Summer is a great time for packing your suitcase and hitting the road to explore new surroundings. If you're travelling by yourself -- especially if you're a woman -- it's important to take steps to ensure your safety at all times, including when you're staying at a hotel. While many hotels provide extensive security measures for their guests, you can increase your personal safety in a number of ways. Here are three simple tips you can use to maximize your safety.

Be Careful On Social Media

You might be tempted to talk about your travel adventure on social media, but you should leave the name and location of your hotel out of the discussion. Even if you feel that you can trust those in your network of online contacts, it's often possible for strangers to access what you believe is a secure profile. If you choose to post the specifics about your hotel, especially if it's clear that you're travelling solo, you're increasing the risk of something negative happening. Additionally, it's always smart to turn off your smartphone's location-tagging option. By doing so, people won't be able to tell your specific location when you do choose to post on social media.

Exercise Discretion With Your Room Key Card

When you arrive at the check-in desk, the hotel clerk will give you a key card and write your room number on the paper sleeve that holds the card. Once you get to your room, commit the room number to memory and discard the paper sleeve. This safety-first strategy ensures that if you loose your card, it won't reveal your room number. In general, it's best to keep your card hidden deep in your pocket or purse when you're away from your hotel -- you shouldn't have to expose your card every time you reach for your wallet, keys or phone. Many key cards display the name of the hotel, and you don't want to broadcast this information in a crowd of strangers.

Speak Up If You're Nervous

Don't let shyness make you a victim. If you're concerned about walking out to your vehicle in the dark parking lot, ask for someone from the front desk to accompany you. If your room is on a ground floor with a larger window and it makes you feel uneasy, contact the front desk and ask to be relocated to a room on a higher floor. Instead of leaving the hotel and walking around the city to hail a cab, look for a taxi company's ad in the lobby or ask the front desk clerk to arrange the ride for you.

Keep these tips in mind as you book your next vacation with a hotel like Canadas Best Value Inn. If you have specific concerns or questions about the area, the hotel should be happy to help you out.