by Originally published on our site travelerdreams.com
We all love to travel, but let’s admit it – not every hotel is fit for a king or a queen. Sometimes, we have to compromise if we want to have a vacation that fits our budget.
What makes things a bit worse is that the hotel room might not always look exactly as it did in the online photos. The photos might have been misleading – the bed looking bigger than it actually is or the booking website posting photos of a completely different room altogether. The truth is, you’ll never know until you arrive.
If it’s too hot in your room, whether the A/C is broken or you’re visiting someplace out of the ordinary, you can still beat the heat pretty easily. Just wet a towel and place it in front of the open window.
That’s it. It’ll work like a natural air conditioner and cool down the room. It might not work as well if the air outside is too still, but best case scenario, you won’t be sweating anymore and you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep.
Shower Cap Shoe Bags
After walking around all day in a dirty city or trekking through the mud while out on a hike, your shoes or boots can get pretty nasty. Maybe you’re too tired to clean them right away or time just doesn’t permit you to get them as clean as you need.
This hack is perfect for you! Just use the shower cap from the bathroom to wrap around your shoes. You won’t have to worry about getting anything in your suitcase dirty!
A Quieter Place
Whether you’re a light sleeper with a room right next to the elevator or you just can’t stand the constant slamming of doors in the hallway, the next tip is for you!
Just grab a towel from the bathroom, bonus points if it’s already dirty. Then proceed to place the towel snugly to the slit at the bottom of the door, blocking the noise made by other guests in the hotel.
Now you can rest easy without having to carry heavy headphones on your travels or causing discomfort to yourself with earplugs.
Soap Buffer
Do you ever get out of the shower only to find that you can’t see anything in the mirror because it’s so fogged up? This hack works on any mirror that gets fogged up regularly, so you can even take it home with you.
This probably works better before you take the shower, but if you’ve already showered, just wipe one part of the mirror really well and make sure it’s dry before rubbing that same spot with a bar of soap. Then you can buff it shiny and it will keep the mirror from getting foggy.
The Power of Television
It’s hard to know what power plug you’re going to need when you’re traveling to other countries. But even if your universal plug ends up broken, lost, or not working, you can always plug the charging cable into the back of the TV.
Look around and find the USB port, and you’ll find that it should charge your phone. It might work a little slower than a normal plug, and you might have to keep the TV powered on while it’s charging, but at least you’ll be able to keep your precious devices up and running.
Keep the Door Open
Most hotel room doors are built either heavy or with an atomatic closing mechanism, so that they close if you accidentally forget to shut them yourself when you leave.
That can be useful when it comes to preventing theft and protecting your privacy, but it can be a real pain when you have a lot of luggage to bring in to the room at once.
Instead of continually fumbling with the lock, though, you can simply use one of the complementary clothes hangers to keep the door propped open.
Minimal Effort Dewrinkling
Something we find difficult about traveling is that moment when we start unpacking only to realize that our nicest shirts or pants are wrinkled. The good news is that with a hot shower and a hanger, all our woes can be solved.
When you get unpacked, pop the offending article of clothing on a hanger, hang it in the bathroom and the next time you take a steamy shower, the wrinkles will release themselves. You won’t even need an iron!
Dark Room
Whether you’re adjusting time zones, spending some time in the North Pole during summer, or you just enjoy a dark room while sleeping, we’ve got the perfect tip for you.
Use the clips from a hanger to close the annoying gap in the middle of the curtains. This is especially useful if you find sleeping with a mask over your eyes an uncomfortable experience.
After all, studies show that sleeping in the dark is one of the healthiest ways to sleep.
Preventing Leakage
So you’ve done the responsible thing, and packed a toiletry bag for your trip, full of the soaps, shampoos and creams you love, in adorable, small-bottle form.
You get top grades for thinking ahead, but you do face the threat of leaky bottle caps.
Plastic bottle caps are designed to sit on a shelf next to your shower or bath – not for being bumped and jumbled around in a suitcase or backpack. So when one of them eventually spills, filling your toiletry bag with gooey soap, all of your carefully laid plans for a relaxing shower at the hotel may be severly hampered.
Not to worry, though – we’ve got the perfect solution; before you screw your bottle caps back on, simply place a small piece of plastic wrap over the bottle’s opening. That way, even if a bottle cap cracks open, you’re still safe.
