A Flight Attendant's Safety Hotel Hack Only Requires Shoes And Will Ease Your Mind

Whether you've been jet-setting for years or are new to the entire experience, traveling can be equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking — especially when it comes to visiting and staying in unfamiliar destinations. After all, there's no way to know exactly what to expect — or how to prepare, really. Luckily, we're in the golden age of the Internet, which means there are plenty of travel tips and hotel room hacks that can improve your experience just a few screen taps away. And, when it comes to asking for help, who better than flight attendants — most of whom spend up to two weeks away from home each month — to offer their advice?

Enter Ally Case, aka @allycase1 on TikTok. As a professional flight attendant, Case has stayed in her fair share of hotel rooms and accommodations across the globe — it's all part of the job, after all. That said, it makes sense that she'd have collected a long list of tips and tricks to help her make life on the road a little bit more bearable. However, in a recent TikTok video that's currently racked up over half a million views and more than 50,000 likes on the platform, Case shared a surprisingly simple (yet effective) hotel hack that even airline pilots hadn't thought of before.

Telling viewers this was taught to her by a colleague, Case explained how, every time she gets to a hotel room, she'll carefully place her shoes near the door facing in the direction of the elevator. That way, she'll know exactly which way to go when she has to leave the room. Genius!

Case's hotel-orientation tip shines for its simplicity. There's no need for fancy gadgets or confusing step-by-step processes, and it's just as effective as it is easy to implement in terms of helping travelers feel a lot safer in their hotel room. After all, the peace of mind that comes with knowing which way you need to go in case of an emergency — or just a quick snack run to the lobby vending machine — simply can't be beat. And, considering there are roughly 3,900 hotel and motel fires a year in the U.S., it makes sense that you'd want to cover all the basics if the situation ever arises when you need to act fast.

@allycase1

High key makes sense for someone who is in a million different hotel rooms per week 🤷‍♀️ #traveltip #travelhack #hoteltip #hotelhack

♬ original sound – Ally Case

Further proving her point, people in the comments were all quick to agree that the hack was, in their own words, "life-changing" — while other users chimed in with their own stories of constantly going the wrong way. "I've been disoriented for 38 years and finally someone tells me this!?" someone wrote. "She might actually be a genius", another traveler commented. "THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY," a user declared (with all-caps enthusiasm to really drive their point home). The only downside to Case's hack? That it can't be applied to other stress-inducing travel situations — like when you're trying to find your car in a busy airport parking lot or struggling to identify your luggage while waiting at baggage claim.

While Case's shoe trick is undoubtedly clever, there are plenty of other ways you can make your hotel stay feel a lot safer. First, make sure you always use the security lock or chain while in the room, and consider bringing a portable door lock for added peace of mind. These small devices are easy to travel with and install, and can help prevent any form of unauthorized entry — even if someone you don't know (or want inside your room) has managed to get hold of a key card.

Additionally, while heading to your room for the first time, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the emergency exit routes. Count the number of doors between your room and the nearest exit — just in case you need to navigate in darkness or smoke — and try to always keep a small flashlight handy.

Beyond that, make sure to always protect your personal information. Avoid saying your full name and room number too loudly at check-in, and never keep your hotel key card in its original sleeve while out and about. Simple bits and pieces of information can easily help an eavesdropping stranger learn a lot more than they need to know about your travel situation, which can ultimately put you in danger if their intentions are bad — especially if you're a woman and you're traveling solo.