An airline cabin crew member has shared a surprisingly simple hotel-room safety trick — and it’s one many people would never think to do.
For Esther Sturrus, hotel stays are routine thanks to her job as an air hostess, which means she spends a lot of time checking in and settling down in unfamiliar places.
After so many nights on the road, she’s picked up plenty of habits that help her feel comfortable — and, more importantly, secure.
While most hotels are perfectly safe, taking a few extra precautions can offer peace of mind.
In a TikTok video that’s racked up around 39 million views, Sturrus ran through the first things she typically does when she enters a new room.
Her routine includes basics like getting ready for bed, taking a shower, and inspecting the mattress for any signs of bed bugs before turning in.
In a separate clip focused on additional hotel hacks, she highlighted one tip in particular that could make a real difference for personal safety.
Sturrus suggests rolling a bottle of water underneath the bed to check whether anything is blocking it — without having to kneel down and look under there yourself.
If the bottle cleanly rolls out the other side, it indicates there’s nothing in the way (including anything that shouldn’t be there).
It’s a clever, low-effort check that viewers praised for being both practical and easy to remember.
She also shared a few more lighthearted tricks, like using a coffee cup to amplify audio from your phone when playing music.
Another idea was repurposing a paper cup as a toothbrush holder to keep it off the bathroom counter.
Beyond hotel advice, health experts have also previously offered guidance on what to do soon after getting off a flight.
One recommendation is to wash the clothes you wore while traveling, to remove anything that may have transferred onto the fabric during the journey.
Dr. Annie DePasquale, a family medicine specialist and founder of Collaborating Docs, warned that illness can spread onboard — particularly if someone nearby is unwell.
“Transmission risk increases within about one row or one meter,” she said. “Coughs and sneezes can still send droplets onto your sleeves, lap or scarf, even with strong cabin filtration in place.”
Unpleasant as that sounds, she explained that tossing worn travel clothes into the wash as soon as possible can help clear away any particles you may have picked up along the way.