11 Hotel Habits Of Mine, From The Logical To The Irrational

Good article—thanks! I will add one more tip: Turn the sink faucet on full blast to make sure the sink actually drains. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to call the front desk to send a maintenance person to unclog the sink at 11PM. Why don’t the housekeepers report this obvious problem (along with the loose toilet seat)?

I've read people putting towels on tv's to cover any potential hidden cameras.

As for me, I just check every nook and cranny right before I leave to make sure I didn't forget anything. But I really should check the bed when I get in just in case.

I work in the travel industry and travel as much as you… my hotel routine also consists of many of your checks, but also:

1/checking if there is a smoke detector and if it’s working. Just last month at a Marriott-portfolio property in Denver, I looked up and saw the entire unit was removed from the ceiling. Immediate room change!

2/plug in my portable carbon monoxide detector - it’s half the size of a mobile phone and very easy to travel with, maybe $20 from Amazon and charges via USB.

3/check the map on the back of the door for fire escapes and then see if the map is actually accurate (and check the hallway to count doors to that exit door, just like on a plane). Some people I know snap a pic of it on their phones in case they can’t see it in darkness, etc. In New Orleans at an IHG-portfolio property, they had a completely wrong map on my room door and when I showed it to the front desk, they were beyond embarrassed.

These steps combined take less than 3 minutes in total.

I make sure to sit on the toilet very first thing. Gotta mark my territory.

If only more people closed their doors gently and avoided shouting/yelling/screaming in hallways (at hotels or elsewhere), the world would be a much better place...

On the room number: I write down my room number on a note in my phone. After a long trip with many different hotels, I forgot what my current room number was and got a sassy comment from the Ritz Carlton Melbourne when I wrote the wrong number on my breakfast bill (the nasty attitude was one of the many things wrong with that stay...).

I agree with 10 of these. My only exception is on tipping. Tipping is completely out of hand. If the workers want a better paying job, then go get an education and learn a skill that offers more opportunities to earn more. Also I find that the majority of hotel maids are illegal and I personally don’t want to encourage them to come here and stay.

Don't slam doors and be quite in the hallway. Kids are the worst (and of course their parents). Locate nearest ice machine. Ensure proper toiletries are present/filled.

Ask/determine if there's guest laundry onsite. Google nearest grocery store and if needed laundromat. Ahead of checking in if a new property to me find nearest hiking/walking trails.

I learn the light switches, to decide which side of the bed I want. Sometimes hotels have "clever" light controls, which favour one side of the bed.

I always check the room phone for a Ringer Switch and if it can't be put on "low" (or even if it can, perhaps) I unplug the phone.

If the room supplies tea/coffee supplies, I check for non-sugar sweetener, since I can't use sugar. In may places, the hotel expects to provide these, but it's overlooked by housekeeping. 05:20 isn't the time to remedy this.

Always check for bed bugs

I always tip $20 per cleaning. I can afford it and it makes me feel good.

I'm almost everywhere with you. Exept tipping. That's a US thing. In Europe it is considered abusive which I totaly agree, in hotel's, restaurants, anywhere. Worst I have ever had (have) was in Brazil, in restaurants they add always 10% to your bill, unless you say no in advance.
About slaming doors I have no experience but I have experiences with noises during night, and I'm sure those neighbors still remember that night. (morning).

Ben, the reason I use the alarm clock is that I'm a night owl who has a hard time waking up under the best of circumstances, and I'm also a heavy sleeper who has literally slept through fire alarms. I prefer to err on the side of caution especially if I'm tired or if my body clock is thrown off because of jetlag. So, I set my phone alarm, the physical alarm clock, AND request a wake up call, if available. I usually stagger them a few minutes apart, but sometimes it helps me to have a backup, and a backup to the backup.

If you unplug the phone, I'd hope you'd remember to plug it back in upon your departure as this can create a possible safety/security for subsequent guests if housekeeping isn't monitoring this. I've had a personal experience in this regard, to even include law enforcement being called. Guess it's just another thing to add to the 'arrival room inspection list' !

I will utilize the bell person at Checkin to escort me to the room. That way I can check the thermostat , bathroom , etc so if there’s a problem they can take care of it.

I use Clorox sanitizing wipes to wipe the surfaces , bathroom , shower , etc. (same when I arrive to my seat; keep the meal tray extended for one minute to let the wipes dry fully )

If there are glasses in room of which I’m a big fan of I run the sink water until it’s too hot to keep my hand under the the glasses a good rinse. Trust me you don’t wanna know what’s been in those.

The tip generosity depends on length of stay and especially if I was in a suite it is a way of paying it forward for the next guest to have a nice clean room.

Most of these are common sense things that I also practice. When I check the shower I also flush the toilet. That’s also something you don’t want to make a panicked phone call about.

For an old job I stayed at the Hilton SannJose Downtown for a daytime stay 4x a week. I once walked into a room where the toilet was literally shattered. Still have the photo of it because I was sure the front desk wouldn’t believe me!

