How to “Fall Proof” your Hotel Room

Travel is exciting and full of new sights and experiences. Sleeping in a new place as often as each night can also be part of travel. Falls can happen at any point during your travels but more frequently happen where you are staying the night. The combination of new surroundings, jet lag, and getting up at different times than you are used to can all contribute to an increased risk of falling.

In this post, we will cover 7 simple ways that you can decrease your risk of falling in your hotel room while traveling. Note, this also applies to renting a home on your travels but for simplicity, I will refer to your accommodations as a hotel room.

1 – Request a Room without Steps

Request this when you book your hotel and confirm it upon check-in. Especially in older hotels, it is common that you may have a step up/down to your bathroom or at the front door. Think about waking up in the middle of the night in a new space. Especially if you are overly tired, you may not remember that step you need to take.

The picture above is from a hotel I stayed at in Germany. I exited the elevator, turned the corner and was met with 5 stairs. As you can see from the picture above, 5 stair steps were required for me to reach my hotel room from the elevator. That was unexpected! Other unexpected hotel steps I have encountered include three steps between the elevator and hotel room in Avignon, France and a step down into the bathroom in my hotel room in Rome, Italy.

For other recommendations on what to check with your lodging about prior to booking, see our post: Mobility-Related Questions to Ask BEFORE you Book your Lodging

2 – Bring a Night Light

The second way you can fall proof your hotel room is illumination. Many people use the trick of a keeping the bathroom light on at night so that you are not walking in complete darkness in an unfamiliar space. While this can be helpful, it can also decrease your ability to sleep at night and often does not help light the way if you keep the bathroom door closed. Bringing a night light can be a big help. You can purchase one with a motion sensor option to place near the bed or keep it on all night. There are also outlet-free night lights such as this one.

In a pinch, remember that your smart phone has a flash light. It is worth going to the effort of reaching for your phone to access the flash light than walking around in the dark.

3- Cover any Sharp Corners

If you find yourself bumping into things, covering sharp corners of furniture may be a good idea. While this would not reduce your risk of falling, it can decrease your risk of injury if you do lose your balance. This may be as simple as throwing a towel over the night stand and placing the lamp or heavy object back on top to pad the corners. The other option would be to move a chair in front of the sharp-edged furniture so that you are not able to get close enough.

4 – Assess Slippery Floors/Showers

Bathroom floors, shower floors and bath mats all have the potential to be very slippery. You have some options here. If there are areas of concern, contact the front desk to ask if they have any remedies.

I have two additional ideas. One would be to bring bathroom/shower shoes on the trip with you. These need to be shoes that are not slippery when wet and keep your feet secured when wet. This way, you do not need to worry if you discover water on the bathroom floor. They will also allow you to shower without fear of slipping. Another option would be to bring a non slip rug pad with you. You can cut the pad to any desired size. They are compact/lightweight so they will not be inconvenient to pack. You can place them under the bath mat or place on the shower floor to minimize slippage. Please check and make sure the pad actually adheres to the floor prior to use.

5 – Get your Luggage off the Floor

Hotel rooms are small enough. Storing your luggage on the ground decreases the space you move around in. If articles of clothing are also hanging out of the sides of your luggage, that is an additional fall hazard. Get your luggage up and out of the way. Place them on luggage racks, on a chair, or on a desk. It will also be nice to avoid having to bend down to the floor to go through your bag daily.

6 – Check for Tripping Hazards

Identify any table legs, long bedding, rug corners that can be culprits of tripping you. Make adjustments as you can such as taping down the rug (pack that duct tape!), tucking the long bedding under the mattress, etc.

Hopefully your hotel room is uncluttered as pictured above. Do note the rug sticking out past the bed near the window. Place shoes at the door against the wall or in the closet out of the way. Even if you are used to items on the floor at home, do not do it while you are traveling. Stay Tidy!

7 – Assess Chairs

The last way to fall proof your hotel room is to assess the chairs in your room. Depending on your hotel room flooring and height of chairs, this can be a fall hazard. If the chair is on wheels or if the chair is low, there is a risk of you sitting quicker than planned and the chair moving out from under you. Placing the chair against the wall or ensuring the rolling chair is in a position that you can hold onto the desk to sit can greatly decrease your risk of falling.

I hope you find these tips helpful and easy to implement to fall proof your hotel room on your travels!

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