Do you take a wedge or something to a hotel for extra security?

[Thingsthatgo]

we are going to spend a week in different hotels on our holiday, and I don’t know if I am being over anxious. Does anyone take any extra security measures to prevent people accessing their room overnight?

Has never even occurred to me

Never even crossed my mind. I use the chain or deadlock thing

I take a wedge when staying on my own ever since two men tried to get into my hotel room at 3am. I didn’t feel anxious before that but now I take a wedge for peace of mind.

The USB ports in the wall that you charge devices through can be used to download your data. The risks of this are particularly high in business hotels used by foreigners and at airports or in taxis, etc. You can get data blockers if you would still like to use these - they are tiny and you can get them on Amazon for a few quid. But personally I just stick to an old fashioned charger or my own power bank.

Never crossed my mind.

🙄

Ive travelled solo in countries like Iran, Syria and Egypt which are considered to be risky for lone females and have always taken a door wedge. Stayed in some hotels in rough areas without incident. The only time I had an "incident" (man tapping on door at night) was in Venice. If its a normal key I half turn it in the lock so that even someone with a pass key could not get in. In a key card system I wedge the door whenever I am in the room. I was once given the key to an occupied room (Paris)

I think I've only ever once stayed in a hotel that didn't have a secondary lock on the door, and on that occasion I put a chair in front of the door.

Most hotels I've stayed in have had a thumb lock, or a chain or similar. Or old-fashioned keys, which you can just leave half turned in the lock (boutique-style hotels).

Nowadays I just take DP- if the loud snoring isn't enough to deter an intruder, the welcome they would receive would be more than enough.

No, because I'm not paranoid. And I stay on my own in hotels quite often.

No, it is neurotic.

Yes. Once I was given the wrong key and walked in on someone. Once two women went into my parent’s room late at night.
No harm either time but scary how it can happen.

Do you think no one gets the wrong key ? Or all hotel staff are harmless ?

DoorJammer Portable Door Lock... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HM7X6TT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

this was recommended on a similar thread, I never travel alone without it. Total peace of mind.

I’ve travelled alone for 20 years and never thought of or done this. Across the world and also in the UK. Now you’ve raised it as an issue- I’d never heard of this- I still wouldn’t bother.

I think it's mental to carry a door wedge about with you and if you feel the need you shouldn't be out unsupervised anyway

Doing insane things for hotel "safety" is an Instagram trope also

I travel a lot for work and personally I don't jam the door due to past experiences working in hotels. But then again I stay in chains mostly and have always felt safe. When I worked in them someone had jammed the door with a wedge and then managed to ring down with a medical emergency and we were unable to get in the room due to the jam. It took the fire brigade to knock the door down as hotel doors are thick and heavy! The person passed. It now terrifies me to jam the door for this reason tbh or in case of a fire. I am however totally aware this is very unlikely to happen though.

Never, stayed in hundreds of hotels with incident and haven’t stayed alone in a long time

By the way, the only reason someone accessing your room at night perceived to be a problem now is that the internet and social media specifically means that any incident is known about, and like Chinese whispers gets changed often. Fires, even more so medical emergencies happen too and a wedge could mean you can’t get out / get help.

Here to say this. I stayed in hotels in UK, abroad and never thought about doing this!

I find newer hotels less likely to have a deadbolt/chain. The last place I stayed what I thought was the deadbolt could be unlocked by pushing the door handle down. From inside and outside. So not really sure what the point of it was!

You say that but when my sil went travelling 20 odd years ago the travel wedge locks were suggested for solo female travellers and she took one with her. So they pre date the social media age

sadly the place she had a lucky escape was a hostel with a mixed dorm

I stay in UK hotels all over the country at least once, most weeks.

Never have I ever considered this

No. You're more likely to be attacked by your own husband in a hotel room than a stranger.

I use the hotel security lock bar thing. I'm not staying in a slum and I'm not setting up Home Alone contraptions.

This kind of scaremongering just exists to shrink the world of women (and sell tat through fear), when statistically the real risk is our own fathers, brothers, and partners.