More Than 20 Clever Hotel Tips That Enhanced Our Travel Experience

Hotel WiFi Isn’t As Secure As You Might Believe

Be cautious when using hotel WIFI. These networks prioritize accessibility and often lack robust security measures. This means that anyone using them is vulnerable to threats such as malware, ransomware, cyberattacks, and identity theft. This risk arises because user information is transmitted in plain text across the network, making it easy for others to intercept.

Additionally, there is no security measure stopping a cybercriminal from directly accessing your laptop or mobile devices. If you’re unable to use your mobile network, security experts advise enabling your device’s firewall and using a VPN when connected to the hotel’s network.

It Is Okay To Bag The Items In Your Hotel Room

If you watched the TV show Friends, you might recall the episode titled “The One With Rachel’s Dream,” where Ross and Chandler stayed at a hotel in Vermont and took everything from their room. We’re not exactly suggesting you take everything from the hotel room.

It’s perfectly fine to take small items with you, like shampoo, mouthwash, body lotion, or conditioner. These things are generally intended for guests to take, and the hotel won’t mind. However, do not take towels, as that’s not appropriate!

No Light

If you’re someone who can’t fall asleep with even a little light on, you might struggle to get your rest in cities like New York, Hong Kong, and Miami. Lack of sleep could leave you irritable and in a bad mood, which isn’t ideal for a holiday.

Luckily, there’s a trick for blocking light from coming through your windows. Remove a pants hanger from your closet and use its clips to keep the drapes closed. This tip can also be useful when you return home from vacation.

Nicer Room

Tipping the front desk staff won’t always secure you complimentary upgrades or a better room. Occasionally, they may not even accept your tip. So, what should you do if the room you’re given doesn’t meet your expectations?

Request the hotel to show you different rooms. It’s that straightforward. Many hotels often try to fill their least desirable rooms initially. Depending on when you arrive at the hotel, you might be fortunate enough to find a room that better suits your needs for the same cost.

Improvise With The Shower Cap

Even though it is practical, a shower cap is one of the least used items in a hotel room. Why is that? Because many people don’t understand its importance. There are several hotel hacks you can perform using a shower cap. For instance, you can avoid your dirty shoes from marking your clothes by putting the shoes in the shower cap before packing.

Even when you pack your clothes next to your shoes, they stay clean regardless. An unrelated application of the magic shower cap is for food storage. You can use it like plastic wrap to cover leftovers and keep them for later consumption.

Plastic vs Germs

The remote control is one of the last things you’d want to touch with your bare hands in a hotel room. Unlike the bedsheets and pillowcases, the remote control is rarely cleaned by the cleaning staff and is used by one guest after another.

To prevent direct contact with this “germ petri dish,” two items can be used. The first is the plastic ice bucket bag, provided by the hotel if available. The second is a shower cap, which can be found in the bathroom. Either item can be wrapped around the remote control to keep your hands free from germs.

No Key Card Needed?

In most newly built hotels, you have to keep your room key card inserted in the slot for the electricity to remain on in your room. This feature is implemented by hotels to lower power usage and save costs. However, it can be inconvenient if you want your devices to keep charging or if you want the room to stay cool continuously.

You don’t need to stay in the room if you don’t want to. However, you shouldn’t leave your key card in the slot and walk away, unless you want to risk theft. But here’s a tip: inserting any card of the same size in the key card slot can keep the power in your room on. Why does this work, you might wonder? It’s because the card essentially presses down a switch at the bottom of the slot to maintain the electrical connection.

Corner Rooms Rule

Are you familiar with the concept of a corner room? In office buildings and hotels, corner rooms tend to be larger. They often offer better views and more spacious bathrooms. This makes corner rooms feel like an upgrade, but for the same price.

When you check in, ask for a corner room. The hotel might fulfill your request. However, some hotels are aware of the difference between a standard room and a corner room, along with the possible downsides of the latter. In such cases, they may ask for an additional fee. Nonetheless, we believe it’s worth asking.

Not A Single Drop

Have you ever found yourself in a scenario where you packed your toiletries in your bag, only to open it later and find that everything has leaked all over your belongings—inside your bag, over your clothes, books, and even shoes? That can certainly put a damper on your day.

Luckily, there’s an easy trick to avoid that. Take a small plastic bag, fully unscrew the cap of your soap or shampoo bottle, place the bag over the opening, and then tighten the cap back on. By doing this, you can prevent any future leaks from your toiletries.

