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    Anne Marie
    Black women of every age and income bracket can and should consider solo traveling and living abroad either permanently or semi-permanently.

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Safety Tips for Hotel & Short Term Rentals

December 4, 2022

In this blog post I will share some safety tips you should use when checking into and staying at, a hotel or short term rental like Airbnb, VRBO, etc.

As some of you may know, in my prior life, I oversaw Operations for multiple international development firms. Within my duties was oversight of Global Security. In other words, I was responsible for ensuring that thousands of people traveled the world and worked abroad safely. So, you could say I do know somethings about travel safety and security. I have also traveled to over 35 countries (and counting) many solo.

Here are my top tips for Hotels and Vacation Rentals. They are grouped separately because while both types of accommodations there are differences you should pay attention to.

For All Accommodations

  1. Do your homework before booking. Read the reviews before booking. If you see anything negative pick a different hotel or rental accommodation. If booking with Airbnb stick to super hosts.
  2. Research the area or neighborhood where you will stay before booking. If a short-term rental, ask your host though they are unlikely to give you an honest assessment. Who is going to say the neighborhood surrounding their rental is unsafe? Conduct an independent investigation of your own.  Great sources for information of this kind are Wiki articles, TripAdvisor, Tripit. Booking.com, Facebook groups and travel blogs are also helpful.
  3. Have a check in buddy. This is a friend or relative who has access to your itinerary and knows where you are at all times.  Let them know when you’re leaving the hotel and when you return each day. 

Hotels

  1. At check-in, ask the Reservation desk to write down your room number. They should not announce it or say it out loud.  If the front desk announces your room number, politely ask for another room assignment and that they write it down instead of saying it out loud. When traveling alone, it is best to ensure that no one knows your hotel room unless you want them to know it.
  2. Avoid the first floor. Ask to stay on floors 2 thru 4 no higher. It is advisable to select floor where you can get to the first floor or out of a window easily.  High floors are great for views, not so much for prompt exit during an emergency.
  3. Upon arrival and after check in, take a moment to identify the exit points and the emergency exits. Consider taking the stairs once a day (Mornings are best) so you know how to get out of the hotel without the elevator.
  4. Keep the privacy tag on your door. Only take it off when you want your room cleaned.
  5. Keep your doors locked. If the door has multiple locks, use them all. Consider using supplemental locks like a Door Jamm and Addalock as supplemental security for your door.

There are a lot more people with potential access to your room at hotels. Building security, housekeeping and maintenance. Don’t assume you’re safer then at a short-term rental because you are not so be sure to keep your room door locked properly at all times.

Short Term Rentals

  1. Do your homework before booking. Read the reviews and house rules before booking. If you see anything negative pick a different rental. If booking with Airbnb stick to super hosts.
  2. Research the area or neighborhood where you will stay before booking. You can ask your host though they are unlikely to give you an honest assessment. Who is going to say the neighborhood surrounding their rental is unsafe? Conduct an independent investigation of your own.  Great sources for information of this kind are Wiki articles, TripAdvisor, Tripit. Facebook groups and travel blogs are also helpful.
  3. Ask the host any and all questions that you have before booking. Be sure to ask whether anyone else will have entry access to the rental during your stay. This could be housekeeping or building security.
  4. When you arrive walk through the space, and videotape it. Check the locks of all entry/exit points and internal doors especially the bedroom and bathroom doors. Note whether any do not lock. If any of the external doors do not lock properly contact the Host immediately and consider finding somewhere else to stay if the issue cannot be resolved immediately (same day). 
  5. If you check into a high-rise building, note location of emergency exits. Take the stairs once a day (Mornings are best) so you know how to get out of the building without the elevator.
  6. Bring your own Door Jamm and Addalock as supplemental security for your bedroom or external entry point door.

I hope you find this safety tip helpful!

Get more Travel Safety and Security Tip in the downloadable Bald Girl Will Travel: Guide to Travel Safety & Security for Solo Female Travelers.

I spent 15 of my 20+ years in Management overseeing global security. I put together this guide to share some of the many things I learned over those years so that women can feel more confident traveling alone.

The most important thing to remember when traveling alone, especially as a woman, is to practice situational awareness and common sense. If it feels wrong even for a minute don’t do it. 

Thank You For Reading!

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Check out these solo travel blog posts:

HOW TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOS ON SOLO TRAVEL: 5 THINGS TO DO!

