It doesn’t matter if you’re on a luxurious getaway or a relaxing stopover—hotels are our home away from home when we’re on the move. However, some of our actions don’t exactly make us “Guest of the Year.” Let’s learn about hotel etiquette with twelve things we’ve all done at least once during our hotel adventures. Try not to make a habit of these.
Featured Image Credit: IgorVetushko /Depositphotos.com.
Playing Hide and Seek with the Do Not Disturb Sign
We’ve all been there—either putting that Do Not Disturb sign on the door as if it’s a permanent fixture or forgetting it exists altogether. Remember, housekeeping is there to help keep your room fresh. They’re not mind readers though! Use the sign wisely so that your room gets cleaned but you also have some privacy.
Turning Your Room into a Tech Hub
Most of us travel with an arsenal of gadgets and they always need charging but cramming every outlet with chargers makes your room more dangerous. Why? Because hotels aren’t designed as charging stations for your entire collection. Bring a power strip if you must but be mindful of how you’re using it.
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Towel and Robe Souvenir Shopping
Those fluffy towels and robes are tempting, aren’t they? However, even though we’d like to think they’re complimentary like the mini shampoos – they’re not – & hotels have a good eye for missing linens. Taking them without permission could lead to you paying an unexpected bill. You should leave the linens where they belong—in the hotel.
The Thermostat Tango
We all want to walk into a room that’s just the right temperature although constantly cranking the temperature up & down can cause issues for the hotel’s energy bill—and the environment. Even leaving the windows open is bad so find a good setting and stick with it. It’s better for Mother Nature & the hotel as well.
Lighting Up in Non-smoking Rooms
Even if you’re a chain smoker back home, you have to respect the hotel’s smoking policy. Sneaking a smoke in a non-smoking room is bad for the hotel and your wallet—those cleaning fees are seriously no joke! Worse still, the next guest certainly won’t appreciate your lingering stench.
Room Party Central
You might think having a few friends over might seem harmless but you’re wrong. Overcrowding your room with unregistered guests can be a safety issue and go against hotel policy. After all, they have rules for a reason, including fire codes. Limit the party size sensibly or at least take it to the lobby where there’s room to mingle.
Leaving Your Valuables on Display
Leaving expensive gadgets or jewelry out in the open is an invitation for trouble so you should use a safe to keep your valuables tucked away. Even the most reputable hotels can have security slip-ups! It’s far better to be safe than sorry – especially with something that only takes a few seconds.
Playing Chicken with Check-out Time
We’ve all tried to squeeze every last minute out of our stay. Yet playing chicken with check-out time can disrupt the hotel’s flow & delay rooms for incoming guests. As such, if you need a little more time, a call to the front desk can often give you a grace period to check out. Remember that communication is important!
Makeup Magic on White Towels
You’re going to leave a mark if you use white hotel towels as makeup removers or clean dirty shoes. Most hotels know about our ways & that’s why they’ll give you makeup remover wipes. All you have to do is ask! This way, you can save the towels for drying as they intended instead of dyeing.
The Breakfast Buffet Bonanza
The breakfast buffet is the place where your eyes are guaranteed to be bigger than your stomach! Loading up your plate with mountains of bacon & pastries only to leave half uneaten is wasteful. It’s also not a great look. Take what you can eat and remember that you can always go back for seconds.
Dumping Your Trash Everywhere But the Bin
We get it—you’re on vacation mode and the last thing you want to think about is cleaning. But leaving your trash scattered around the room like breadcrumbs isn’t cool, especially since most hotel rooms come with a trash can or two. So use them! It’s a small gesture that goes a long way to keep your room tidy & make the housekeeping staff’s job easier.
Raiding the Housekeeping Cart
Whenever you see the housekeeping cart unattended in the hallway, it’s tempting to take some of the goodies you’ve been using—and then some. But you should resist the urge. If you need additional items, a simple call to the front desk or a polite request to a member of the housekeeping staff will usually do the trick. They’re there to help!
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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