Watching TV
Did you know that many hotels come with smart TVs? Often, they’ll already have Netflix downloaded which you can take advantage of. Most times, you’ll need to have an account to connect with the TV, but once you get it set up, you can catch up on all your favorite shows and movies from the comfort of your hotel bed.
Even if you don’t have a subscription, Netflix typically offers a free month just for signing up. Just don’t forget your password!
Pump Up the Volume
Maybe you’ve just found your new favorite song and you want to share it with the whole world. Or maybe you’re having a dance party in your hotel room, but no one has a Bluetooth speaker. This is the next best thing.
Place your phone in a mug to help amplify the sound. Your party guests might have to dance a little quieter than usual, but in a pinch it’ll give you enough sounds until you can come up with a better solution!
Your Phone’s Own Bed
Your hotel might be lacking a proper nightstand, but this doesn’t mean you have to put your cellphone under your pillow or on the floor. If your bed is big enough, you could let your phone have its own side of the bed, but if you’re sharing it with someone else or find yourself in a twin sized one, we’ve got just the hack for you. Untuck the sheet a little, then retuck it to form a cellphone (and glasses) sized pocket!
Smell Good
So you’ve made it to your hotel only to find out that your room has a certain… how should we put it? Odor.
However unappealing the smell, just leave your room to go to your car, and borrow the car’s air freshener. If you don’t have your car, you can just buy one.
You can attach the air freshener to the air vents for a room that no longer reeks of the years of smelly feet and cigarette smoke that can’t possibly be removed completely from the room. You’ll never have to worry about wearing a gas mask to bed again!
Behind the Desk Chargers
Have you ever slept over at a friend’s house or stayed in a hotel, only to leave the next day without your phone charger? You don’t realize you don’t have your charger until later in the day when your battery starts dying.
The good news is, you’re not alone! This happens all the time in hotels, so they’ll often have a healthy supply of extra chargers. Kindly ask at reception to see if someone has left behind the type of charger you need, and you might just get lucky!
Diaper Changing Station
If you’re a parent traveling with small children, knowing all the hacks for how to keep yourself sane is necessary.
If you won’t be doing too much desktop work, remove the things from the top of the desk to turn it into a changing station. You can put everything you’ll need on the surface and use the drawers to hold things that you won’t use as frequently, like your entire supply of diapers or that extra bottle of rash cream.
Make Your Own Food
If you’re unlucky and in a hotel with terrible food or no food at all, you can take advantage of the coffee maker to make some snacks. You can benefit from this hack by cooking any instant foods you buy from the supermarket that are heated up using hot water.
Nothing is off limits: oats, macaroni and cheese, or mashed potatoes. If you are the creative type, we bet you could create a four course meal with a quick internet search!
Charging
Some hotels have decided to save some cash (and the environment) by cutting the electricity when you leave the room, forcing you to use your hotel key as the breaker.
The good news is, you can use whatever you have that is the size of a hotel key for this. A credit card, a blood donor card, or a gift card to that one store that someone gave you five years ago that you still haven’t used.
We’re all for saving the planet, but sometimes we need to charge our phone while we go get some food!
Ask At Reception
Are you traveling with children or do you just love to play video games and want to spend the night in? Many hotels offer more than just extra pillows at the front desk. Some will even let you check out a gaming console to keep you or your kids busy.
This is a great hack, especially if the weather outside doesn’t permit outdoor activities or you’re too tired to do anything else that day. It’s always a backup plan in case everything else goes wrong!
Ironing Board Table
You might not need to iron your shirts, but you could still make use of the ironing board. This hack works for larger families or groups who either don’t have enough chairs or enough space to have everyone eat around the tiny desk.
Pass the 20
While an extra fee at check-in is not something many people are willing to do, you might consider it next time you’re checking in. Receptionists are allowed to upgrade you for special occasions, and when they receive a tip for it, they’re likely to do the most and help you out.
Ask the Receptionist
The receptionists are people too. Let them know what’s going on, respectfully, and see if you don’t get a congratulatory discount or upgrade to a better room. It never hurts to ask, just don’t be upset if they can’t do it that time.
Reuse Those Coffee Cups
You know that paper cup you use once and then throw away after you’ve finished your morning coffee or tea? Poke a hole in the bottom of it and push your toothbrush through it for a makeshift toothbrush holder.
