Ensuring your safety and well-being during a hotel stay is crucial. Checking under the bed is one often-overlooked but vital step that can prevent unexpected issues.

Safety Habit: Water Bottle Check

One common safety tip shared by Esther, a flight attendant with European airline KLM, is to toss a water bottle under the bed upon arrival. This simple action can reveal if someone might be hiding there. If the bottle doesn't roll out, enlist a companion or hotel staff to look underneath and check if someone might be holding the bottle in place. If it rolls across without interruption, there’s no one hiding. If someone is there, leave the room immediately and contact hotel security.

You can also bend down to visually inspect under the bed. Besides safety, this helps check cleanliness, as you might find dust, hair, discarded items like cigarette butts, or other trash that previous guests left behind. The area under the bed can also house insects or pests, such as ants, cockroaches, or mites, which can impact your skin and health.

In some cases, guests have even found valuable items like jewelry or belongings that previous guests left behind. However, it could also be a place where someone has hidden dangerous items, like weapons or harmful substances, posing a potential risk.

Other Key Areas to Check for a Safe Stay

Beyond the bed, there are other important checks to ensure a secure, comfortable stay:

1.   Door Locks and Room Key:

-   Confirm that the door locks work, and check how the security lock functions. Test the door from both inside and outside the room.

-   Always look through the peephole before answering the door, and keep the balcony and window doors locked, especially if traveling with children.

2.   Cleanliness:

-   Inspect corners, bedding, towels, and bathroom facilities to ensure the room is clean and free from insects. If there are signs of pests, such as droppings, blood spots, or eggs, contact housekeeping immediately.

-   Check cleanliness of items like blankets, towels, cups, and kettles, and request cleaning or sanitize them if necessary.

3.   Hidden Cameras:

-   With advancements in technology, concealed cameras are not uncommon in hotels. Examine areas where a camera could be hidden, such as within lamps, paintings, TVs, and switches. Common hiding spots include floral arrangements, air conditioning vents, and curtain rods.

-   Thoroughly inspect these areas to detect any small, out-of-place items or devices that could be cameras.

Performing these checks takes only a few minutes but can save you from potential inconveniences and even legal issues.