These Hotel Hacks Will Make Your Travels Infinitely More Convenient
Americans love traveling and whether it’s for business or pleasure, it usually means that you’re going to end up staying in a hotel. Although sometimes staying in a hotel can be fun (room service? yes please!), they have a tendency to make your life more difficult and can be an anxiety-inducer.
Think of all the worries that run through your mind when staying in a hotel. Is it clean? Does it have everything you need? For those who worry easily, fear not: this list of “hotel hacks” will help you get by to make your stay that much more pleasant.
Keep That Light Out
While hotel blinds are great for privacy and keeping some of the sun out in the morning, rarely is it fully dark in the room before you’re ready to open the blinds and see the sun. There is almost always a small (frustrating) gap between the blinds that will allow a sliver of light in the room.
A simple and easy solution to this problem is to use a few of the hangers provided and utilize the clips to hold the shades together. It might not look pretty, but it works.
Skip Room Service By Ordering With An App
If you really don’t feel like ordering room service, going out, or making your own food, in today’s world, there are plenty of other options. Now, there are countless services that will go pick up your food from your favorite restaurants and deliver it straight to your door, even at hotels.
Some services even offer grocery delivery if you are interested in making your own food. There is no shortages of these services and all you have to do is download the app!
Make Sure Your Toothbrush Stays Nice And Clean
Sure, you could go out and buy a toothbrush travel container. But let’s be honest, after a few uses, they start to get pretty grimy on the inside and the side of the sink starts to look more and more appetizing.
However, by using clothing clips, you can eliminate this problem. Just lay the neck of your toothbrush in between the clips and let it rest elevated above the surface its on. This is a cheap, simple, and effective way to keep your toothbrush and mouth clean.
Forgot A Speaker?
In a scenario where you’re getting ready or having people over and you want to listen to music but don’t have a speaker, don’t despair. Although the volume from just your phone might not provide ample sound, if you put it into an empty cup with the speaker facing down it amplifies the sound greatly.
This also comes in handy if you’re staying up late and still want music without disturbing your neighbors. This is also great because you can do it just about anywhere.
Don’t Forget About The Free Conditioner
The majority of hotel rooms come packed with lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. They always have their own specially decorated bottles as well. We advise you not to take the conditioner for granted because it can be helpful.
Many people don’t even open it, but did you know all the ways conditioner can get used? Ladies can use it as a makeup remover if you forgot yours, it works as a shaving cream and cuticle cream as well. They’re sitting there just waiting for the taking.
Don’t Pay For Internet
If you happen to be staying at a hotel that charges you to use the Internet, there’s a trick you can pull from your sleeve to make sure you’re not paying any more than you need to. For most smartphones, you can have the option of using your phone as your own personal Internet hotspot.
This may take a bit of planning and communication with your provider, but it will pay off in the long run when you don’t have Internet bills to pay!
Make Sharing A Bed Easy
If you’re traveling with kids or bunking with your not-so-favorite cousin, and you don’t want to pay more for an extra room or a pull-out couch, worry no more. A simple solution is to make separate sleeping areas in the same bed.
All you have to do is ask for more pillows and blankets than you’ve most likely been provided and construct two different areas on the same bed. This way, each person has their own space!
Use The Shower To De-Wrinkle
Something that is almost impossible to avoid while traveling is wrinkled clothes. Unless you’re some kind of magician, chances are that you’ve arrived at your hotel only to realize that many of your clothes are wrinkled.
Well, instead of packing an iron with you or having to request one from the hotel staff, there’s a simple trick. Simply use a hangar from the room and hang up your wrinkled clothes in the bathroom while you shower. The hot steam will help to remove the wrinkles.
A Dining Room Table Perfect For Unruly Kids
When feeding your kids both at home or in a hotel room, chances are you don’t want them sitting on a bed with a plate full of food or on the dirty ground either. Without the convenience of the dining table in a hotel room, it puts you in an interesting position.
Well something that works and your kids might even find fun is setting up an ironing board at the edge of the bed using towels as a tablecloth. Now, the kids have somewhere safe and clean to eat.
Too Hot In Your Room?
We’ve all had that experience when a hotel room can’t seem to get as cool as you want it to be. While some people might just suck it up and be miserable the entire time during their stay, it doesn’t always have to be that way.
All you need is a damp towel and either a window or an air conditioning unit. Dampen a towel, and then place it near an open window or by the air conditioning unit. The water will be cooled by the air and pump cool air into the room.
Don’t Forget About The Coffee Machine!
Yes, the coffee machine is best used to cook up that much-needed cup of Joe in the morning, but it can be used for even more than just that. If you’re in the mood for a snack or maybe just in a hurry, you can use the coffee pot and the hot water to whip up a quick instant meal.
You can use hot water for just about any instant meal such as ramen, oatmeal, or anything else you have on hand.
Use Technology To Your Advantage
It’s known that if you want to watch something outside of the cable that your hotel provides it’s going to cost you, usually more than the movie is worth. So, if you know that you like to watch movies at night or have kids that want to watch their favorite shows, don’t waste your money buying it from the hotel.
If you have one, bring something like Chromecast or Roku to the hotel and hook it up. Or bring a laptop and HDMI cable to watch movies on the TV from your laptop.
How To Keep Your Kids Busy!
While this tip might come off as a little odd, it really works! If you’re traveling with young children who enjoy playing with their toys, make sure to keep a roll of painter’s tape on-hand. Why you may ask?
Well, if you’re stuck in your hotel room for an extended period of time, create lines for them to follow with their favorite toys or watch them as they tape their own creations! It’s painter’s tape, so it will come off no problem!
Think Outside The Outlet
If you’re staying in a room with more than just yourself, sometimes, outlets can be in short supply. Everyone always has a device that they want to have charged either after coming home or before heading out.
Luckily, there are some secret spots in hotel rooms that most people think about. One of them is the USB port that usually can be found in the back of most hotel room TVs. Now you can charge your phone with no hassle!
Use Chrome’s Incognito
If you’re looking on traveling out of the country, then this trick is something you need try out. Due to sites keeping track of their visitor history through cookies and other targeting methods, the Google Chrome Incognito setting is a big help.
What you do is open the hotel’s site with your regular browser, then you open up the site for the country you plan on visiting through incognito. Often times, you can find cheaper rates on the foreign site.
Put Those Shower Caps To Good Use
Whether or not you used the shower cap provided, they can still be put to good use when you’re packing to leave. If you brought more than one pair of shoes, chances are you don’t want to smash them beneath all of your clothes or put the dirty shoes on top of your clothes either.
So, put them inside of the shower cap and protect your clothes from all of the dirt and grime that the soles might have accumulated.
