Brodie Kane shares ‘terrifying’ hotel room encounter while solo travelling

For people who love exploring the world on their own terms, solo travelling is one of the most empowering things you can do. 

But as any solo traveller - especially women - will tell you, vigilance is always part of the itinerary.

In a recent episode of the rova podcast Let Her Finish, Brodie Kane opened up about a chilling reality of hitting the road alone: the dread of having your safe space compromised.

Calling into the podcast from Croatia, Brodie told her co-hosts Gracie Hitchcock and Tegan Yorwath about "the scariest call to get while solo-travelling", which left her "petrified". 

‘The immediacy of how sick I felt’

The ordeal began after Kane missed a flight and was put up by the airline at a standard airport hotel slightly out of the city.

After a quiet dinner, she returned to her room and called her partner, Josh, before settling in for the night. It was just before 11:00 PM when the situation took a dark turn. As she began drifting off to sleep, the hotel landline phone suddenly rang.

"You don't expect that, but I answered it, and then I was like, 'Hello?'" Brodie recounted.

 "And this really deep, dodgy voice is like, 'Is this room 233?' And because you're kind of like, 'Well, yeah,' I was like, 'Yes.' And then he said, 'Did I wake you?' and I said, 'Yes.' 

"And he goes... 'After midnight, I f**k you.'"

The response from the broadcaster was instant: "I just went, 'F**k off, you f**k,' and just hung up the phone. "I cannot tell you the immediacy of how sick I felt," she said. "I almost levitated out of the bed to go and make sure that the double lock thing was done in the room."

The sheer panic of knowing a stranger had targeted her specific room number left Brodie completely paralysed with fear. "I was just absolutely f*cking petrified because the first thing I thought was, 'He knows my room number,' you know?"

‘Nil time for creeps’

After immediately calling her partner back, Kane was urged to contact the hotel reception. However, the hotel staff's response only added to the frustration.

Initially, staff dismissed the claim, telling her, "That's not possible. People can't ring [rooms directly]."

"I was like, 'Well, it is possible 'cause it's just f**king happened,'" Brpdie said. After waiting 15 minutes for an update while her nervous system was at an all-time high in a foreign country, she called back, demanding answers. 

While the night porter promised she was safe and that no one could get into the room, the damage was already done, and Brodie had a terrible, unsettled sleep that night. 

The awful experience triggered an immediate wave of solidarity and shared anger from Gracie and Tegan, as well as the 'Let Her Finish' listeners.

Reflecting on the situation, Brodie added "Nil time for creeps" in the Instagram comments section. 

The sentiment was quickly echoed by listeners who standardly flag hotel safety as a top priority when abroad. Tegan added it was "Scary as sh*t," while Gracie summed it up perfectly: "Absolutely terrifying. 😭"

Safe travelling tips for solo explorers

If you find yourself travelling alone, security experts and seasoned travellers often recommend a few key rules to keep your room a safe haven:

• Never say your room number aloud: When checking in, ask your receptionist to write down the number so no one standing nearby hears it.

• Use a door wedge: A cheap rubber door wedge or a portable travel lock placed under your hotel door from the inside adds an extra layer of physical security that external keys or master keycards cannot bypass.

• Verify unexpected calls/knocks: If someone claims to be hotel staff calling your room phone or knocking on your door, hang up and call the front desk directly on your mobile or the room phone to verify their identity before answering or opening up.

No one should ever have to fear for their safety while trying to enjoy a trip, and we couldn't be happier that Brodie is okay and continuing to enjoy her adventures abroad. 

You can catch the latest episodes of 'Let Her Finish' every Wednesday on rova.