Travel hasn’t been possible for many during Covid-19, but as cities start opening up all over, life is being breathed back into the hotels that have looked like ghost towns for the past few months. Traveling can be stressful and expensive, but here are our top vetted hotel hacks to make your stay as wrinkle-free as possible.
1. Up your nail file game with a match book
If your hotel offers a vanity kit that comes with a nail file, you’ve lucked out. But in most rooms that aren’t super luxurious, you’ll be forced to fend for that hangnail with your own devices. The solution? Ask the receptionist for a book of matches, using the brown strip as a nail file.
2. Use towel heaters as clothes dryers
The money you would pay for a hotel laundry service is better spent on…well, anything, because it’s laundry and the fee is astronomical. Hand washing garments becomes much easier when your room has heated towel racks in the bathroom. Voila – automatic free laundry services.
3. Bring a Google Chromecast
With one of these bad boys, you can stream whatever shows and movies you want to your hotel’s amazing flat screen TV. Why order pay-per-view when you have all the Netflix and Hulu options that your heart could desire?
4. Forget about that “clean room” sign
For the innocent, you might think that putting the sign on your door is the best way to get a sparkling room. But it’s also a great way to let shady people know you’re not home, and could make it easier for thieves to access personal belongings.
5. If they’re not totally booked, ask to see several rooms
This isn’t high maintenance – in fact, it’ll stop you from being stuck in the dingy, dark room with a brick walled view. Don’t let them stick that undesirable, never-booked room on you. You deserve that corner room with a king size bed, or at least a pleasant view.
6. Put a plastic bag over the remote
If you don’t want to get pinkeye, it’s best to cover up that remote control with plastic shield. The bacteria hiding on a hotel room remote will keep you up late at night, so we won’t go into details. But honestly, how many cleaning staff do you think are diligently wiping down remotes between stays?
7. Stuff a towel beneath your front door to dampen noise
There’s nothing worse than being awoken by screaming children or a barking dog at odd hours, so the ol’ towel trick can really help in reducing those noises. If you’re a non-smoker who is staying in a smokers area, this can also be helpful.
8. Use a hanger to block out more light
No matter how well a hotel invests in its blackout curtains, there’s always that annoying gap between the curtains that lets light in. To remedy this, use the clips on a hanger, and the gap should be closed.
9. Use a car vent air freshener on a hotel AC/Heater unit
Sometimes a room smells less than fresh, and that’s ok if you have. Portable car vent air freshener clip. Transport yourself from a funky accommodation to a tropical island, a pine tree filled getaway, or a bakery with one of these.
10. Plastic cup liners to protect toiletries
Before you pack up and go, take a minute to think how terrible it would be if all of your hair products and lotions leaked onto the brand new dress or shoes you got on vacation? To prevent a disaster, take a piece of plastic from the cups given in your room and screw them under the caps of bottles for leak-proof goodness.
11. No mini-fridge? Fill the sink with ice
Not all hotel rooms come with a mini fridge, and coolers are bulky to travel with. However, if you’re looking for a hack to keep beverages or food icy cold, you can always fill the bathroom or kitchen sink with a large amount of ice to create a makeshift cooler.
12. Attach your keys to your phone charger
Keys and phones are two of the most valuable, and often forgotten items left at hotels. Save yourself from a return trip, or even worse, a forever lost item, by attaching your key ring to your phone charger so that you don’t forget either.