Be Creative With The Doors

After a lengthy and possibly thrilling day, you’ve finally settled comfortably on your hotel bed. However, just before you turn in for the night, you decide to grab a cold drink. Glancing around, you realize there’s no bottle opener. What should you do now?

You don’t need to go ask the receptionist for a bottle opener. Don’t worry. Your door closer can function just like a bottle opener. We’re not sure if the door closer will appreciate it, but if you’re too bored to use a lighter or the edge of a table, why not try this?

Towels Will Block It All

The summer and Christmas seasons are among the busiest holiday times of the year. If you’re traveling during these periods, it might be hard to find some peace and solitude in your hotel room.

You can reduce noise by placing a towel in the gap under the door. This will make your room somewhat more soundproof and will also help to reduce the amount of light coming in from the hallway.

Stop It From Closing

It’s convenient not to have to worry about closing your hotel room door because it automatically shuts due to its sturdiness. However, this can be an issue when you’re bringing in a lot of luggage. If a door stopper isn’t available, and the door is close to a closet, keeping it open won’t be a problem.

Open the closet and grab a hanger to keep your door open by hooking it onto the latch or top lock. This will allow you to leave the door wide open while you take your time to bring in your luggage.

Staying For Longer, Saving Some Money

Do you intend to stay for longer than a week? Contact hotels ahead of time before making your reservation. Inform the hotel of your planned duration of stay and inquire if you can receive any discounts on the room.

Hotels are typically open to offering discounts to guests planning extended stays, as it’s more economical for them to retain a guest than to attract a new one. Be prepared, however, to contact several hotels to find the best offer.

No Advice

It’s perfectly acceptable to ask the hotel owner or staff for recommendations on the best restaurants, shopping, and entertainment deals, especially if you’re new to the city. However, it’s always advisable to do your own research as well.

Why? Because what they think is the best might not truly be the best. They could just be suggesting places where they receive commissions for referring new clients. So, feel free to ask them for suggestions, but always verify by conducting your own research.

Humidify

Is the air in your room feeling a bit dry? That’s typically due to having the radiator or air conditioner on full blast, unless it’s the weather. Most of the time, it’s because of the AC or radiator. But you probably don’t want to turn it down.

You can humidify your room by using a wrung-out wet towel. Place the towel over a luggage rack positioned in front of the radiator or air conditioner. Ensure the towel is wrung out properly to prevent water from dripping onto the floor.

The Front Desk Is Your Friend

Most people only talk with the hotel front desk when checking in or out because they aren’t aware of how valuable the staff there can be.

If you forget any items you use daily, you can contact the front desk for assistance. There’s a good possibility they might have what you need. This item could be a phone charger, a hair straightener, or a nail clipper. You can also request plates and utensils if you have food or extra pillows and blankets.

Hygiene Matters

A common mistake made by nearly everyone when entering their hotel room is putting their bags directly on the bed. This is definitely not advisable, as it could lead to an uncomfortable stay at the hotel, even if your bags are placed on the bedspread, not on the sheets.

Why shouldn’t you? Because if bed bugs are in your luggage, they can easily transfer to your bed. And you definitely don’t want to experience what it’s like to sleep on a bed infested with bedbugs.

Transfer Miles

It is always suggested that you reserve your flight using universal miles. This is because, when you book with miles, the airline or travel agency gives you points as a reward. This is highly beneficial for you, naturally, and for the company as well.

You can redeem and transfer those points to book a hotel at a reduced rate or even for free. Transferring reward points for hotel reservations is easier with airlines or travel agencies that offer both flight and hotel bookings.

Breakfast Butter Advice

When you reserve a hotel room, breakfast is typically included. However, the butter that comes with breakfast is often too hard to spread. Some people prefer it this way, while others like it to be more spreadable.

How can you achieve the smooth butter spread you paid for and deserve? Soften the butter by placing it on top of the toaster while toasting your bread. This will make the butter melt and warm up enough for an enjoyable spread.

Remember To Tip

There’s a phrase, “money makes the world go round,” which is very often true, and hotels are no exception. As per Ovolo Hotels, you can offer $15 or $20 along with your card when checking in and inquire if there are any room upgrades available.

Watch and observe what unfolds. Simply giving a tip to the front desk staff or the bellboy could secure you the finest services the hotel provides and grant you access to facilities that you might not have been able to use otherwise.

Keep The Hotel Staff Informed

Informing the hotel of any special occasion you are celebrating during your stay could result in something special from them. It doesn’t matter if it’s a birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, or christening.

