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Lydia Mansel
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Here’s why you should check your curtains before getting some shut-eye.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-hotel-room-CHECKHTLROOM0826-ef1070c399ea49d1be7f2353b856fe49.jpg "The interior of a luxury hotel room.Credit: Twenty47studio/Getty Images")
The interior of a luxury hotel room.
Credit: Twenty47studio/Getty Images
Preparing for travel can feel like a never-ending checklist, and according to official guidance, the tasks don’t stop once you check into your hotel. Even when you finally arrive, possibly after a long, stressful day navigating multiple airports, you still have a few things to take care of—especially if you want peace of mind while you sleep.
While it may be normal to do a quick scan around your room, the U.S. Department of State directs travelers to pay special attention to the curtains. On the federal agency’s “Lodging Safety” page of its website, it advises, “When you arrive, check behind curtains, under the bed, and around the room to ensure it is safe.” It also notes that travelers should “make sure curtains close fully for privacy.”
While this may be self-explanatory—and something you already do without thinking—a Department of State spokesperson emphasized the importance of a curtains check to Travel + Leisure.
“Curtains that completely close protect the guests’ privacy and reduce the risk that someone outside the room could observe travelers’ activities, identify valuables, or determine whether a traveler is staying alone,” the spokesperson said via email.
You can certainly throw your curtains open during the day, but be sure to close them as the sun goes down. At night, interior lights make the room brighter and easier to see from the outside.
Along with checking your hotel room’s curtains, the State Department recommends performing an audit of all locks in your room from the front door to the bathroom door, windows, connecting door, and patio door. It also encourages travelers to make sure the hotel phone works and can connect to an outside line, and to confirm that the fire alarm, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher are up to snuff.
“If the hotel cannot promptly address a significant safety or privacy concern, [travelers] should request another room or consider alternative accommodations,” the spokesperson added.
They also mentioned that “Americans planning overseas travel are strongly encouraged to research their destination on travel.state.gov/destination and review the Travel Advisory, entry and exit requirements, local laws, and tips from the U.S. embassy or consulate.”
For additional guidance, the spokesperson pointed travelers to the Department’s International Travel Checklist.
The interior of a luxury hotel room.
Credit: Twenty47studio/Getty Images
Preparing for travel can feel like a never-ending checklist, and according to official guidance, the tasks don’t stop once you check into your hotel. Even when you finally arrive, possibly after a long, stressful day navigating multiple airports, you still have a few things to take care of—especially if you want peace of mind while you sleep.
While it may be normal to do a quick scan around your room, the U.S. Department of State directs travelers to pay special attention to the curtains. On the federal agency’s “Lodging Safety” page of its website, it advises, “When you arrive, check behind curtains, under the bed, and around the room to ensure it is safe.” It also notes that travelers should “make sure curtains close fully for privacy.”
While this may be self-explanatory—and something you already do without thinking—a Department of State spokesperson emphasized the importance of a curtains check to Travel + Leisure.
“Curtains that completely close protect the guests’ privacy and reduce the risk that someone outside the room could observe travelers’ activities, identify valuables, or determine whether a traveler is staying alone,” the spokesperson said via email.
You can certainly throw your curtains open during the day, but be sure to close them as the sun goes down. At night, interior lights make the room brighter and easier to see from the outside.
Along with checking your hotel room’s curtains, the State Department recommends performing an audit of all locks in your room from the front door to the bathroom door, windows, connecting door, and patio door. It also encourages travelers to make sure the hotel phone works and can connect to an outside line, and to confirm that the fire alarm, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher are up to snuff.
“If the hotel cannot promptly address a significant safety or privacy concern, [travelers] should request another room or consider alternative accommodations,” the spokesperson added.
They also mentioned that “Americans planning overseas travel are strongly encouraged to research their destination on travel.state.gov/destination and review the Travel Advisory, entry and exit requirements, local laws, and tips from the U.S. embassy or consulate.”
For additional guidance, the spokesperson pointed travelers to the Department’s International Travel Checklist.