You know you can get free water in most hotels by, you know, turning a tap?

@ Zebedee Jone -- "I drink a lot of water. I’m not a water diva, and I’m happy to drink tap water anywhere that it’s safe to do so. That being said, sometimes I end up in places where it’s not safe, and then you find that a hotel only gives you a couple of bottles per day."

I'm not sure I could have addressed that any more directly?

+ be super nice to front desk because their job has to be rough at times
+ put a towel under the entry door if there’s a gap, which there almost always is.
+ turn off the TV
+ confirm there is bottled water in the room
+ reprogram thermostat (usually California) to enabled fan always on mode

Bed bugs is #1 for me, don't want those bastards home with me

@Ben I actually never thought of getting water from the gym, probably because I never use hotel gyms. I tend to walk enough wherever I am that I don't think it's unnecessary. I am pickier on my water though, and I don't hydrate as well if the tap water tastes funky, which is often the case. So that's definitely a great tip for me.

That Guardian piece about the woman who found a stranger hiding under her hotel bed in Tokyo really hit me. She only discovered him because of a strange smell, and when he crawled out, she was trapped in fear, screaming until he bolted. The police barely took a description and brushed it off, leaving her shaken and traumatized. Reading that makes habits like checking closets, under beds, and always using deadbolts feel a lot less “paranoid” and a lot more like basic safety. Hotels should take guest security way more seriously.

I take my room number and use a Caesar shift to render it incomprehensible to anyone else before having it engraved on an otherwise ordinary rock which I then hide in a nearby park

I bring aluminum foil and cover the television, telephone, the alarm clock and all lamps as they are the most likely to contain listening devices and cameras

I pray to the whatever god Jon and Seb does.

If the gods favor my stay, I will get a room with a broken light bulb and Jonny Seb will help me get 10,000 points for each broken bulb.

Also DND is a must. A slight knock during DND is another 50,000 points bonus.

That's how real bloggers make a living.
Get more points or bump vouchers than what you pay out of pocket. 😉

It also pays to cover all the smoke/fire detection sensors with foil too, just to be on the safe side.

you are a Saint my good person ! Good on you !

That's not always on option for a lot of people in the hospitality industry in North America. I cannot imagine what difference a person's citizenship is who cleans your room. News Flash: Dont see a lot of blond European Americans lining up to clean toilets in a hotel.

Check for exits on my way. I usually request to be near the stair exits.
Bedbugs.
Wipe things down.
General operation of everything.

Always wipe touch points and the remote with bleach wipes,, and tip two bucks per night. I can afford it and I sometimes get better service.

"Admittedly it depends on whether I’m traveling to"

Can't disagree with that, because I don't know what it means.

Trying to picture a Venn diagram of people who search for bedbugs, and people who tip housekeeping. Probably very little overlap. Bedbugs don't confine their habitat to beds. How thorough is this search? Do you tear off the blankets and sheets to get down to the mattress? Look under the bed? Maybe that's the purpose of this maneuver.

I ALWAYS tip the housekeepers EVERY DAY, not just the end of my stay. And I know it helps makes the day for the housekeeper and they deserve it.

Your feedback is important for the safety and security of hotel guests. I do many of the same things!
Thanks

Make very clear ahead of time that I am a super light sleeper which means rooms far away from elevators and ice machines and discos

How do you "find" that the majority of hotel housekeepers are illegal? Do you ask for their papers?

I set a code and test the room safe opens before putting anything into it. Yes, there was an incident once.

One of the first things I do when I get to a new hotel room is to clear all the various promotional materials, brochures, menus, etc into a drawer or wardrobe. Hotel rooms these days can feel so cluttered. The whole exercise of decluttering can take time and every time I wonder if anyone else does this...

No I make sure it's on display, in the wrong corner of the room, so housekeeping can't possibly miss it. I do this when I unplug it. You're right, it would not be good if it looked normal, but was secretly disconnected.

I do a lot of these. I also check that little map on the back of the door to see which way and how far away the closest emergency exit is. I duty to definitely remember whether I should turn right or left and about how many doors down. Definitely check the AC and if I’m in a hotel with an AC unit on the outer wall, I check and if necessary clean the filter. Especially if the room smells musty. It makes a big difference.

I used to always run a WiFi speed test, but thankfully slow internet isn’t as prevalent as it was years ago.

The tipping thing is interesting. I will generally not tip unless there is a reason to do so that requires extra work for the housekeeping.

I always keep the key folder. Not with me, but put on the desk or a drawer. Then when I check out I put the keys back in it, and then can just hand it to the front desk on way out.

Another think I do is check out the locaton of the fire exit in the hallway.

How nice of you to show gratitude to those that help you by throwing some money at them. Money is everything. Money can buy love and happiness.

Personally I do some of this stuff.

I don't usually "check the AC" but if I'm in a place where I WANT AC (I like to sleep in the cold) then I'm turning it on, so it's less of a check and more of a "i want it cold in here immediately" type move. I don't check the shower, but maybe I'll start doing that.

