Staying at a hotel, you expect a certain level of service.
But what you probably don’t realize is that hotels have lots of secrets and rules you’re
not supposed to know.
So how about looking under the hotel bed and finding out what they hide from you?
Here’s my list starting with:
1.
Hotels don’t provide guests with toothpaste for two main reasons: it’s either too expensive
or, surprisingly, not expensive enough.
For budget hotels, buying toothpaste, which qualifies as a medical product, costs too
much; for 5-star hotels, on the other hand, there isn’t any toothpaste manufacturer
that’s upscale enough to be present in their rooms.
Also, choice of toothpaste is a very personal issue, and what’s fine for one guest might
be unacceptable for another.
2.
Ever wondered why they never use fitted sheets in hotels?
They might be convenient, but they’re impractical for hotel use.
The sheets are changed much more often than you do it at home, and the elastic becomes
worn out all too soon.
Besides, it’s a nightmare to store fitted sheets: they have to be of two different sizes,
one for either type of bed.
It’s just easier to take two universal flat sheets per double bed and get on with it.
3.
Speaking of sheets, you must have noticed that bed linen and towels in hotels are almost
always white.
This has two very different explanations, though they don’t preclude one another.
The first is convenience, of course: when everything is white, it’s easy to wash it
all together and use bleach to get rid of any possible stains.
The second explanation, however, is customer experience: according to public polls, people
perceive white color as luxurious and fresh, which makes their stay more pleasant.
4.
Hotels overbook their rooms on a regular basis and sometimes must ask guests with reservations
to choose another hotel when they’ve already arrived.
This happens because there’s always a certain number of no-show guests, and hotel managers
take the risk of overbooking not to lose money.
Often, however, you’ll be safe if you’ve paid for a room in advance, not just booked
it.
5.
If you see an unusually attractive price for a room on a website, be careful: it might
not include a mandatory “resort fee.”
If you have an option to pay for a room in advance, you’ll see the final cost at the
checkout.
It’ll normally list the initial price you saw before booking and all the extra charges,
resort fee included.
If you decide to pay at the hotel, though, you might be up for a surprise when you check
out, so always make sure to read the fine print.
6.
The time of check-in and check-out is fixed not to annoy you.
It’s done so that you don’t barge in onto guests who stayed in the room you’ve booked,
and the hotel staff could clean the room and prepare it for the next guest’s arrival.
By the way, the check-out time is normally about 11 am to 12 pm because hotels care about
your well-being.
They not only let you have your breakfast, but also give you some time to prepare for
departure without hurry.
7.
You may have seen a rather weird thing in many hotels: a phone in the bathroom, especially
just next to the toilet.
If you wonder who would need such an amenity, you’d probably be surprised to know that
it’s an actual requirement for hotels to receive a 4-diamond rating from AAA.
But come to think of it, this also makes pretty good sense: for example, if you slip and fall
on the wet floor of the bathroom, a phone can be handy to call for help.
8.
Most hotels have a safe in every room to protect your valuable belongings, such as documents,
jewelry, or even excess cash you don’t want to carry around in an unfamiliar place.
But it might be wiser to choose some other way to ensure their security.
The thing is, hotel safes use pass codes instead of regular locks, so chances are that someone
in the hotel might know the master code.
If a potential burglar somehow learns this code, they’ll be able to open any safe in
any room — including yours.
How do you protect your stuff when traveling?
Let me know down in the comments!
9.
Returning to bathrooms, which I often do, I don’t know if you noticed, but hotels
typically don’t provide plungers in rooms.
This isn’t some security fault: it’s done on purpose.
You see, hotels want you to have a feeling that you’re the first person ever to enter
the room you’re staying in.
It’s a question of your comfort, which is the primary concern of any respectable hotel.
And a plunger in the bathroom, according to anonymous polls, makes people think that the
toilet may malfunction at some point, which doesn’t help the image.
So, no plunger for you, sorry.
10.
Most — if not all — hotels have fully carpeted floors, and there’s a couple of
very good reasons for that.
First, it’s your safety: you’re far less likely to slip and fall on a carpet than on
a wooden or tiled floor.
Secondly, it’s much more cost-effective because it’s faster and cheaper to replace
a spoiled carpet than change the whole flooring in a room.
And finally, carpets add to the sound-proofing, which you’ll be thankful for if you have
overly active neighbors.
11.
If you think that a star rating of a hotel makes it better or worse depending on the
number of stars, I’ve got a surprise for you.
The number of stars only represents the amount of facilities and services this or that hotel
has, such as free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, a 24-hour reception desk, and so on.
A hotel might have 5 stars but still be dirty and unfriendly, while a 2-star one could provide
fewer amenities but be a much more inviting place.
That’s why it’s best to check guests’ reviews before choosing a hotel to stay at.
12.
If your hotel has card keys with magnetic strips, make sure you put your key card apart
from your cell phone and wallet.
The problem is that key cards are re-written quite a lot, and they’re designed for that
process to be quick and easy.
So a fairly strong magnet, like the one in your cell phone, can erase your key card,
and you won’t be able to get inside your room.
The hotel will surely provide you with a new card, but that’s still inconvenient.
13.
Ever wondered what a continental breakfast is and why it’s called so?
In fact, the name comes from the UK (which is a group of islands), and it means a breakfast
that’s served in the continental Europe.
It may include pastry, sliced bread with different toppings, meat, cheese, fruit juice, and hot
beverages.
14.
Many hotels only accept credit cards as a form of payment, and without one you won’t
be able to book a room directly or use the paid services provided by the place.
It may seem counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense.
Booking a room is just the first step of your stay at a hotel.
During your vacation or business trip, you might use the mini bar or other paid services
that you’ll only have to pay for at the check-out.
If your debit card has not enough funds on it to cover all your expenses, the hotel has
no means to get their money apart from suing you.
If you pay with a credit card, however, all the additional costs go to the bank, and everyone’s
happy.
15.
Many people think that hotels usually don’t have ceiling light fixtures to create an intimate
and at-home atmosphere, but that’s only partly true.
In fact, there are hotel rooms with ceiling lights, but they’re mostly of an expensive
type.
The real reason for that is, as usual, the economy.
Wall fixtures and lamp stands are much easier and cheaper to maintain and service, while
ceiling lights take a lot more money to install and replace.
Still, wall lamps do create an intimate surrounding, don’t they?
16.
Choosing between a cheaper and more expensive hotel, think about what the purpose of your
stay is.
Expensive doesn’t always mean better: budget hotels often provide lots of free services
to their guests, while posh ones will likely charge extra for everything they can.
This happens because cheaper hotels are focused on independent travelers, often coming with
families or partners, who pay for everything from their own pocket.
In case of expensive ones, the target audience is business travelers, whose companies pay
for their stay, so they can simply bill all their costs to the guest’s employer.
17.
Isn’t it kinda annoying that many hotels don’t have a socket near the bed?
In fact, the time is to blame in this case.
Lots of hotels around the world were built before mobile phones and other portable devices
became so popular and widespread.
Back then, of course, they didn’t need bedside sockets, and many of them haven’t yet caught
up with the times.
You can avoid this issue if you stay at a hotel that’s been built relatively recently.
To sum up, it may be just a plug to you, but it’s sock it to me!
(Those of you of a certain age will actually get that joke.)
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