Hotel Secrets

Being an air-hostess, I travel a lot. And by "a lot" I mean sleeping in a different hotel every other day, meeting hundreds of new people every week and trying to remember my current hotel room number. Staying in hotels so often, I've learned many helpful things, and I'd like to share my tips and tricks with fellow flight attendants and travelers.  


1. Knock, or else - Now this may sound crazy, but when you reach your assigned hotel room, knock! Don't just swipe your key card and enter. Here's why; hotels often do double bookings and the last thing you want to find after an exhausting trip is a hairy old fella doing naked yoga in your room.  Yep, that's happened.  


2. Laptop light - When you've located the light switches and figured out how they work, please let me know.  From turning nobs to flicking a switch, from touch screens to inserting a key card... I have officially given up and rely on my laptop light to find my way.  


3. Don't forget your stuff - The in-room safe is very helpful, especially if you have valuable items to keep safe when you head out. But it has happened numorous times where people check out and forget about those items. Here's what I do; store something of absolute need, like your work shoe, with your valuable items. You can't leave your hotel room and go to work with only one shoe on; that way you'll remember the rest of your items.  


4. Be lazy, and save money - No one wants to go out and buy groceries when you just arrived from a long trip. So feel free to indulge in the most expensive beverage and snack items in that minibar. And then, before you check out, find the nearest 7/Eleven and replace those items. Score! 


So there you have it. Happy "hotelling". Yep, that's a word I just made up.