Just inform the hotel ahead of time, and they may surprise you with chocolates or champagne in your room or perhaps offer you a complimentary upgrade. Therefore, if you’re intending to celebrate a special occasion during your hotel stay, keep this tip in mind to treat yourself.

It’s OK To Complain A Bit (But Only A Bit)

If you believe the hotel’s services are not up to standard, you can file a complaint with the hotel manager. This could be due to the room not being clean, the beds not being made, or a lack of hot water in your room.

If you were not satisfied with the services, speak to the manager and present your complaint in a polite and respectful manner, offering constructive feedback. Depending on the hotel, they might offer you compensation such as a discount or an upgrade. By voicing your concerns, you could also assist the hotel in enhancing its service quality.

A Simple Tip For Avoiding Bed Bugs

It’s always wise to be extra cautious about hotel rooms. Since it’s not your regular place, you can’t be certain about the presence of insects or pests in the room. A general guideline for hotel rooms, particularly budget ones, is to steer clear of using the hotel beddings.

Bring your own bedding and place the hotel’s bedspread to the side. If that’s not possible, look up online reviews about the hotel to see what others have said about the condition of the rooms. Using this information, decide whether to stay at that hotel or choose a different one.

Fix Your Foggy Mirror

It can be frustrating when you’re trying to use the mirror, and it constantly fogs up. This might happen when you’re trying to shave, style your hair, or apply makeup. A quick method to clear the fog from your mirror is to spread shaving cream over it or rub it with a bar of soap, then wipe it clean with a dry cloth.

That will remove the fog and keep the mirror free of mist for several weeks. If you have a hairdryer, you can use it to defog the mirror quickly. Set the hairdryer to low heat and direct it at the mirror to achieve the best result.

Keep Your “Do Not Disturb” Sign On The Door

The “Do Not Disturb” sign can be used for more than just the “usual” purpose. Leaving the sign on your door can lead people to believe you’re in the room, even if you’re not. Things are not always as apparent as you might think.

It can stop people from invading your privacy, keep the housekeeper out, and discourage thieves from attempting to enter your room to steal your belongings. Overall, the “Do Not Disturb” sign helps ensure that your personal space stays personal and maintains peace and quiet.

Be On A Lookout For Better Hotel Deals

When planning a hotel stay, it’s important to keep your options flexible. With diligent searching, you might discover hotel deals that are significantly better than the initial one you noticed. There are numerous hotel deals and booking websites online. Utilize them to gain complimentary benefits or to secure hotel rooms at discounted rates or even for free.

Even after making a hotel reservation, you can continue looking. Hotels are usually willing to provide a refund as long as you haven’t checked in yet. So if you find a better deal, you can request a refund. If you don’t find a better option, you can stick with the one you’ve already booked. In any case, you won’t be at a loss.

Cooking In Your Hotel Room

If you’re traveling on a budget, you’ll want to find ways to reduce your food expenses. Fortunately, items like ramen or instant noodles, and bread and eggs aren’t expensive. But the challenge is figuring out how to cook them. Two readily available tools that you could use for cooking are a coffee pot and an iron.

The coffee pot can be used to cook your ramen. Just boil water in the coffee pot and add your ramen noodles. The iron is effective for cooking eggs and heating English muffins. Cover the hot iron with a piece of tin foil and place your eggs on top.

Are There Bonuses?

Hotel credit cards can provide access to upgrades and benefits typically reserved for elite guests. These cards are issued by hotels upon request, and they often provide incentives for making purchases with them.

You can receive generous welcome bonuses, instant elite status, and VIP benefits, such as free room upgrades and late check-out. Travel expert Matt Kepnes, who has been exploring the globe since 2006, believes hotel credit cards are beneficial. Therefore, consider trying them out to lower your expenses on hotel bookings and services.

Take Care Of Your Valuables

When staying in a hotel, it’s important not to leave your valuables, like mobile devices, a PC, a wallet, or keys, unattended when you leave your room. Numerous instances have occurred where individuals did so, only to come back and find their belongings missing.

Being in such a situation can be disheartening. You should do your best to avoid it. Therefore, whenever you leave your room, take your valuables with you and ensure your luggage is securely locked, preferably with padlocks.

Notifications For Discounts

Constantly navigating through various hotel booking sites to monitor price trends is a hassle. Technology has removed the need for such repetitive tasks, so you don’t need to do all that just to stay updated on prices.