3 WAYS TO BUILD A SOLO TRAVEL MINDSET

10 SOLO TRAVEL MISTAKES TO AVOID!

4 MORE OF MY FAVORITE SAFETY APPS & GADGETS FOR SOLO TRAVEL!

7 SAFETY TIPS FOR WOMEN OVER 40 TRAVELING SOLO

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Blog Posts  / Solo Travel  / Solo Travel Tips  / Travel Planning  / Travel Safety & Security

Anne Marie Archer
I am on a mission to make solo travel accessible and fun for everyone, especially Black Women over 40, and to dispel the myth that women over 50 can’t be fashionable, comfortable, and still travel #TeamCarryon.

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  • About Me

    Anne Marie

    Hi I'm Anne Marie. I Quit my high six-figure income job, jumped off the hamster wheel, exited the American Rat Race, packed up my house and moved to Mexico in May 2021. Now I am embracing my love of solo travel while working as an HR consultant and connecting Black Women Coaches to those who need them via The BlackWomen Coach™ Directory (www.blackwomencoach.com). I have traveled to over 40 countries and I want Black Women over 40 to embrace solo travel! Stop waiting for your girlfriends, husband, boyfriend to get on the road. Go see the world and live your best authentic unapologetic and free life right now.

    We each have this one precious life – you owe it to yourself to live your life to the fullest NOW!

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    The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical or legal advice. Readers should consult with a licensed professional to get advice for their individual situation. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for more information. Copyright BaldGirlWillTravel,LLC 2022. This website, Baldgirlwilltravel, LLC, And all trademarks and other intellectual property used herein are the property of MegEd Enterprises LLC.

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    Over 50 I Solo Travel for self care you should too! 30+🌍 & counting✈️

    baldgirlwilltravel
    While it is not the most inexpensive place to vaca While it is not the most inexpensive place to vacation, California is my favorite place to vacation in the United States of America. 

A personal favorite of mine is San Francisco, but I also enjoy Los Angeles. California also has beautiful places like Catalina Island, Malibu, Monterey, San Diego. I love vacationing in Southern California. There’s lots of fun things to do and great places to eat. 

I really enjoyed the Griffin Observatory, the Getty Museum, and of course the Hollywood sign.  I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Visiting the Hollywood walk of fame, and Madame Tussauds wax museum. Of course the dining options are endless.

And the sunsets in Southern California are some of the most stunning sunsets you’ll see anywhere.

One of the things I still  want to do is to fly into San Francisco rent a car, and then drive all the way to San Diego. I was planning to do it for my birthday in 2020 but you know how that turned out!

This is not an endorsement  of California as a great place to live, nor am I saying it is the safest place to solo travel. 

IMHO no where in the USA is very safe for any type of travel because of the constant random gun violence and mass shootings.

But, California doesn’t have a government and governor promoting anti-black and homophobic laws every other day.

There are a couple other places that I really like for solo travel. And I will share my other two favorites, and I have a feeling they may surprise some of you. 👀👀

Have you solo traveled to California? Did you enjoy it?

Again, you do not have to agree with me. Please feel free to share any strong feelings of disagreemen on your own platform!
    if you want to check out my finds from visit to t if you want to check out my finds from  visit to the Massai market in Nairobi Kenya join my Facebook group in the link in bio (if you can meet the criteria) and you can check it out. I got some good stuff! #shoppinghaul #shoppingspree #massaimarket #nairobi #kenya #solotravel #africa
    One of the things I aim to do in 2023 is be very h One of the things I aim to do in 2023 is be very honest and candid about not just the wonderful things that happen when I travel but some of the not so wonderful things.

In my current BaldGirlWillTravel blog post I share my recent experience confronting white privilege in Dakar Senegal. 

While others probably have had similar experiences but choose not to talk about them, I am going to talk about mine because travel is not just pretty pictures and fun adventures. 

When you are Black and traveling and moving in the world you always have to deal with the impact of white supremacy slavery colonialism and anti-black racism. The impact of these things are reflected, not just in the United States of America but everywhere. 

Overall I had a wonderful time in Dakar. The people are amazing. The food is outstanding, and I will share a blog specifically dedicated to that subject separately. But in this blog post I share the encounter, how I dealt with it, and my overall thoughts on the expectation many have that WE have to be “nice” no matter how they behave and what they do. And my response to that is “nice for what?”

