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“Showers Only”: 29 Netizens Share Their Personal Unwritten Hotel Stay Rules
“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.”
“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. 😅.
#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.
“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.
#11
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.
#12
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.
#13
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.
#14
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.
#15
Showers only. I don't trust hotels to properly clean their bath tubs so I'm not going to sit down in one.
#20
I fold a swan into the end of the toilet paper to one-up the maids who fold corners into it.
#21
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 h**l 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.
#22
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.
#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 [private parts] 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.
#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.
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