This way you keep your toothbrush bristles off the counter and can rest easy knowing that you’ve reused your cup that would otherwise be thrown away immediately. It’s a win-win situation, honestly, your toothbrush stays clean and you help out the environment. What could be better?
What Could Have Been Better?
Maybe you woke up with some unexplained bug bites? Maybe a staff member was rude to you? You ordered room service and the food was cold?
Complaining when something goes wrong is completely acceptable when you’re staying in a hotel, so long as you do it respectfully. Remaining calm while explaining the problem you had in your room is the best way to ensure that the receptionist or manager will try to resolve the problem, be it by partially refunding your stay or offering a discount on your next visit.
Can We See Another Room, Please?
With this short, simple phrase, you could find yourself being upgraded to a better room. It’s normal that hotels will try to fill their less desired rooms, before they fill up the sought after beds.
Because of that they’re able to offer people with special occasions, problems, or maybe even you a better room. This works especially well for anyone who is a little tight on money or too shy to pass a bill across the counter to the receptionist.
Conditioner Can Do What?
More than just taking hotel conditioner home to expire in your cupboard, you can use it to do many things. If you’ve stayed at a luxury hotel, you might find yourself with the same quality, if not better, conditioner that you use daily on your hair and you’ll save money by not having to buy more!
You can also use it as a cuticle cream, a moisturizer for your bath or even to remove makeup. It’s so versatile that you can also wash your lingerie with it or protect leather shoes from water damage.
Sleeping In
Do not disturb signs are useful for more than just getting some uninterrupted sleep. If you feel like you’re in an unsafe location where your room might get burgled, the do not disturb sign might act as a deterrent as the thieves will tend to think that you are in the room. It’s harder to get a clean getaway when you’ve been spotted by the person you’ve robbed.
Additionally if you don’t want your room cleaned that day, you can leave the sign outside and housekeeping will skip you altogether!
2 Pillows, 2 Beds
Are your children always fighting over whatever’s in front of them? At bedtime it can be a nightmare to get them sleep if they’re constantly at each other’s throats, arguing to no end.
The best way to help them out at bedtime is to find a few extra pillows and lay them down the center of the bed. This will give each child their own space and they won’t be fighting anymore – well, at least not about their own space.
Wash and Roll
Have you ever paid to have your clothes cleaned by the hotel? There’s always the chance that something could get ruined or lost. Even if everything goes off without a hitch, there’s still the high price you’ll have to pay for this service. Just a few garments can end up costing you a pretty penny.
Instead, use a few coins and some plastic to clog the sink and wash your clothes in the sink, then you can hang them around the room to dry them out.
Refundable Options
What do you do when you want to book the cheapest room around? This plan isn’t always the cheapest, but it can work out in your favor.
When you find a good price with a refundable option, book it. Now your work begins. Start calling around to nearby hotels and see if you can get them to give you a lower price to compete with the price you’ve already agreed to pay. If they do, you’ll have a cheap room, and if not, you won’t lose your deposit!
Bring Your Own Bottle
Have you ever arrived to a hotel just to find that the only water offered to you costs way more than you are willing to pay? Even if your hotel doesn’t have free bottles of water, you can bring your own water bottle and refill it in the hotel’s gym. You’ll save money and be able to quench your thirst. Then, you’ll be able to use your hard earned cash to splurge on something better, like the spa or a nice meal out.
Save Money Booking
Did you know that third party booking websites often charge the hotels to use them? That means that many hotels will give you a discount if you book directly with them.
Obviously you should still use the third party sites to find the best prices, but when it comes to the booking itself, call up the hotel directly or visit their website for some price slashing. Whether you’re going to a hotel or a hostel, booking directly is the way to go.
Softer Butter
After you’ve woken up and gotten yourself ready for the day, you’re probably going to be a bit hungry. You make your way to the continental breakfast that is a staple in chain hotels, alas! You find that the butter is cold and rock hard.
Here’s a simple trick. Just place it on top of the toaster while the bread is toasting for one minute to get perfectly melted and spreadable butter. You won’t have to worry about your knife ripping through the toast ever again!
Cool Off
Who needs to wash their hands? We’re kidding, please wash your hands. But if you find yourself with warm drinks and the fridge is either not usable or nonexistent, this next hack is for you.
