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“Staying in a hotel” is such a spectrum of experiences, ranging from “a motel where the sirens outside never stop” to excellent, all inclusives, where your every need is catered to. However, it’s not at all strange or unusual to have some personal predilections towards what to do and avoid.
A netizen asked “What are some unspoken rules that you automatically follow when staying in a hotel?” and people shared their personal preferences. We also got in touch with the person who made the thread to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and list your own hotel rules in the comments section below.
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#2
Treat the staff like princes/princesses. Good manners often get you extra attention and perks.
#3
I open and look in EVERYTHING. I’m not sure what I’m looking for exactly but I do it anyway.
Bored Panda got in touch with the netizen who posed the question online and they were kind enough to answer some of our questions. Naturally, we were curious to hear why they asked this question in the first place. “I was just staying in a hotel for my birthday and wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any rules that others put in place.”
The post they made ended up with thousands of upvotes and comments, so we wanted to know how they felt about it. “I was super surprised it was so popular, definitely my biggest post. I think that annoying guests in a hotel is a very relatable experience for a lot of people, so of course they would want to share how to not be one.”
#4
Dont let the door slam behind you when leaving your room. Seems simple enough.
“One of my favorite answers was to leave a key card on the floor in your room close to the door, so if you had to leave in the middle of the night for whatever reason, you'd be able to grab it quickly on your way out and have less of a hassle getting back in,” they shared with Bored Panda.
#7
This is for when it’s time to check out. Before you leave, make sure to give the sheets a good shake to ensure you didn’t accidentally leave anything on the bed. Also check every single drawer or storage space in the room, even if you didn’t use it. I’ve never actually left anything behind, but my anxious a*s always feels like I’m forgetting something, so I check everything to make sure I didn’t actually do so. 😅.
#8
The floor is lava, not to be touched with bare feet. .
#9
Leave a decent tip for the housekeeper. They do an awful job for low wages, and they have access to your stuff. Be nice to them! :) I've gotten lovely thank-you notes and extra goodies left in my room by leaving a decent tip.
Karen Bryan 1 day ago
This shoud be #1. And make sure they get it! (Boy, there's a lot of unnecessary germophobia out there. I guess my standards are lower than the norm.)
“I was definitely surprised how many answers involved bedbugs. It did make me happy that so many people go out of their way to help the employees and just be good people,” they added, when we asked if they had any personal favorites from the thread.
#10
I make sure all trash is placed in trash can before leaving, and I put back ironing board, hangers, and luggage rack, and ensure towels are n a neat pile in the bathroom, or right outside the hotel door.
#11
I spent half the year last year in hotels. Most of it one specific hotel for 1-2 weeks at a time.
My only rule is to put the “Do not disturb” sign on the door as soon as I get there. I don’t want anyone, including housekeeping, touching my stuff.
#12
When I was a kid, my family stayed in hotels on vacation only once every other year or so. My parents took one of the drawers in the room and filled it with all kinds of snacks. That was 40 years ago, and I always have stuff to set up a snack drawer whenever I get a room even if it's for one night. It's just feels right.
#14
Showers only. I don't trust hotels to properly clean their bath tubs so I'm not going to sit down in one.
tom (bat/man) 1 day ago
i'm not fond of poaching in my own dead cells which are constantly sloughing off...the shower it is
#15
I always check that everything is working as soon as I arrive in the room. That way if it's not and they have to move me, it's a lot easier to move all my stuff and nothing accidentally gets left behind.
#16
Throw your towels in a pile in the bathroom.
Tammilee Truitt 1 day ago
...because i want them to take all the spent ones out and replace with fresh ones. Same with trash. Everything in the basket. Take it all please.
#19
Don’t put your luggage on the bed.
Talk quietly in the hallways if you are talking.
Jeff White 1 day ago
This one. Do not put your luggage, which you've rolled through airports, sidewalks, possibly through dog poop, on the bed. Nearly every hotel has through luggage tables. Use them.
#20
I stay in HUNDREDS of hotels a year. (Mid to low end, Choice, Wyndham, Best Western chains mainly)
Here’s some advice.
1) People sleep during the DAY in hotels too. Act accordingly. We have to work all night to make everything work right.
2) PLEASE PLEASE don’t come down to breakfast in socks or bare feet. This isn’t your house.
3) Try not to let the door slam.
4) Your dog usually barks the whole time you leave the poor thing alone in a strange place.
5) Hotel walls are not that thick. Please turn the TV and your voice down.
6) Return the luggage cart (there’s a special place in hell for you)
7) Your kids are not behaving when you’re not watching them.
8) Stomping and running around is unacceptable if you are not on the first floor.
9) Lock your car, don’t leave anything you can’t replace in it.
10) You can USUALLY get a better rate online than in person at the front desk.
#21
Look up the thermostat model on google to find out how to override the temp/fan limitations…so you can turn the room into Antarctica if you wish.
Jeff White 1 day ago
Thank you for this advice. I thought the limits were centrally controlled but now realize probably not. This is the best on so far.
#22
I fold a swan into the end of the toilet paper to one-up the maids who fold corners into it.
#25
1. Never sit naked on anything other than the bed. Sheets and towels are washed after every visit. The rest of the furniture gets a quick wipe-down at best. I don't know who else has had their genitals on that couch... Most hotels don't wash the comforter unless it looks dirty, because they are so bulky and slow down the rate of laundry turn-around. And in some hotels, they don't wash the decorative top sheet, either.
