There are a ton of things solo female travelers think about when it comes to travel. How to get from place to place, how to balance your budget, how to cover the most ground in the least amount of time with your cute luggage sets—the last thing you want to spend your precious vacation time on is how to choose your hotel.
But, having a great place to come back to at the end of a long day can make a world of difference, and when you’re traveling solo, there are a few things you should think about before you book.
1. Location
You want your accommodation as a solo female traveler to put you as close to the action as possible, and you also want it to be located in an area that’s safe at night. Most major booking sites will allow you to scout the location on a map, but if you’re not sure about the neighborhood, pick up the phone and call the hotel before you book. Staying at a place like Renaissance New York Times Hotel while visiting New York, for example, will put in the heart of everything.
2. Security
Be sure that you’re staying in a safe place by being sure the hotel has things like CCTV, 24 hr reception, secure doors in the rooms that have at least two locks, and safety deposit boxes in your room. Most major hotel brands (any Sheraton or Hilton, for example) will offer this, but many smaller, more local hotels may not. Double-check that your hotel does offer these services before you book—sometimes it’s worth it to spend an extra few bucks on safety. If in doubt, call the property and ask. Do the hotel rooms open inward? Do they have double locks? Do they have safes in the room? Do they have 24-hour check-in?
3. Amenities
Traveling is all about finding what works best for you. If you’re looking to veg out and just hang at a resort, book your stay at a place like El Dorado Royale, which has enough happening in the resort to keep you happy. If you’re looking for hotels that offer a lot in value in the way of the details: nice in-room amenities, quality shampoos, etc, Hyatt hotels can be great—many offer the chance to borrow things you forgot at home free of charge, for example. We like the Hyatt House brand for the in-room kitchenettes, which make it easy to stay in for the night if you don’t feel like venturing out. Check out the Hyatt House Dallas/Uptown to see what we mean.
4. Women’s Only Floors or Rooms
These days, several hotels and hostels are creating safe spaces that are a female-only. Many are entire floors for women, which come complete with curling irons, flat irons and women’s magazines, like the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver.
What do you look for in a hotel while traveling? Any good tricks to get room upgrades?
