Cabin crew member Cici has a checklist she follows whenever she stays in a hotel, particularly when she first arrives, to make sure that she is as safe and sound as possible
A flight attendant has a list of top tips that should help you sleep soundly in a hotel – and has revealed why you’ll want to always leave a towel by the door.
Sometimes when you’re many miles from the warm comfort of your bed and in an unfamiliar country, getting 40 winks can be easier said than done. Thankfully American cabin crew member Cici has a safety checklist she follows whenever she stays in a hotel, particularly when she first arrives.
The travel pro took to TikTok earlier this year to explain that she always takes a small towel from the bathroom and wraps it around the door’s safety latch as a precautionary measure. Closing the latch lock with the hand towel, it can make it trickier for someone to open the door from the outside.
Cici also warned holidaymakers to check that the door of their room is fully shut whenever they leave, and that the peephole’s observation portal is closed. If there is no cover for it on the door, she suggested you “just take some tissue and shove it in there so nobody can see inside your room”.
Knowing the hotel layout including the evacuation map is also key, and she recommended counting “the number of doors to the exit stairwell” in case there’s a fire and it’s “too dark or smoky” to spot the exits. She added that she also uses “a personal safety alarm like the Birdie”. The colourful device has “a loud alarm and flashing strobe light designed to deter an attack” and can be purchased online for less than £20. “I bought one for all the women in my life,” Cici said.
When it comes to letting strangers into her room, the flight attendant does not mess around. “If someone knocks at the room and says they are housekeeping, but you didn’t order anything, call the front desk,” the aviation pro continued. “This could also be room service, security or anything you weren’t expecting.” Finally, “for added protection at night”, the flight attendant recommended using door safety alarms, which are set off if someone enters the room.
“Always bring two door wedges or door stop alarms just in case you have an adjoining room and they weren’t able to accommodate your room request,” she continued. Flight attendants are a great source of travel tips. One recently caused a stir when she revealed she always leaves a shoe in her room’s safe, to stop herself from forgetting valuables. It was one of many quick and easy hacks which Esther, a member of cabin crew from Dutch airline KLM, shared with her TikTok followers.
Another tip she offered involved using a clothes hanger to clip the hotel curtains together at night, so you’re not woken up by the bright light in the morning, and using shower caps as shoe covers so that when you pack your suitcase for the way home, you won’t get the rest of your items covered in dirt. Esther also suggested using “your USB cable and charge your devices in the TV” if you don’t have a world travel plug or if the one you have doesn’t work.
