Any tips or advice for hotel security?

[Lavender14]

So I'm going to be taking ds (2) abroad on holiday in a couple of weeks. Its my first time taking him away by myself since I separated from his dad. I did a couple of nights in a hotel in the same country, kind of as a trial run and while it was fine and we had a lovely time, it surprised me how uncomfortable I felt at night going to sleep incase anyone entered the room knowing I was a single woman with a small child. I didn't sleep well the first night and the second i ended up putting a chair against the door just to give myself the peace of mind so i could switch off and go to sleep. On holiday we'll be eating at the hotel etc and about it a lot so it'll be very obvious that we are on our own.

Does anyone have any tips or recommendations for how to feel safer/keep ourselves safer while away? Or extra security I could use in the hotel room without it becoming a fire risk if we needed to leave quickly?

https://www.tripsavvy.com/ways-to-secure-your-hotel-room-3260236

Do you suffer with anxiety normally or it is just travel related?

I don’t mean to sound patronising (so sorry if I do) but why do you think someone will try to enter your room? Hotels have plenty of single women (with or without children) who stay. I used to travel a lot (both with work and for leisure) as a single woman and have never felt the urge to put a chair against my door.

I did have bad PPA following the birth of my son which involved some horrible intrusive thoughts and I go for counselling regularly following my relationship breakdown but for the most part I feel this is pretty well managed and I'll still push myself to take risks in order to challenge that thinking and give ds good experiences.

I have also woken up with a man in my bedroom before a few years ago during a break in so I guess it's not a completely unfounded concern. I think I'm also still adjusting a bit to having sole responsibility for ds's welfare 100% of the time.

It sounds like it’s more anxiety relating to your DS to be honest. Of course that won’t stop you worrying but you will actually be completely safe.

i have recently been researching portable door jammers for use when staying in hotels. this is the one i am going to buy, it looks very promising:

amzn.eu/d/iujLNFZ

Whatever security you decide to use bear in mind what would happen in the event of a fire.

Every hotel/B&B/guesthouse I've ever stayed in has the ability to lock the door, in fact once the door is closed it cannot be opened from the outside without a key, so is as secure as your own house in that respect. The only people that can access the room are the staff. If you think someone is going to notice you are alone, ask the staff for access to your room because they want to leave a surprise birthday present for you, then do indecent things to you, I strongly suggest thinking rationally and logically figuring out what the odds of that happening really are. Anxiety crossing the boundary into paranoia is very destructive and I recommend you address it, with counselling if necessary.

There are some fearsome looking gadgets around that might take minutes to unlock and remove.
Or you could just stick with some door wedges, effective, simple and cheap.
Amazon sells a pair of bamboo wedges for around a fiver, or try a local hardware store.

This.

get a door jammer from
amazon i use them more to stop my toddler escaping

i wouldn’t trust staff in some countries

A simple wedge to slip under the door.

I travel a lot for work and our security adviser recommended a simple door wedge.

Which ones?

Whether or not people think the worry itself is reasonable or not is a moot point. I would like to be able to feel a little more secure without putting us at risk from a fire so I can sleep easier at night.

My other issue is that my toddler is tall enough to open most doors without too much difficulty as long as the handle isn't too stiff and in the last hotel pushing down the handle from the inside overrode the locking mechanism. So he could easily have opened the door and been out onto the stairs of I wasn't watching him. He's also big enough to climb out of a travel cot so I need to be sure he's kept safely in the room with me if I need to use the toilet etc.

I have this - door wedge with alarm

Door Stop Alarm & Portable Door Lock - Hotel Door Jammer with 150dB Alert - Adjustable Security Device for Home & Travel Protection - Travel Safety Kit : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

I don't think you are necessarily at risk but if it sets your mind at ease so you sleep better it is worth £10! (bought this myself when felt nervous being alone in a new home so I do understand)

Re fire: the hotel alarms will wake you so don't worry about that

Re your toddler: I know some people stuff towels under the hotel door (to block light/sound) - would that slow him down?

Simple door wedge. I understand the anxiety, especially if you've had the horror of a break in at home!

There's nothing wrong with being aware such things have happened before, but don't let it take over the joy of a break away with your DS.

i have exactly same issue with my child. last time we went to turkey i was using the bathroom and he let himself out and was running down the corridor.

i’ve bought the door jammers for next holiday