Although traveling sounds like a fun idea, it can also be stressful. That’s why ensuring you get a nice and comfy hotel room after hours in a cramped airplane or bus is crucial, regardless if you’ve booked a room from a 5-star hotel or a modest accommodation.
Even if you’ve spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a hotel room, you can always make the experience even better with the following hotel room hacks-helping you get the most out of your stay.
The Higher, the Better
Everyone likes expansive views, but getting a room on the higher floors of hotels ensures a quieter environment, allowing you to bask in your room and your stay. That’s because upper levels often offer respite from street level noises, and typically, large party groups get placed on lower floors so, if you’re looking to unwind and relax in your hotel room, request higher-floored rooms.
Additionally, remember that no matter how many times staff tells you all the rooms in a hotel are the same, they’re not. So, besides requesting for a higher situated room, it’s worth asking for an upgrade, or if not, ask for a ‘corner room.’ That’s because these are often always bigger and have several aspect windows.
Make It Feel Like Home
If you’re looking for the ultimate relaxation session in your hotel room, make it feel homier by bringing your favorite mini scented candles and pillow spray to make it more comfortable for you. Plus, you can bring your personal blanket bed fan and put it under your comforter.
Inform the Hotel Ahead of Time for Any Special Requests
Whether you’re looking to use a second luggage rack, a double bed, or an additional mattress, most hotels will take in special requests before you arrive at your room. You can also request to have food prepared for you in advance, helping you avoid going out to get some much-needed sustenance from a long flight.
Finally, you can also inform the hotel beforehand if you’re celebrating a special occasion, whether it’s a birthday or an anniversary. Doing this may leave you to find a complimentary cake, fruit baskets, or even a bottle of champagne in your room.
Always Ask to Have Two Cards, Even When You’re Alone
Most modern hotels nowadays use ‘key cards’ to turn on the power in the room. That’s why if you want to charge your devices or keep the AC unit on when you leave for the day, it’s best to request a second key card. Doing this lets you leave the second card inside the room’s power slot and allow you to continue charging your gadgets and the air conditioning going. Plus, for hotels that don’t use RFID-coded power slots, you can place an old credit card or store loyalty card inside them, and it will power the room even when you’re gone for the day.
Tuck Away All the Brochures and Leaflets
Hotel rooms can feel and look quite cluttered when filled with various brochures, stand-up cards, leaflets across its desks and side tables. To make your room feel more welcoming and like ‘home,’ remove those catchy taglines getting stuck in your mind and place all these things into a drawer-helping you enjoy the room for itself.
Take Advantage of the Freebies
Everyone likes free things, and you’d be surprised at how many items you can get for no price at hotels, including the conventional free toiletries and complimentary drinks. You can also get other things for free depending on the hotel, including fruit baskets, restaurant vouchers, fruit baskets, and a bottle of an alcoholic drink.
Arrive Early and Stay Late
The ‘arrive early and stay late strategy’ is the best way to make the most out of your stay-literally. This trick can help you elongate the time you get to lounge in your chosen hotel’s lap luxury. If you’re part of a loyalty program with a particular hotel group, they’ll typically grant you a longer stay based on availability when you request to extend your stay for a couple of hours on each end.
However, if you’re not part of a loyalty program, remember that early check-ins and late check-outs are not odd requests, so don’t hesitate to ask the hotel about their policy about this. Whether you only gain an hour or four of an extended stay, these extra free hours of lounging can help you get the most out of the experience.
Whether you frequently travel for work are heading for home for the holidays, and regardless if you’re staying at a luxury 5-star hotel or a modest accommodation-the tips and tricks mentioned can help you make the most out of your stay.
