Lodging

While traveling abroad, it is important to remain vigilant in regards to your personal security. Travelers are often easy targets for crime. It is the responsibility of you, the traveler, to be aware of your safety and surroundings. Even in a hotel, it is important to be alert and protect yourself and your belongings.

Home Shares

• If utilizing a home share, select one where the host(s) is not living on site. 
• If the host is living on site, make sure the space is something like "maid’s quarters" or separate from the home itself.
• Sharing an apartment or home space that has private rooms only can expose the renter and their valuables to multiple issues. If there is no way to avoid this, make sure the room being booked has locks. 
• Book only with highly reviewed hosts (at least 20 positive reviews). 
• Read the post description very carefully.
• Research the area near the residence to see what it looks like, what's around, and if there are any areas you should avoid. 
• It is recommended that you stay in buildings that have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. 
• Pay and communicate with the host ONLY on the platform.

Hotels and Other Lodging

• Be aware if hotels in your host country or region have previously been targeted for crime.
• Read posted reviews by previous travelers and avoid hotels with poor ratings or with reviews that reference feeling unsafe in the hotel or the neighborhood.
• Stay with your luggage. Keep all your belongings with you throughout the check-in process.
• Request a room near an emergency exit, and avoid rooms with interlocking doors.
• Ask for a room that is not on the bottom floor. We recommend staying between the third and sixth floors, depending on the structure. 
• If your room number is compromised, ask for a different room. This includes a clerk announcing your room number within earshot of other guests or individuals. 
• Make sure the room has a deadbolt. Check to make sure the lock works properly and keep the doors and windows locked at all times. 
• Use an in-room safe for money and other valuables, such as your passport.
• When entering the room, check closets, under the bed, in the shower, and other areas of the room for anything that looks suspicious or out of place. 
• If a porter/bellhop accompanies you to the room, leave the door open and have them wait to leave until you have checked the space properly. 
• Ask hotel employees to identify themselves or show an ID before allowing them to enter the room.
• Be cautious of who you give you lodging information to.  If traveling alone, do not make it known to strangers nor drivers. 
• Become acquainted with the hotel's emergency procedures.
• Create and use evacuation/emergency plans.
• If you do not feel safe at a hotel, it is better to relocate and risk added expenses than to spend any time in accommodations that make you feel unsafe.