I spend a lot of time out and about in my car. I often use the Laterooms service to get a good hotel deal and this has taken me to all sorts of off the beaten track hotels, some I’ve liked more than others.
But travelling alone as a female comes with certain risks and there are some precautions you can take to reduce these.
Most of these are fairly self evident things like ‘don’t run out of petrol at nights’, ‘always have your emergency breakdown contact details handy’, ‘keep a personal attack alarm handy’, ‘choose where to park your car wisely’, ‘don’t overdo the girly accessories onboard’ and always keep your mobile phone topped up of course.
But when it comes to staying at hotels on your own are there things you could do, to be safer and enjoy a more female friendly stay? Here are a few tips I’ve picked up based on experience…
1. If you can arrive at your destination during daylight hours it’s less intimidating.
2. If you plan to arrive late at night, ask in advance if you can park close to the reception area, rather than in a dark corner of a distant car park.
3. Choose your room wisely – if it’s a big hotel on many floors, ask for a room near the lift. Or an escort of course.
4. A breakfast menu for one hanging on your door is an instant sign that you’re on your own.
From a hotel point of view I’m always surprised that so few emphasise their safety features such as double locking doors (with an inside chain or similar) and a viewing eyeglass to see who’s there before opening up… And too many reception staff still proudly announce your room number at a busy reception desk when there’s really no need to.
The hotel services I consider to be female friendly, however, include:
5. Genuinely free wi-fi – not the ones that give you 30 mins free then expect you to pay for more…
6. A guaranteed range of quality toiletries (so I don’t have to bring all mine from home).
7. An evening menu/room service that includes healthy options eg fresh salads.
8. The choice of a wall-side restaurant table/seat where I can either look into the room or read without feeling watched…
9. Complimentary drinking water (in case I’ve run out).
10. A full length mirror.
I don’t normally stay in 5 star hotels on business (because I’m paying) but these are all fairly straight-forward and affordable areas that result in my future loyalty, positive feedback and word of mouth marketing.
And the safety matters should surely be minimum standards in any hotel that claims to welcome women who travel on their own.