You can read the full blog post at the link in bio or here: 

https://baldgirlwilltravel.com/nice-for-what/

#whiteprivilege #travelingwhileblack
#blackandabroad #solotravel #africa #travel #travelblogger #blacktravel
    This Black History Month and every day support bla This Black History Month and every day support black businesses and #shopblack  please follow and support the BaldGirlWillTravel shop at the link in my bio and at the link in my bio and follow @baldgirlwilltravelshop #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #blackowned #blackownedbusiness
    this is why I love solo travel! There’s nobody t this is why I love solo travel! There’s nobody to discuss or debate any adventure with I just go for it! Because no friend, or relative of mine would’ve done this with me. But I did it! And I would do it again. And I highly recommend the experience so if you want to do the lion walk while you’re in Senegal reach out to @senegal_tourist_guide and they will help you to make it happen!🦁🦁🦁#fathalawildlifereserve #LionWalk #WalkWithLions #LionWalk #walkwithlions #yolo  #solotravel #blackandabroad #goforit #yesmaam
    SAVE AND SHARE When I lived in the United States, SAVE AND SHARE

When I lived in the United States, I spent a significant amount of time in the state of Florida because I have family and friends there.

I also lived in the state of Florida, South Florida, to be exact from the age of 14 to 21. So I’m not speaking of this anecdotally or based on what I read in the news. I actually lived in the state and experienced the depth of the racism there personally. I also took my child to Disney World several times, and even thought about visiting Destin for vacation at one point because I hear it has some of the prettiest beaches in the USA 

I left the United States of America for a reason, but there are places that I would still consider for vacation. 

But in this post, I share the number one place that I will NOT consider for vacation in 2023

Where is it?

Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida

unfortunately, two people I love reside in the state so I can’t completely avoid visiting but when I do visit again, I intend to spend as little as possible, do no shopping and only stay as long as I absolutely have to

The policies and politics of that state are anti-black and frankly downright racist in my opinion and I think it’s time for Black people to take what is happening there seriously because it could be the rest of the USA very soon if you’re not careful. 

I’m not gonna give my money to a state that has very open and clear anti-black policies, and encourages antiblack racism.

so for me, it’s a big fat HELL NAW on Florida

OH btw my block and delete button is working really well today 

you don’t have to agree with me. 

Feel free to disagree on your own platform. #hellno #hellnaw #florida #solotravel #travel #blackandabroad #melanin #travelwhileblack #blacktravel
    SAVE AND SHARE Solo Travel Safety Tip Hotel editi SAVE AND SHARE

Solo Travel Safety Tip Hotel edition
Limit access to your hotel room by keeping the “do not disturb“ tag on your door at all times. Only take it off when YOU want the room cleaned or do what I do and just stop the maid in the hallway give her the dirty towels and get clean ones. I really don’t like people in and out of my hotel room so this is what I do to limit access.

you are not not safer in a hotel then you are in a short term rental like Airbnb or VRBO 

your risk are just different.

I spent 15+ years overseeing global security in the international development sector.

The most important thing to remember when traveling alone, especially as a woman, is to practice situational awareness and common sense. If it feels wrong even for a minute don’t do it. 

I share solo travel safety and security advice based on my 15+ years of experience in the downloadable 
Bald Girl Will Travel: Guide to Travel Safety & Security for Solo Female Travelers

At $10 it’s a bargain and it will tell you what you need to know about traveling alone as a woman and doing it safely. It’s been recently updated. 

Grab it at the link in bio. 

Don’t let Social media personalities scare you. You can be safe anywhere in the world. 

Life is short. 
Book the trip.
You’re welcome

#Travel #Traveltips #Safetytips #TravelSafety #TravelSafely #solotravel #SoloTravelSafety
#Reels #ReelsOfInstagram #instagramreels #travelcoterie #blacktravelfeed
    Out in the streets of Dakar Senegal. Rumor has it Out in the streets of Dakar Senegal. Rumor has it I was shaking my 🍑 a lil bit 👀🤣 

For those who asked 
Duster @dopewithoutlabels 
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Shoes @sorelfootwear 

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    “The Lion does not concern itself with the opini “The Lion does not concern itself with the opinion of the sheep.”Tywin Lannister. Be a Lion🦁 epic day.  Thanks to @senegal_tourist_guide #senegal #fathalawildlifereserve #seesomesenegal #seesenegal #visitsenegal #whatididtoday
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