AIBU? Hotel room alone?

Don't worry the interest in you completely stops when you hit about 40.

according to mn most people sleeps with their arses hanging out and have to air their bits. No one wears pjs

Honestly love it myself. Little break away. I have a set routine every few months, always have a hotel with a gym (tire yourself out a bit), no alcohol. I try to do a thing the first night, and second night is all out pamper night. Hair mask, foot mask, face mask, and I take my iPad so I can watch something of my own choice.

I was terrified when in halls for the first time. Slept the two first terms with the chair up against the door.

DO NOT get a wedge if there's a fire you could be trapped and it would prevent emergency services getting in.

I'd recommend the chair in front of the door and buying yourself a rape alarm.

You could also ask for a room close to reception for extra comfort.

As others have suggested you need to feel safe but also be safe. Stopping entry into the room completely with a wedge is dangerous. The chair would slow someone down and make a noise to wake you but emergency services could get in and you can get yourself out if necessary.

As to sleeping if I'm struggling i pop the TV on low and just try to relax and close my eyes in the hope I drift off. I also try to tire myself out as much as possible.

Good luck

What annoys me about some hotels is i just want to get the key card at reception and go.

I have had male receptionists spend ages chatting to me, asking me why im visiting, have i been before etc.

When i saw them not ask the male customer in front of me, any of those questions

Im the same OP. I dont sleep that well in hotels.

I've had a few bad experiences in hotels.

Male staff bursting into my room. One walked into my room while I was in bed.

Old male receptionists chatting me up, bringing me up to show me my room and staying in my bedroom longer than needed. Making me feel uncomfortable.

One time I stayed in a hotel that had a glass panel over the door. At night i saw a camera flash at this glass panel. I went to look at the online reviews in detail and i found a negative review saying "male hotel staff took photos of me through the door".

Then theres the times ive heard people have noisy sex for hours, people argue etc

The way you've worded that sounds almost mocking....

I have stayed alone a number of times in hotel rooms and never much worried about it, but since the incident of a woman getting sexually assaulted in her hotel room because the man got hold of a key from reception then I really worry. It’s so easy to access someone’s room. Lots of helpful tips here.

Yeah, that was probably on purpose. It's very easy to grab your own clothes from the room you're in, even if you vacate first and put them on later.
I bet everyone had their phone with them, including your naked friend.

Yeah, that was probably on purpose. It's very easy to grab your own clothes from the room you're in, even if you vacate first and put them on later.
I bet everyone had their phone with them, including your naked friend.

I love staying away in hotels for work or pleasure. Enjoy the change of routine so don’t share the anxiety as such.

the travelodge safety issues have made me a little wary though so I can kind of understand.

how nice is the hotel is there a spa or facilities you can use in the evening? I would try and occupy the evening & tire myself out rather than sit in the room to alleviate some of the anxiety.

For the work event, are there others staying? Or colleagues that might want to do something/give you company.

take a door wedge though if you do have concerns but usually hotels nowadays need you to key though doors to access the room corridors/lifts etc

ive stayed all over the world i(ncluding countres like Iran, Syria and Egypt) on my own and no one ever got past my trusty door wedge. Ive had men tapping on my door late at night and just ignored them or threatened to call the police. They disappeared quickly then because they dont want the police coming in these countries. They are not like the British police. Now you can get all kinds of more sophisticated devices on Amazon.

If you've ever heard a hotel fire alarm go off - there's no way you can sleep through it, they're incredibly loud (I am deaf, and it was traumatic to wake up from a deep sleep to that!). Please don't wedge the door, you are putting yourself at risk.

I stay away from home every month with work, so I am struggling to see why it's a problem, but then I live alone anyway ... it's much less likely that someone will try and break into your room on a brightly-lit corridor, probably covered by CCTV, where you have a phone by the bed, than anywhere else.

I always take some 'home comforts' - my own teabags because the ones they provide aren't always good; a mini hot-water bottle in winter, a snuggly scarf to wrap round my shoulders while reading, good book, chocolate, iPad so I can watch iPlayer or Netflix. It's absolute bliss after a long working day to shut the door, not have to talk to clients or colleagues any more, and snuggle down in peace and quiet.

Eh? It’s not the 1930s and I’m sure pjs or your actual clothes thrown on, would suffice

I never sleep as well as I do in hotel rooms. All your baggage is literally gone. It’s just you and the bed.

if you’re literally scared about your safety get a door stopper. Otherwise, if you’re still so anxious perhaps try and work out why and seek some help.

I love a hotel stay on my own!

They would go out of business if hotels were so dangerous! Maybe don’t go to a really cheap one but a half decent hotel will be very safe.

Friend of mine who was a teacher, now retired, said one of the most useful pieces of advice given to her when she was at the start of her career was from an older woman teacher - if you go on a residential, make sure you have a dressing gown that covers you completely, for when the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night.

Nowadays you'd probably also have them taking photos of Miss in her nightie, with the phones they're not supposed to have.

Same applies when staying in a hotel - substantial dressing gown, or a long coat ready to grab.

I never sleep well the first night in a hotel, the next is much better. I just anticipate it, dont lie there trying to sleep, relax, listen to a podcast , tell yourself you dont have to be asleep to be resting, I usually drop off but even if I dont I am rested.

A funny one: Male I knew, very gregarious and heavy drinker, staying 2 nights in a very upmarket hotel. Apparently he normally slept naked. The fire alarm went off around 2am, he jumped up and ran out of his room into the garden. It was an autumn night and not very warm. He was the only guest without any clothing on and they were outside for 2 hours! Garden had automatic lighting.

I’ve had several fire alarms in hotels because of people smoking, the whole room shakes and the sound is shocking. People don’t leave their rooms because they think it’s a false alarm. This isn’t a good thing

please don’t put a wedge under your door, that’s really dangerous. I put my suitcase or a chair in front of the door instead

staying in hotels is really hard as it’s a new environment and the stress of travelling for work. Grab some things from supermarket and get the room set up with some familiar treats and do just try to relax

This is a very unkind comment. OP did not enjoy the stay because she was on her own in a hotel room.
Not everyone gets to travel on their own for work and stay in various hotel rooms all over the world to build up on this kind of experience.
OP, as much as I love being at home because I like the house and enjoy being with my family in the same place, I do actually like the travelling for work part. Because I get a bed all to myself, there’s none to ask me for anything, I don’t need to do anything for anyone and can just have a bit of time to myself. Although I often end up working on my laptop in bed.
I actually jumped up and down on the bed on a few occasions when I discovered I had an amazing room all to myself.
Obviously not the done thing and nobody knows about it in real life because it sounds (well, it is) childish. In the way that I love running up the stairs but can’t do it in public in real life because I’m supposed to look all grown up, measured, professional and all that sort of nonsense.
Next time you go remember to take a book and face mask with you.

I don’t sleep terribly well if not in my own bed but as others have said, 2nd night is always better.

What is it that you don't like? I can't relate as I love a night in a hotel!

I recently bought one of these for additional security. Very effective.
https://amzn.eu/d/062H3Hq3

I’ve been in two hotels when the fire alarms went off in the middle of the night. I was shocked at how few people actually got up and out of their room to at least check there wasn’t a fire. The next day I was talking to people and only one other person had woken up to the alarm at the first hotel, the second was around 11pm so more people were still awake.

So I wouldn’t put money on people hearing the fire alarm, especially with ear plugs!