

After some thorough research, I compiled a list of useful hotel safety tips to follow while traveling to various locations. By following the below advice, you can feel a little better about the safety of your family and possibly avoid a very scary situation in your traveling adventures.

While planning your family trip, it is always best to do your homework when booking a hotel. Do not rely solely on the reviews posted on the hotel's website. Search for personal reviews available on the Internet or ask family and friends who have visited the area for their opinions. Find out if the hotel and any other planned family-friendly activities are in a safe and relatively crime-free area. This kind of travel preparation ensures a safer trip for all involved and offers you peace of mind.

Upon arrival to your destination, here are some helpful hotel check-in tips to keep your family safe and secure during your stay:

• Do not say your name out loud when checking into the hotel. Simply state you will be checking in and hand over your driver's license and any other needed information.
• Most hotel employees are good about writing your room number and other important information down on paper. If they do not follow this safety procedure, feel free to ask for a different room, especially if there are people in the lobby who heard your information.
• If the hotel uses key cards to the room, make sure there is no personal information on the card such as your name or room number. Ask about the safety procedure to follow if you happen to lose one of the cards.

Keeping your family safe and secure while traveling is your number one priority. With all the scary and tragic stories out there gracing the nightly news, protect your loved ones by following the below family safety and travel tips during your hotel stay.

• Try to park under a light or a well lit area of the hotel parking lot. Stay aware of your surroundings and always keep room or car keys out and ready for use.
• Avoid venturing out alone at night to any area of the hotel. Use the buddy system or don't be afraid to ask a hotel employee to escort you to and from your destination if you are feeling uneasy.
• Make sure all outside hotel room doors, balcony doors, and windows are locked and dead bolted. Verify all guests or hotel employees before they enter the room.
• Know children's location at all times. If they are of age to roam around, it is still wise to use the buddy system and have them check in with you at various times throughout the day.
• Do not give out your room number or room phone number to strangers. If you do want to hang out with other friendly hotel guests, give them your cell phone number to make plans or meet in a neutral part of the hotel.
• Be cautious of what personal information you give out in casual conversation or while paying your tabs in certain parts of the hotel such as the restaurant, bar, or pool area. You never know who is listening or can pick up your personal information.
• Never leave your room key out in the open or unattended. If you lose your key, report it immediately to the front desk.
• Know where all of your hotel's fire and emergency exits are located. If you do hear an alarm, do not waste time investigating the situation and quickly get your family to a safe location.
• Make a note of the nearest hospital or emergency clinic to the hotel in case of a serious situation that needs medical attention.
• If you see any kind of suspicious activity in and around the hotel, report it immediately to the front desk or call the local police department to come and check it out.

Another important aspect of your family trip and hotel stay is to keep your money and valuables safe from possible theft. Remember to always be aware of your surroundings and be sure to report any suspicious activity to the front desk to keep your family and other visiting guests out of harm's way. Below are several tips for protecting your money and valuables during family travel:

• Never leave money or valuables out in plain sight in your car. Thieves often look through cars in hotel parking lots for anything of value.
• Never leave money or valuables laying around in your hotel room. If your hotel provides a room safe or safety deposit boxes, be sure to lock up anything of value.
• Never flash wads of money in public places inside or outside of the hotel area. Carrying around a large amount of money will put a huge target on your back for potential robbery.
• Make copies or pictures of all credit cards, passports, plane tickets, and any other valuables you will be traveling with. Leave a copy of these items with a trusted family member or friend back home to be able to easily access your personal information in case of theft.

As you can see from reading the above tips, there are so many different ways to keep your family safe while traveling and staying in hotels. The most important thing to remember is to use your common sense. If something doesn't feel right or makes you uneasy, trust your gut and take the extra precaution to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Just remember - it is always better to be safe than sorry when your loved ones are involved!

I hope you have found some valuable hotel safety tips when traveling with your family. If you have any questions or comments about the above advice or you have any other travel tips to share, feel free to leave these in the comment section below.