Simply sign up for updates on the booking site or enable notifications on the mobile app. This way, you’ll receive push notifications on your phone or emails whenever room prices drop or increase. The site will also inform you about various discounts and limited offers.

Divide One Bed Into Two

Sharing a bed can be quite troublesome when staying in a hotel with your family. Children usually dislike sharing their beds and are often ready to argue with their siblings over who gets more space. Moreover, if your partner tends to move around a lot, it might keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.

You can resolve all this by dividing the bed equally yourself. Grab a few pillows and use them as a divider. If there aren’t enough pillows in the room, you can contact the front desk and ask for more.

Anti-Wrinkle Method

Does your shirt or dress need to be ironed? You can easily address this by requesting an iron at the front desk if you didn’t bring one with you. But what if you don’t have time to iron your clothes? A fast solution for a wrinkled shirt or dress is to steam it in the shower.

Hang the garment near the shower before starting your bath, increase the water temperature, and let the steam accumulate to remove the wrinkles after a few minutes. Alternatively, you can achieve the same effect on your clothes using a hairdryer by running it up and down the fabric. A steamer can also be used for this purpose, and you can request one from downstairs.

Charge Your Phone With The TV Set

When you travel to certain places, the power outlets might be completely different from those you use at home. If you don’t bring an adapter for your phone charger, you may run out of battery quickly, which could disconnect you from the internet.

Luckily, most modern televisions come equipped with USB ports on the side or back that can be used to charge your phone. Simply connect your phone to the television using your phone’s charging cable. This should help you save money by not having to purchase an adapter.

Be Environmentally Friendly

Experts suggest always carrying a water bottle when going on international trips. In some countries, the price of water can be higher than what you pay at home, but you can easily avoid these costs.

Bring your water bottle and refill it from a water cooler when it runs out. Additionally, having a water bottle with you helps lower your carbon footprint and stops you from polluting the environment, as you won’t need to purchase packs of plastic bottled water.

The Perfect Time To Pack

It can be annoying to start unpacking in your hotel room only to realize you’ve forgotten some important items at home. A good rule of thumb when preparing for a trip is to pack the night before. Create a list of the items you need and check them off as you pack.

If you decide to pack on the day you are traveling, there’s a good chance you’ll forget a couple of items. Additionally, packing the night before helps you remain organized, relaxed, and punctual for your flight, bus, or train.

Laundry Trick

Utilizing the hotel housekeeping service for laundry can be quite costly and may disrupt your budget. If you’ve run out of clean clothes and really need some, try washing them in your bathroom sink or tub. It’s not the most convenient option, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Block the drain with coins and plastic, fill the sink or tub with warm water and soap, and hand wash the clothes. It may be inconvenient for you, but it saves money and helps you stick to your budget.

Look for Business Hotels

As you might already be aware, there are various kinds of hotels, each providing services tailored to their specific client base. For instance, a business hotel typically includes free WiFi in its pricing options, given that most of its guests are business travelers.

A regular hotel might not offer them, as it mainly caters to guests who are just passing through. Regardless of your guest type, travel experts suggest booking at a business hotel to access deals that you might not find at a standard hotel.

Avoid Extra Fees When Paying By Card

Here’s an important tip to remember when traveling: Always make sure you’re charged in the local currency. Why? Because if you pay in a foreign currency, the service provider may add an extra percentage to your bill, which raises the total amount you have to pay.

Additionally, your bank may impose a fee of 1-5% for converting money into the local currency. Overall, you might end up paying twice as much as you would if you were charged in the local currency. This is applicable for booking flights, hotels, and dining at restaurants.

Feedback Matters

It’s beneficial to speak with the hotel manager if you didn’t have a pleasant experience during your stay. Wise Bread reports that a traveler once emailed the hotel manager regarding her initial experience at the hotel.

Since then, she has regularly been upgraded to the king suite whenever she stays there. Informing the manager about your experience might lead to future benefits and upgrades. However, avoid overusing this approach, as no one appreciates a ‘Karen attitude’ that involves excessive yelling and makes you appear spoiled. Try to remain as polite as possible.

Look for Price Guarantees on Booking Sites

Many travelers often ignore the best price guarantee offers due to their numerous loopholes. Nevertheless, if you understand how these price guarantees function, you could save up to 50% on your bookings. Therefore, you will likely need to do some research before purchasing your tickets.

Typically, you need to reserve a room through a hotel booking website. Then, find another booking site offering the same benefits at a reduced price and submit a claim to the first booking site. They will check and confirm your claim, providing you the difference as a discount.

