When you're traveling alone, do you list 1 or 2 people in the room?
#16
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My response is that I would never pay extra money to show that 2 people are staying in a room when it is just I. Even on business, I'd never do it because I wouldn't want to show that my room were more expensive than a male colleague's simply because he reserved a room for 1 but I reserved it for 2. I don't want my T & E report to stand out as being more expensive because I am female. I don't want to give any firm "cause" to discriminate against female employees. I can and certainly do use the deadbolt.
Also, I found it ironic at a hotel a couple of weeks ago that they were so careful not to say my room out loud but every time I went for breakfast or to the club the host practically asked rather loudly from across the way for my room number.
Last edited by Analise; Jan 21, 2011 at 11:32 am Reason: no edits - an oops - meant to reply
#17
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http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...el_in_New_York
I was just looking up that story more and came across this, which shows that latch across the door can be defeated in a couple of seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUz_Y...layer_embedded
Last edited by l etoile; Jan 21, 2011 at 9:58 am
#18
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absolutely YES!
My response is that I would never pay extra money to show that 2 people are staying in a room when it is just I. Even on business, I'd never do it because I wouldn't want to show that my room was more expensive than a male colleague's simply because he reserved a room for 1 but I reserved it for 2. I don't want my T & E report to stand out as being more expensive because I am female. I don't want to give any firm "cause" to discriminate against female employees. I can and certainly do use the deadbolt.
Hadn't thought of that!
#19
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Actually, the blog post on HotelChatter says
In any case, the fact that the victim almost certainly made it clear to the perpetrator that she was alone would have trumped anything she might have told the front desk.
I am still of the opinion that there are certain precautions that make sense, and others that are just over-the-top, needless fearmongering. In that vein, the whole issue of your room number being audibly relayed during breakfast...really, do you think rapists are sitting around the breakfast buffet furtively writing down single womens' room numbers so they can attack them 16 hours later?
Live your life, I say. If I listened to half of the "oh, but isn't that DANGEROUS?" comments that people make about my travels, I'd never have gone anywhere.
Originally Posted by HotelChatter
The suspect allegedly managed to get a key card to her room, which was generated by a hotel staffer. It was not clear if the card had been made for the suspect.
I am still of the opinion that there are certain precautions that make sense, and others that are just over-the-top, needless fearmongering. In that vein, the whole issue of your room number being audibly relayed during breakfast...really, do you think rapists are sitting around the breakfast buffet furtively writing down single womens' room numbers so they can attack them 16 hours later?
Live your life, I say. If I listened to half of the "oh, but isn't that DANGEROUS?" comments that people make about my travels, I'd never have gone anywhere.
#20
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That's why I wrote "apparently". It's murky ...the key was made by a staffer ...The questions are at whose request, why and how did the bartender get it. Sounds rather unlikely it would just be lying there, be clear it was for her room and he would happen to come by and grab it.
I did not see anything stating it's a fact she made it clear or almost certainly clear she was alone though. Hypothetically though, I agree that if you say you're staying alone it defeats the purpose of claiming on the registry that you're not.
In any event ...attacks sometimes happen at hotels (here's another from the Clift in San Francisco http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BATGVCE6H.DTL), and you're probably most vulnerable at a hotel as many are likely to let in strangers moreso than any where else. I don't let strangers in my home, yet do it all the time at hotels (maids, maintenance, room service, package/amenity/luggage delivery). The only time I've been victim of any type of a personal attack was from employees of a hotel where I was staying (an upscale brand of a major chain).
And the video I posted above shows that latch doesn't do a bit of good and other videos show many key cards will work on any room - the light just won't turn green.
Is it going to make me anything differently than I do now? No.
I only started the thread for discussion purposes when I discovered my habit of putting 2 in the room was probably costing me a fair amount of money. I wondered if others did this since it is an oft-repeated safety tip, yes, right along with making sure the check-in agent doesn't state your room number aloud, which I have always found a little silly since someone could easily find my room number by watching my entry/exit if they were so inclined.
Originally Posted by travelmad478
In any case, the fact that the victim almost certainly made it clear to the perpetrator that she was alone would have trumped anything she might have told the front desk.
In any event ...attacks sometimes happen at hotels (here's another from the Clift in San Francisco http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BATGVCE6H.DTL), and you're probably most vulnerable at a hotel as many are likely to let in strangers moreso than any where else. I don't let strangers in my home, yet do it all the time at hotels (maids, maintenance, room service, package/amenity/luggage delivery). The only time I've been victim of any type of a personal attack was from employees of a hotel where I was staying (an upscale brand of a major chain).
And the video I posted above shows that latch doesn't do a bit of good and other videos show many key cards will work on any room - the light just won't turn green.
Is it going to make me anything differently than I do now? No.