I pretty much always have the DND sign because I sleep late and I almost never take any kind of room cleaning. Unless I'm gonna be there for more than 3 days, I don't need it so I figure it helps the employees, it's one less room they gotta make up. Deadbolt/chain is a must, I have an extra lock thing from Amazon, but I never remember to use it.

My big one...I flush the toilet pretty much immediately when I get in, cuz I wanna know how the flow is. I don't poop on planes unless it's an emergency, and I try not to in airports, because even the lounges can be kinda nightmarish to really take care of business in the washrooms. So my first order of business in a hotel room is usually to put in some throne time lol. I wanna make sure it works and that there's some decent flow, and I used to visit a website that told you what to do with the paper, but it seems to be dead now, so I just guess or google.

Very smart, I never do. I always kinda see the maps, but I'm always really bad at understanding them visually. I should start making sure I know where a fire exit is. Gonna try and make this part of the routine.

I always check for bed bugs

Yes, I agree on this.
I also put the TV remote control in with them because I never use the TV.
And sweep the cushions off the bed into wardrobe, or sometimes just the corner of the room.
Staying with friends or family is often worse - most people seem to think the room should look cosy when one walks in, rather than leaving space for visitors to put out their stuff.

Some very good points here. I'll add 'looking-for-the-fire-escape' into my own small list. That's a very good one, in fact.

Nobody likes bed bugs, but stripping down the mattress to check is overkill. If you want to know if your hotel has a serious bed bug problem, look up reviews before you book! There'll be persistent reviews from genuine guests saying so (as opposed to one-off disgruntled guests or troublemakers). Because bed bug infestations don't usually confine themselves to just one guest room.

“Being broken into,” not “being broke into”

Spot on. Honestly, paranoia of some people is crazy. I just make sure everything works and any special requests has been fulfilled so I don't unpack before I'm sure to accept the room, and then make myself comfy.

I often wonder how do these people sleep at night when staying at a place without deadbolt.

When traveling with family on stays of 4 nights or more, I ask the hotel to clear the mini bar ( so we can use the fridge more easily). Never get any pushback and it makes the room more useable.

Also when with family I check to see how to make the bathroom private. Seems simple but isn’t always (looking at you Conrad Osaka).

Part of the routine is also to put passports in the safe before doing anything else in the room.

I always check the hair dryer. On two occasions (not in same hotel), I discovered it was not working. My discovery was made in the morning after my shower. I had to be somewhere in 90 minutes, and the 25-minute delay in having a new dryer brought to me was stressful; I have long hair and it takes 30 minutes to dry.

Because its not a thing except in tipping diseased USA where corporate greed demands you pay their employees wages..

I TOTALLY agree with the sink drainage and loose toilet seat. Have discovered those problems long after maintenance has gone home. And how about a toilet that won't stop running?

T.M.I. !
Although in total agreement with avoiding airplane / airport 'throne' time' unless real emergencies, of course ...
..... lol

In the mid‑00s, when taking pictures while jumping on hotel beds became popular, that was always the first thing I did when I got into a hotel room. I couldn’t resist letting my inner kid out. But ever since box‑spring beds became less common, it just isn't the same. Did anyone else do that?

Some of them (irrational ones too) overlap with mine. As a photographer, I like to take interior photos of the room and bathrooms in pristine state upon arriving prior to unpacking.
There was a scene from Jim Jarmusch movie, “Mystery Train” where the man from the Japanese tourist couple takes photos of the room and his reason was that people forget what the hotel room they stayed in looked like. I like to document the place I stayed as well.
I also take pic of hotel room door, check alarm clocks, check AC, shower, AND flush the toilet, use the deadbolt and chain, check the closet and under the bed, and close the room door softly and walk quietly down the corridor.
After settling in, if it’s still daylight, I take a quick walk around the neighborhood - recon for supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, etc.. At the supermarket, I typically buy snacks, additional Nespresso pods, and 2 liter bottle of water.

How would some twit like you know the immigration status of a hotel maid, or do you just assume anyone speaking Spanish and/or cleaning a commercial property, is "illegal?"

"I often wonder how do these people sleep at night when staying at a place without deadbolt."

Having been someone whose place was broken into (Baton Rouge, 2007, thankfully when I wasn't there) the answer to that is "never."

Yowzers! Where you stayin’ at?!

If you are trying to be kind, then never tip (or even carry) $2 bills. The recipient will use at at some store than has no slot for it. No business is happy to receive $2 bills.

And even those who claim Situational Awareness end up over-leveraged, over-exposed, and liquidated by a 'door slam.' *cries in Leopold Aschenbrenner*

Most would consider it a funny matter. We have indeed found ghosts (spirits who have not passed on).
Its not like the movies.
We have compassion, my partner knows how to help them pass on, and we have done it in various hotels around the world.
If you don't know, just pray for them and ask God to bring them home.
Its the kindest thing we could do for them.

The last thing I want to do on vacation is cook!