Offer To Give The Hotel A Good Review

Letting the hotel know you plan to leave a review following your stay might encourage them to provide exceptional service. Upon check-in, inquire if the hotel is listed on TripAdvisor and mention your interest in sharing your experience.

This could potentially motivate the hotel staff to provide you with an upgrade or other benefits that you’ll greatly appreciate. However, ensure they don’t perceive it as a tactic to obtain a discount, as that shouldn’t be the case.

Binge-Watch Your Favorite Shows On The Hotel TV

Are you already missing your favorite TV shows and want to watch them on a larger screen? You can connect any of your devices to the hotel TV to stream them. Make sure the hotel TV has an HDMI port and the room has WIFI access.

Access your Netflix account on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and link it to the TV with your HDMI cable. This way, you can begin watching your favorite shows on a larger screen. If you don’t have an HDMI cable, you can request one at the front desk. They are likely to have several available.

Book Everything In Advance

Many individuals often go straight to the hotel to check in without making any prior reservations. This is a mistake as they miss out on discounts and benefits. It is advisable to book a hotel along with your ticket when traveling.

Numerous booking platforms provide excellent deals for reservations made through them, which might not be available if you book directly at the hotel’s front desk. Ovolo Hotels suggests that it’s advisable to book directly on the hotel’s own website or by calling the hotel. By doing so, you could potentially receive better offers or benefits than by booking through a third-party service.

Put the Pressing Iron to Use

If you decide to take our advice and cook your own meals instead of using the hotel room service, you can use several appliances in your hotel room as cooking tools. All you need is some creativity, which can lead to a unique solution and help you save money.

One clever hack is utilizing an iron. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on it and use it to toast bread and heat your food. It’s fast, efficient, and, let’s face it, pretty funny. Just be cautious since it’s an electrical appliance…

Ask for Dishware

Are you planning to eat some snacks or takeout while staying at the hotel to save money? However, you might be wondering how you’ll eat those snacks if you need dishware.

You can contact the front desk to request cutlery and dishes. They’ll gather everything you need from the hotel restaurant and promptly bring it to your room. It’s much more convenient than eating pasta from a plastic container.

Make Use of Virtual Private Network

The top suggestion for finding affordable flights or hotel bargains is to use a virtual private network (VPN). It’s fairly simple to do, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy—you don’t need to be a computer expert like Neo from the Matrix.

Websites use cookies to monitor what internet users do online. If they see that you’re regularly looking up hotels, they might raise their prices. However, by using a VPN, you can conceal your identity, which stops websites from tracking your behavior.

The Closer to The Airport, The Better

If you have an early flight, reserving a hotel near the airport can be extremely helpful. It might be expensive, but sometimes it’s the only option unless you want to spend hours sleeping on the floor in the middle of the airport.

By staying near the airport, you could get more sleep and have plenty of time to get your luggage ready without hurrying. Additionally, airport-proximal hotels are sometimes more affordable, which could help you save on transportation costs.

Don’t Be Reckless

It’s not sufficient to rely solely on the “Do Not Disturb” sign. You should also lock your hotel room door. Although the “Do Not Disturb” sign may cause people to hesitate before entering your room, it might not prevent the cleaning staff from attempting to enter, especially during cleaning hours at the hotel.

Locking the room from the inside would prevent anyone from trying to enter. If there’s an actual keyhole in the door instead of those electronic card systems commonly used today, the simplest solution is to leave the key in the keyhole on the outside.

Room Service

Regularly using room service can significantly impact your budget if you’re not careful. We all know how costly room service can be for our finances. Naturally, we realize that it wasn’t included in the room price when we made the booking.

Take the initiative and visit the hotel’s restaurant to place your order yourself. If your research shows that the hotel lacks a restaurant, bring simple meals you can prepare in your room. We’re not suggesting you abandon room service entirely but to use it thoughtfully.

A Paper Cup For Your Toothbrushes

It is customary for a hotel to have cleaned the room after a guest’s departure before a new guest arrives. However, can you truly rely on the housekeepers to have thoroughly cleaned, particularly in the bathroom? Many hotels do not supply a toothbrush, and you likely wouldn’t want to put something in your mouth if you’re uncertain about its cleanliness.

To prevent that, obtain a paper or plastic cup, make a hole in the bottom, and turn it upside down to serve as a toothbrush holder. This way, you can keep your toothbrush from touching bathroom surfaces and maintain its cleanliness.