I only started the thread for discussion purposes when I discovered my habit of putting 2 in the room was probably costing me a fair amount of money. I wondered if others did this since it is an oft-repeated safety tip, yes, right along with making sure the check-in agent doesn't state your room number aloud, which I have always found a little silly since someone could easily find my room number by watching my entry/exit if they were so inclined.
Last edited by l etoile; Jan 21, 2011 at 11:03 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2010
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A general safety tip - request a high floor / not ground level. Some hotels require a keycard to access the elevators up, and also it's tougher for a criminal to break into a 12th floor via the window than the ground floor.
#22
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Nope, have never put 2 in a room for safety reasons. Never occurred to me to do so & I've been staying in hotels for a long time.
I have occasionally put 2 if a friend is staying w/ me, but a few times when it pushed up the rate I changed it back to 1 & figured I'd take my chances w/ the friend getting challenged in the exec lounge (which for brekkie or lounge reason is really the only reason I'd put 2).
I always ask for 2 keys when checking in & tell them up front it's due to me losing them. Like travelingsalesgal I usually end up btwn 4-6 by the end of the stay if it's a longer stay. Heck, the front desk at times sees me coming & starts making up the replacement, saying did you forget it in your room again Ms SkiAdcock?
BTW - I think we're getting sidetracked by the Wyndham story. Let's face it - that's not actually the norm, and I doubt the 2 on the ressie would have made a difference.
Cheers.
I have occasionally put 2 if a friend is staying w/ me, but a few times when it pushed up the rate I changed it back to 1 & figured I'd take my chances w/ the friend getting challenged in the exec lounge (which for brekkie or lounge reason is really the only reason I'd put 2).
I always ask for 2 keys when checking in & tell them up front it's due to me losing them. Like travelingsalesgal I usually end up btwn 4-6 by the end of the stay if it's a longer stay. Heck, the front desk at times sees me coming & starts making up the replacement, saying did you forget it in your room again Ms SkiAdcock?
BTW - I think we're getting sidetracked by the Wyndham story. Let's face it - that's not actually the norm, and I doubt the 2 on the ressie would have made a difference.
Cheers.
#24
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,287
No, I only put 1 down for the room. I do use the locks.
For people that misplace their keys - do they rekey the electric code so the earlier key won't work? I'd be more worried that I was leaving my key all over the place because keys are meant to allow access to things/places you'd like unauthorized people to stay out of... Psychological barrier maybe? Maybe a badge pull and binder clip to attach a key card to the inside of your bag would help.
For people that misplace their keys - do they rekey the electric code so the earlier key won't work? I'd be more worried that I was leaving my key all over the place because keys are meant to allow access to things/places you'd like unauthorized people to stay out of... Psychological barrier maybe? Maybe a badge pull and binder clip to attach a key card to the inside of your bag would help.
#26
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For people that misplace their keys - do they rekey the electric code so the earlier key won't work? I'd be more worried that I was leaving my key all over the place because keys are meant to allow access to things/places you'd like unauthorized people to stay out of... Psychological barrier maybe?
Cheers.
#27
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I started doing this after a hotel manager walked in on me while I was dressing (fortunately I had just put on a T-shirt). He didn't knock because he thought the room was empty. It turned out that the deadbolt was faulty. He got it fixed pronto for me.
#28
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Seems like the supposedly "sketchy" hotels would be a better choice than the high end chains when traveling alone. If I'm a bad guy looking to pick up some lonely older woman with more money than sense, would be I hanging out at the Discount Hostel or would I be at the Intercontinental? I have noticed a frequent theme on this site and among some friends of mine as well, to assume that if something is more expensive it is somehow more safe. The opposite is true, if you ask me. Predators tend to go where the prey is.
#29
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Seems like the supposedly "sketchy" hotels would be a better choice than the high end chains when traveling alone. If I'm a bad guy looking to pick up some lonely older woman with more money than sense, would be I hanging out at the Discount Hostel or would I be at the Intercontinental? I have noticed a frequent theme on this site and among some friends of mine as well, to assume that if something is more expensive it is somehow more safe. The opposite is true, if you ask me. Predators tend to go where the prey is.
As with a few posters above, I always get two keys because it increases the likelihood that there will actually be one there when I want one.
It would never occur to me to put a "2" in numer of guests when i am travelling alone. Honestly, this kind of advice just strikes me as stuff that writers trying to fill space in women's magazines come up with.
#30
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A reason for saying you're traveling alone (vs. imaginary friend)
I discovered that my hotel this week has a 'solo woman traveler' valet parking rate (same rate as self-parking), which would definitely not be available had the front desk seen that I had a reserved the room for a party of 2.
I've never seen this type of rate before, though I hope I see more of it.
More on this:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/pearls...-parking-rate/
I've never seen this type of rate before, though I hope I see more of it.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/pearls...-parking-rate/