Matt,
We refuse to stay in a hotel that does not have inside corridors leading to the rooms. These days many lower cost hotels have a outside entrance to the rooms and we have had some problems with crew being acosted in this manner, so the rule was implemented.
Usually when the crew stays at a smaller hotel, we request rooms in the same area. Not next door to each other but close. This way at least the pilots can make sure that the ladies get into their rooms ok, then they are on their own.
Its not regarding security but worth mentioning. One of my FA's checked into the hotel with us. We were doing a 2 day RON, staying in one place for a couple of days. We were asked to provide a personal credit card for meals and telephone calls, which we all did. She was tired and forgot to ask for her credit card when the paperwork was completed. Several hours later she wanted to go shopping and realized that her credit card was missing.
She returned to the front desk as she remembered that she had it there. The attendent insisted that she had given it back. Well, it turns out that after calling the bank and stopping all charges on the card that the front desk person had kept the card. Within 45 minutes of checking in, the card number was being used all around town for purchases. This was in Los Angeles. The desk attendent was never charged as nothing could be proven. Well worth keeping an eye on these days.