When Solo Travel Got Real: This Hotel Incident Changed Everything For Me.

As I prepare to travel again I was reminded of a story that changed how I travel forever. I was working in corporate for a company where we traveled weekly and bi-weekly. I was gone Monday through Friday, home only on Saturday and Sunday, and then back on the road again that following Monday. At that time, I was traveling alone as a project manager consultant.

As a single woman traveling alone or even with other people. I’m very aware of my surroundings now, my P’s and Q’s, and I no longer allow certain things to happen.

This was in 2019, and I was staying at a Hilton hotel brand. I checked into my hotel and everything seemed fine. I had a tendency to not fully unpack my suitcase, and I also tended to just go with the flow when traveling.

I had always felt safe traveling alone, but this time felt different.

I was out of my room most of the day because I had clients and was traveling to their offices. As you know, hotels have housekeeping that comes in to clean the rooms.

At this hotel, during that time, they didn't have Do Not Disturb signs — but what my ass would do is keep mine on the entire time. I never really saw a reason to take it off, even when I was back in the room. A bit crazy right? Probably but we learned a lesson that week!

What the hotel would do, though, is slide a paper slip halfway under the door saying something like, “We saw that you had your Do Not Disturb sign on when we came to clean. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to the front desk.”

This is where I take accountability...

I should have picked those paper slips up. Instead, I would see them, kind of scoot them to the side with my foot, and go into my room. I did this for the entire week.

One night, I noticed my purse was gone. I always kept my purse inside my suitcase. I never felt the need to bring it to work because I carried a small wallet instead.

Now this is where is gets crazy.

Depending on the type of day I had I can be a heavy or light sleeper tonight was a light sleep night.

Around three o’clock in the morning, I heard my door open — and then close very quickly. I kid you not, my purse was suddenly sitting in the corner right by the front door.

I remember thinking, This is strange. Why is my purse by the door? I don’t remember putting it there. I went through it and noticed that $100 was missing.

At that point, I thought, Okay, I could be tripping — but I think someone took my purse, rummaged through it, and took money out of it.

The next day, I went to the front desk and told the manager what happened. He denied everything. He said no one came through, there was no documentation showing that any master keys were used, and that nothing happened.

But I knew for a FACT that someone had taken my purse — because $100 was missing. He continued to deny it.

At that point, I was furious. I felt violated. I felt like my boundaries had been crossed. And IYKYK that feeling is the worst.

Thankfully, I was checking out that same day. After I left the hotel, I wrote a lengthy review on TripAdvisor and Google as well.

About two weeks later, a gentleman commented under my TripAdvisor review saying something similar had happened to him at that same hotel. Someone had come into his room and taken his Rolex watch and $100 off his nightstand.

That’s when I realized this was either normal for them or some kind of scam — and that the manager might have been involved as well.

I say all this to say that after that incident, my entire perspective on traveling changed.

I started bringing a Ring camera with me every time I travel. I set it up whenever I leave the room. It’s the reason I always lock my luggage now. It’s the reason I put the Do Not Disturb sign on when I leave — and take it off when I return.

It made me look at housekeeping differently, management differently, and hotels differently overall.

What I learned from that incident:

• If anything is slid under your door, always pick it up.

• Always lock your suitcases.

• Always carry some form of protection

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I also stay very aware of my luggage and check it whenever I return to my room, just to make sure nothing’s been tampered with.

I still love hotels. I still love traveling. But now I’m much more cautious, more alert, and intentional about where I book, who I book with, and how I travel.