Hotel Safety Checklist: What to Ask For Before Your Next Trip

A friend recently took a hard fall in a hotel shower, the kind of moment that happens in seconds and changes a trip (or worse) instantly. Hotel stays come with a handful of risks that don’t exist at home: unfamiliar flooring, dark parking lots, stairwells, and bathrooms that weren’t designed with stability in mind. The good news: a little prep before you leave home goes a long way.

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When You Book

Ask for a room near the elevator, not reachable only by stairs. Less walking on unfamiliar flooring, especially at night, means fewer opportunities for a misstep. If the property has stairs to certain rooms or floors, ask to be placed somewhere reachable entirely by elevator.

Consider a first-floor or ground-level room. Fewer transitions between elevators, hallways, and stairwells means fewer chances to trip on unfamiliar terrain, and it’s one less thing to think about if there’s ever an emergency evacuation.

Ask about valet parking, or a well-lit spot close to the entrance. Self-parking often means a walk across a dark, uneven lot, especially with early check-ins or late arrivals. Valet (even if it costs a little more) means someone else navigates that lot, and you’re dropped right at the door. If valet isn’t available, ask the front desk to note a well-lit spot near the entrance at check-in.

Call ahead instead of relying on the website. Room photos rarely show floor location, parking setup, or shower type accurately. A quick call to the front desk confirms what you’re actually getting.

In the Room

Take a lap before you unpack. Walk the path from bed to bathroom, and note where the light switches are. Hotel rooms are laid out differently than home, and that first trip in the dark is often the riskiest one.

Use the nightlight or leave a bathroom light on. A small motion-sensor night light packs easily and removes the guesswork of a dark, unfamiliar room at 2 am.

Keep the path clear. Luggage, cords, and room service trays left on the floor are common trip hazards in a small hotel room. It’s worth a quick scan before bed.

In the Bathroom

Ask for a walk-in shower when you book. Stepping over a tub edge is one of the bigger fall risks in a hotel bathroom. Many hotels can accommodate a walk-in or curbless shower request even outside their official ADA-designated rooms.

Pack a portable suction grab bar. These attach to most smooth tile or fiberglass shower walls without drilling and give you something sturdy to hold onto getting in and out.

Bring your own slip-resistant bath mat. Hotel bathroom floors are often slick tile, and hotel bath mats, when they exist at all, are usually thin and prone to sliding themselves.

Wear shoes for the walk to the bathroom. A pair of lightweight slip-resistant slides make that walk, especially at night, much safer than bare feet on unfamiliar flooring.

Habits That Help at Home, Too

• Dry the floor as you go. Keep a towel or mat right outside the shower and step onto it immediately, rather than dripping across tile to reach a towel rack.
• Watch for soap and shampoo residue. A filmy buildup on tub or shower floors is often more dangerous than water alone. A quick wipe-down with a cleaner made for soap scum keeps it from building up.
• Replace a bath mat once its grip backing wears thin. If a mat slides at all when you press on a corner, it’s due for a replacement.
• Consider a no-slip treatment for tile. Applied like a sealant, it adds texture to smooth tile without changing the look. Worth it for a home bathroom that’s slippery even when dry.

The Bottom Line

None of this requires an overhaul; just a few small requests when you book and a few small additions to your suitcase. Small steps like these are worth the five minutes of prep, whether you’re heading out of town or just making your own home a little safer.