Just wondering how the other ladies here feel about being given a first-floor room in a hotel? The property in question was a Hilton Garden Inn, not a motel or anything, and you had to pass the front desk to enter any of the rooms, but it still creeped me out. It was, to some extent, my "fault" as I requested a smoking room but this hotel did have 2 smoking floors and I actually let the desk agent know that I was not thrilled being a single woman, travelling alone, and given a first-floor room; he said there was nothing available on the other floor so in the end I switched to a non-smoking room, because it was just too creepy for me to be on the street level. Anyone walking from the parking lot could walk right up to the window and I know it takes a lot to break a hotel window but still, I was really uncomfortable. Plus a weirdo can ogle and such through a window without breaking it... I'd think that the reservation systems could flag travellers with obviously female names and book them into rooms on higher floors.

Most of the hotels I stay at either have no rooms on the first floor or are all non-smoking so it has never been an issue for me before.

Do you feel the same way about first-floor rooms?

Do you ever call the hotel in advance and specifically request a room on a higher-up floor? Normally I make some requests when I book but I find they're usually ignored--- smoking, bed size, etc--- not sure if it is my corporate travel desk not passing it along or what. If generally others are getting a response from calling ahead, I can start doing that when I visit a hotel I have never stayed in before.

If you find yourself in a first-floor room and can't change out of it, do you do anything "extra" to either ensure your security or to un-creep yourself so you can sleep? I do make sure all bolts/chains are latched and cell phone is by my bed in any hotel room, regardless of floor.

I have seen some posts on this topic but they're sprinkled into threads on other topics, so if I missed a similar thread in my search, please let me know. Thanks!