When you are looking for accommodation in a hotel, there are several precautions to take to ensure that you will enjoy your trip and that you will return home without any incidences. Not every location you travel to is safe. Therefore, the following tips are meant to be a guide to staying in Singapore hotels.
Marina Bay Sands in Singapore – photo by Wikimedia
Selecting Your Room
1. Select a room that is located between the fourth and sixth floors. Avoid rooms that are above this level. The reason is that the fire department ladders can cover a maximum of six levels, so in case of a fire in the hotel, your safety is assured.
2. If possible, don’t accept a room on the ground floor that has windows and doors that open to the outside. Research shows that hotels that have interior hallways tend to be safer. And if you are in a motel, avoid rooms that are adjacent to the parking lot. If you can’t get a room located on the upper floors, take one that faces the interior courtyard.
3. The safest rooms in a hotel are the ones nearest to the elevators, but they also tend to be a bit noisy. In addition, find out if your room is located in a wing full of vendors. Such rooms also tend to be noisy.
Hotel Michael Singapore
Safety in the Elevator
4. If you are female, ensure that you are accompanied to your room and that the room is checked. And while you are in the elevator, observe all passengers.
5. Board the elevator last and also be the last one to press the floor selection buttons.
6. Position yourself near the control panel of the elevator, and if you are attacked, push many floor buttons and keep your back to the elevator side wall.
7. If you see someone suspicious boarding the elevator, exit as soon as you can.
Safety When Checking into Your Room
8. Examine the locks in the guest room to ensure that they are functioning well.
9. Check the closets and the bathroom and ensure that no one is hiding there.
10. If there is an adjoining room, ensure the lock on the door is working and that the door is locked.
11. Ensure the telephone is working and that you know how to make an external call.
12. Look for the hotel fire safety information and read it carefully. Make sure you are familiar with the location of the fire exit. Find out if the fire exit opens quickly and if the exit signs are well illuminated.
13. When you enter a room, ensure the door closes in a secure manner and that the dead bolt is functioning. Keep the dead bolt locked and don’t prop your guest room door open because someone may push the door and force himself or herself in.
Singapore travel tips
14. Test the security by calling the hotel using a mobile or house phone and asking for yourself. If you are given the room number, know that there is a security lapse, and you need to take extra care.
15. Never leave your room key in the lock. It can be pushed out of the keyhole using an object. And by placing a newspaper under the door, the key can be slid out from under the door using the paper and the door unlocked quickly.
16. In case you lose or misplace your key, ask to be relocated or have your electronic key card or lock changed.
While staying in a hotel as a guest, your safety is paramount. Follow the above tips to ensure that you remain safe during your stay and that you return home in one piece.
This article was written and provided by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, the ultimate platform for all your travel needs.