Some people never use the coffee machine at a hotel while others travel with their own pillow cases. Well, hotelier and TikToker @queenevangeline25 recently went viral (over 850,000 views) with a video warning viewers about the five things she would never do at a hotel. RELATED: Flight Attendants Say They Never Travel Without a Gadget Like This
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.
If you’re a frequent traveler or subscribe to my free daily travel tip, then you probably won’t be surprised by them since they’re all pretty much common sense. But for newer travelers or anyone who needs to be reminded, you may find these five tips helpful:
1. Not add the names of other guests to your reservation
@queenevangeline25 says if there’s more than one person staying in the room, she would never not add the other person(s) to the room reservation. She’s right and I learned this the hard way. I was once at a conference and my wife, who hadn’t changed her last name yet, came with me. She got locked out of the room when she accidentally touched her keycard to either her phone or credit card (both may deactivate the key). When she went to the front desk to get a new key, they wouldn’t give her one because her name wasn’t on the room reservation. Even if she had the same last name as me, some hotels still might not have given her a new key because she wasn’t on the reservation. So always add all occupants to your room reservation to make it easier for everyone.
2. Use the remote without wiping it down
This is definitely common sense as everyone knows the TV remote is the dirtiest thing in your hotel room. Who knows where people’s hands have been in between switching channels. One of my friends was so afraid of the germs on the hotel room remote that she would travel with plastic bags and immediately pop the TV remote in it and work it from there. On one particular trip, she ran out of bags and her hotel didn’t have a shower cap (her backup plan) so instead, she went into the mini bar and grabbed a condom (she was in Vegas). The funniest part is that she forgot to take it off when she checked out so you can only imagine housekeeping’s reaction. If you don’t have a plastic bag for your remote, see if you can use your phone to control the TV,
Tip: Wipe down all touchpoints in a hotel room including doorknobs, light switches and AC/heater controls.
3. Use glasses in a hotel bathroom
The TikToker says she never uses the glasses in a hotel room and she’s not talking about the plastic or Styrofoam cups. She’s talking about the real thing. I stopped using them years ago after seeing video from a hidden camera showing a housekeeper wiping the glasses with the same rag she had leaned the toilet with. I also don’t understand why hotels even put real glasses in the bathroom as they’re so slippery and fragile.
4. Not sign up to the rewards program
If you read this blog, then you already know to always sign up to the hotel’s rewards program since it has so many benefits, especially these days when hotels really want you to book direct so they give you extra perks like free WiFi and your points. Some hotels won’t give customers rewards points if they don’t book direct but @queenevangeline25 says you should sign up to get other benefits like Amazon points. I think she means Amazon gift cards.
5. Sit on the bedspread
@queenevangeline25 says she would never sit on the bedspread and that’s a fact as they don’t get cleaned regularly like sheets do. Fortunately, most upscale hotels don’t even have bedspreads and instead, use a duvet covered in a sheet, which does get washed every time the bedding is cleaned. So if you’re in a hotel with a bedspread or throw pillows, toss those things to the corner and wash your hands because who knows what germs are on it.
Watch @queenevangeline25’s TikTok below:
@queenevangeline25 #5thingschallenge #5thingsiwouldneverdo #hotel #motel #guestd #hospitalityindustry #queenevangeline ♬ original sound – vange.vange
What are things you NEVER do in a hotel room? Leave a comment.
KEEP READING
• How to Save Money With a Secret Third Carry-On
• How to Use Your Wireless Headphones to Watch In-Flight Movies
• 10 Airport Security Hacks Every Traveler Should Know
• How to Get the Best Coach Seat on the Plane
• The Sleep Hack Every Traveler Needs to Know
• Never Get Your Valuables Stolen on the Beach
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
I would NEVER put my feet on a bed while wearing shoes. I also never place my suitcase on the bed. A little road dirt or tar will ruin the bedspread (even a cotton sheet). I would never do this at home, so why would I do it in my home-away-from-home?
I never fail to check the entire room – including under the bed and in closets and bathroom (shower) – before closing the hallway door to my room. Any nook or cranny where someone might hide is checked. With family, the entire family checks together; if we have multiple rooms, the family checks each room. When by myself, I usually accompany the bell person with my luggage to the room and check before the bell person departs (with a tip). In this day and age, one cannot be too careful.
I never go to bed without checking the alarm clock is set to off. Learned this the hard way.
Never use a hotel ice bucket without (a) washing it and (b) putting a plastic bag in it.
Never announce your room number. You don’t know who may be listening.
Never open the door to your room to a stranger unless you specifically requested something (room service, fix the thermostat, extra towels). And use your peephole and door chain (if you have one).
Before I bring my suitcases into the room, I roll them into the bathroom and then check the beds for bedbugs with the small penlight on my keychain. I shine the light on the edges of the mattress starting at the headboard and look at the wall behind the bed. If you see tiny black or red dots, they’re there.
Like Helen’s comment on Dec. 2, 2022, we also check those spaces for bedbugs. We never put our luggage on the bed or couches. We always put our suitcases on a counter or table, being careful not to damage any furniture. Also, I bring a bedbug detecting light and a non-toxic, travel-size aerosol of Cedar oil spray. A friend who always stayed in nice hotels (a judge) brought bedbugs home by placing his luggage on his bed after his trip. In order to get rid of the bedbugs, they had to dispose of their bed and fumigate their whole house (an expensive lesson!).
I think the thing about not sitting on the bedspread is over the top. I mean, we don’t all clean our armchairs every two weeks either, do we? But we still sit on them!
I always leave an envelope with a cash tip on the bed each day. That’s because the person cleaning my room one day may not be the same person the next day. I write a thank you note on the front of the envelope in two languages, English and the most prevalent second language of the area. In my case it’s usually Spanish. It’s a small thing but it can mean a lot to someone when the crew is either on rotation or when their day off is the same as your last day and they miss out on your “end of stay” tip. By the way, a thank you card is a great way to let the person at the front desk know you appreciated their service. That goes for the concierge too. Lastly, be sure to get the names of the employees (like the front desk person and concierge) so you can mention them in any surveys the hotel may ask you to fill out. Gestures like this help to get you recognized when you book there the next time. PEACE