2. Be courteous to others. They are also trying to have a vacation.
3. Pack up the night before checkout. I won't have to rush out the door in the morning.
#26
Don't make unnecessary noise at night. Do stuff you need to do, take a shower, etc, but don't make loud sounds late.
Tammilee Truitt 1 day ago
Stayed at a Hilton brand in small, far West Texas recently. Just passing through. One or 2 cars in lot. Did not looked opened. Though you could tell it was new construction, it did not look completed. Go in, sure enough there were 3 smiling employees behind the counter. 5 seconds go by, another older than us older couple comes in, then a single 45ish businessman comes in. We're all getting checked at same time and all look surprise that this place is complete and opened for business. It was the color scheme throughout that made it look incomplete. Twilight zone feeling a creeping in. We get in our room, begin to unpack and freshen up to go to dinner. The older than us older couple got room next to us. We heard them bang open the door. Bang all kinds of $#!+ around til we left for dinner. Had nice dinner and drinks, came back and hour or so later. Quiet for 10 minutes, then their door kept banging opened and shut, and more bang $#!+ around, and throughout the night, every little while some sound they would make. Jesus Christ, if they weren't 100 yrs old, I'd have beat their a**. My husband has traveled his entire working life for business and can just tune it out. Me not so much. I could not figure out what the heck they were doing and my husband discouraged me for asking. Bizarro fun.
#27
If the coffee maker is in the bathroom, it’s not getting used.
#28
Frequent traveler here.
Pre check in: book a room with two queens vs. one king as the second bed provides additional storage room, and an additional comforter/ pillows if needed. For those who love to throw their luggage on the bed- this is key for you. Stop sitting your luggage on the bedding that you plan to sleep on.
Request late check out via the app/ calling the hotel front desk.
Step 1:
Open hotel door- and immediately place the DND sign on the handle. No need for any room servicing if my stay is under a week. If greater than 3 days, I’ll simply request the needed items be placed in front of my door, or pick them up in the lobby. More importantly, this alleviates the constant knocking/ unexpected room entrances while you’re on a conference call, or stepping into, or out of the shower.
This alleviates more issues than you think it does, as half the hotel anxiety I hear about from travelers is about their belongings when they’re not present in the room.
Step 2:
Check to ensure mini fridge is working. Check to ensure shower is working and has hot water. Sounds extreme, but you generally wouldn’t notice issues with these two things until it’s too late. Any medications, or food being stored in the mini fridge would be ruined by this point- and if you have issues with your shower, regardless of it being no hot water, no pressure, or other- by the time you discover it in the morning it’s too late. You’re now late for your site visit/ work meeting. Same applies to the iron if ironing is needed.
Step 3:
If important work meeting in the AM- call the front desk to request a wake up call. I can’t tell you how many times my iPhone alarm doesn’t sound- for whatever reason, regardless of being set. This alleviates issues here. Also, confirm your late check out at this time. Regardless of you confirming this prior to checking in, it somehow gets missed regularly. If you’re not at the hotel at the standard checkout time, yet your belongings are still in the room- this creates quite the unnecessary chaos. It’s best to ensure that this scenario is avoided altogether.
Step 4:
Reasonably inspect bedding once comforter is removed for any concerns.
Step 5:
Prior to exiting the room for check out. Untuck the bedding on unused bed. This is to ensure new bedding is applied for the next guest. House keeping will rarely remake a bed after a guest- if it appears to be untouched.
That is all. Check out, and repeat roughly 300 times annually lol.
Geoffrey Scott 16 hours ago
And for God's sake, be careful with the continental breakfasts (cleanliness)
#29
Leave the spare door key/keycard on the floor by the door so you will see it and grab it as you leave if you are evacuated for fire or earthquake. If you leave without your key you will end up in a massive queue of people getting replacement keys at 1am.
What do you think ?
turk 1 day ago
All this list tells me is that I stay in much nicer hotels than most people, apparently. And I'm not exactly wealthy.
XenoMurph 23 hours ago
Or these people are reallly trying NOT to enjoy their stay. Other people will have been there, they should just accept it, try and ignore it and get on with their holiday.
Load More Replies... Ruth 1 day ago
I’m female and traveled alone for business a good bit. When I left the room to go to the ice machine, I always acted like I was talking to someone inside the room as I was leaving, saying “I’ll be right back”, so anyone in the hallway wouldn’t know I was alone.
Shane S 1 day ago
A UV flashlight is available online for under $15USD. Really puts things in perspective. You’ll be glad to know that the bed and toilet areas are usually pretty clean. But you may want to throw an extra towel over the sofa or office chair. It’s pretty common to find stains in a certain area of the chairs…
turk 1 day ago
All this list tells me is that I stay in much nicer hotels than most people, apparently. And I'm not exactly wealthy.
XenoMurph 23 hours ago
Or these people are reallly trying NOT to enjoy their stay. Other people will have been there, they should just accept it, try and ignore it and get on with their holiday.
Load More Replies... Ruth 1 day ago
I’m female and traveled alone for business a good bit. When I left the room to go to the ice machine, I always acted like I was talking to someone inside the room as I was leaving, saying “I’ll be right back”, so anyone in the hallway wouldn’t know I was alone.
Shane S 1 day ago
A UV flashlight is available online for under $15USD. Really puts things in perspective. You’ll be glad to know that the bed and toilet areas are usually pretty clean. But you may want to throw an extra towel over the sofa or office chair. It’s pretty common to find stains in a certain area of the chairs…
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