Make It Humid
Sometimes you arrive at your hotel and realize that either the climate of the new city or the A/C in the room itself makes the air way drier than it needs to be. This can cause some problems like a scratchy throat or a nosebleed. No one wants that!
But don’t worry, there’s an easy solution: drape a damp towel over the luggage table in front of a radiator for a quick DIY humidifier.
Order In
Is room service too expensive? You don’t feel like eating what’s on the menu? Room service isn’t even something the hotel offers?
Don’t worry, you can order online or call local restaurants for delivery right up to your room. Make sure to check the hotel rules to see if it’s not expressly forbidden before you order to ensure that your food actually arrives.
If it is, you can always order online and pick it up yourself. Some foods can be particularly pungent, so those might be a good idea to eat in the actual restaurant.
Keep All Your Eggs in One Basket
After your wallet, what are the two worst things to forget in your hotel room when you check out?
That’s right – your keys and your phone charger. There’s nothing worse than reaching your next destination only to realize you’re stuck with a dead phone, or getting back home after a trip and finding yourself locked out.
Fear not, though! While you are likely to forget either your charger or your keys, you’re not likely to forget both – so if you attach your keys to your charger when you’re travelling, you can rest easy knowing both of these essential items will stay with you on your journey.
Staying Healthy
Do you know how some hotels use little plastic bags to wrap the clean cup they provide next to the bathroom sink?
Don’t throw those bags away!
While hotels take care to clean their mattresses and sheets, one thing that usually stays quite dirty – and that’s touched by almost all of the previous guests in the room – is the TV remote.
That thing is a germ catastrophe just waiting to happen, and you really don’t want to touch it with your bare hands. Instead, simply take that little plastic bag from your bathroom cup, and use it as a buffer between the remote and your hands.
Emergency Pedicure
Travelling is great, and staying at hotels can be a lot of funs, but one of the things that’s nice about being at home is knowing that you have everything you need, just waiting to be used in case of an emergency. Nail files, for instance; you probably don’t travel with one, but when you find yourself getting ready for an important meeting or for a night out on the town and realize your hotel doesn’t stock them, there’s not a lot you can do if you need one.
Stay Safe
When you first arrive in your hotel room, you may sometimes notice a 2-feet-wide piece of fabric draped over the foot of your bed.
Here’s an insiders’ secert; these things are purely decorative – and rarely washed.
Take that thing off your bed and put it in a distant corner if you want to stay clean.
DIY Hotel Laundry
When you’re travelling for an extended period of time, doing some laundry is eventually inevtiable. The only problem with that is that hotel laundry services are usually really, really expensive, and often, you don’t want to spend time hunting down a laundromat.
If you don’t mind doing some hand washing, though, the heated towel racks in the bathroom can serve as excellent clothes dryers.
Drink Out of a Mug
Hotel breakfasts can vary in their quality, but one thing that they usually don’t skimp on is quantity. Sure, the food in some hotel breakfasts may not be amazing – but there’s lots of it, and we’ll be darned of we aren’t going to get the most out of our endless supply of orange juice and pancakes.
The only problem is, the tiny little cups most hotels provide for juice are simply too small. Two sips, and BAM! – your juice is gone.
Don’t worry, though. One way to get around that is to simply walk a few steps to the side, and to get a nice big mug from the coffee station.
Sweet Spa
Hotel spas can be pretty enticing, but they can cost a fortune.
If you want to treat yourself without breaking the bank, though, you can give yourself a nice, refreshing DIY spa treatment by taking sugar from your hotel room’s coffee supplies and mixing it in with some lotion to create an exfoliating facial scrub.
Your face will feel just as soft and refreshed as it would after a “rea” spa treatment, without costing you a dime.
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Hotels often provide more than just a bed and a shower. They truly strive to provide you with a home away from home – and are aware of the fact that the room’s complementary toiletries sometimes aren’t enough.
Most hotels have sewing kits, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste and more basic supply on hand, and all you have to do in order to get them is to ask the hotel’s representative at the reception desk – so next time you’re in a bind, give them a call!
Everyone’s a Critic
Most hotels strive to provide you with the best service they can, regardless of who you are or what you do. But it usually doesn’t hurt to casually hint that you’re prone to leaving reviews online on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp when you check in. You just might find yourself with a free room upgrade, a breakfast or a spa visit on your hands – compliments of the house.
