15 hotel tips from airline crews

by James Wysong

I love staying at hotels. One would think that being an airline crewmember, I would dread layovers by now, but I don’t. In fact, it’s just the opposite; the longer I stay in this job, the more I grow to appreciate the amenities of a quality hotel.

There are so many different aspects such as room comfort, a fitness center, dining and entertainment, overall feel and nearby attractions — the list is endless. It’s a home away from home, a clean room, comfy bed, a wealth of appliances, television, no crying kids and most of the time a wonderful sanctuary away from the normal routine of life.

With the uncertainties in the airline industry of late, I think the escape provided by a hotel layover would be what I would miss the most. Since I do most of my writing from my layover hotel room, I thought it befitting to write one about hotel stays. I asked many crewmembers for their best tip on a hotel stay and the following were the top answers.

1. Special requests. At check-in, ask for a room with a window that can be opened. Cooped up all night with air conditioning or constant heat can be quite confining, and having fresh outside air can often make your stay (except maybe in Beijing). Sometimes a maintenance worker has to be called to open it but the receptionist usually knows which rooms already have adjustable windows.

2. Location. Don’t get a room by the elevator or ice machine. You will feel the vibrations all night long. It may not be apparent at first, but, believe me, when the lights are out, it will be. One more thing, if the hotel has a disco, make sure you get a room at least two floors away. I can’t tell you how many nights in South America I tried to sleep to the beat.

3. Stop the free show. First thing, go to your window and close the curtains, especially after dark, because the number of unwitting strip shows that I have been privy to and likely that I have provided myself through the years, is plentiful.

4. Pass on the cashier. The poorest place to exchange money is at the hotel. Not only will they give you the worst exchange rate possible, they might even charge a commission. Go to the nearest ATM for the rate of the day.

5. Do not disturb sign. If your room does not have one, call the concierge or make one out of the hotel stationery paper. Without it, the housekeeping crew will drive you bananas in the morning. I have lost count of amount of times a maid has caught me in a naked stumble for the bathroom.

6. Say Hi to hygiene. Take off your bedspread — the hotels probably clean them as much as the airlines clean their seat covers, which is once annually, if at all. Use a sani-wipe or at least a hand towel and wipe off the TV remote control. I shudder to think what the last occupant might have been doing with it. And I am sure most everyone has heard about the special media report on the scant attention the maid service gives to the room’s glassware. Be sure to clean any kitchen item before using, especially glasses.

7. Acclimatize the air. Set the air temperature right away, so you can get a feel for it and adjust it accordingly before you call it a night. If you only get to it before you sleep, you could wake to a frosty room or find yourself in a tropical sweat. Either way, your sleep will suffer.

8. Check the plumbing. Turn on the shower and flush the toilet. If there is a noticeable change in water temperature, keep your guard up, because hot spikes are probable. The number of times that I have been burned in the hotel shower is shocking, or I should say, scalding

9. Avoid room service. It’s expensive, anti-social, anti-cultural and should be reserved for a special occasion or in desperate times, such as romantic interludes, sickness, sunburn or utter exhaustion.

10. Television timer. If there is a timer function on the remote control, set it, no matter how alert you feel now. Waking up to a horror or war movie on high volume is a scary experience.

11. Double take. When leaving, look around the room for things you might have left behind. Put your towels in the bath-tub and your garbage in the trash bin. Not only does it help the maid but you may re-discover that thingamajig you almost left behind.

12. Concierge caution. By all means ask the concierge for directions and recommendations on dining and entertainment, but be aware that many higher priced places offer bribes in exchange for their suggestions. If they tell you to mention their name to the owner, give it a miss.

13. Relax. Make some time for yourself. Lie in bed for an extra hour, take an extra long shower, lounge around in your robe. You may miss your family, but I bet you could use a time-out. If you take a break from the daily drama, you will be well rested for your return.

14. Take but don’t steal. We all know the things in hotel rooms that are considered okay for taking home, like pens and stationery, but other items like remote control batteries, toilet paper, light bulbs and towels are in fact stealing and can be charged directly to your credit card.

15. Earplugs. Yes, my top in-flight tip is also one of my top hotel tips. It’s very important that you get used to wearing them. Put them by the bedside table. Bring a back-up pair, just in case.

Do you have any hints of your own? Send them to me and I will update the list.

Enjoy your stay!

Published on August 5, 2008 ·
Tags: hotels

Comments

16 Responses to “15 hotel tips from airline crews”

On August 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am Marge P said

Welcome back, James!
An addition to #6 - I try my best to keep a supply of the disinfecting wipes to douse the TV remote, alarm clock , phone or other areas that experience heavy use.
On August 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pm Karyn said

I always check the alarm clock. I cannot tell you the number of times the guest before me left the alarm set to go off at some ungodly hour.
On August 5th, 2008 at 2:39 pm Erin said

Always set a backup alarm - wakeup calls can be forgotten and alarm clocks aren’t always trustworthy. For early morning flights, I even set my cellphone alarm as a third option, which was handy last week when both the hotel alarm clock and telephone failed!

For weekend stays (Friday or Saturday nights), ask the front desk if there are any special events or blocks setup in the hotel. A weekend business trip turned ugly when we discovered our hotel was the location for a high school prom - I spent the entire night listening to drunken kids running up and down the hallway. I think I ended up with 2 hours of sleep!
On August 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm Christopher said

Check your fire escape route. Note the direction and count the steps to the stairs. Leave door ajar so you can get back in the room if the steps are blocked . Pack small LED flashlight in your case. You only get one chance with a hotel fire so make sure you get it right. My number one job is to always come home.
On August 5th, 2008 at 3:39 pm Marti Taylor said

I always travel with a can of lysol. When I reach my hotel room or condo, I then proceed to spray everything: bathroom, bed, sheets, remotes, everything. I also travel with sanitizing wipes.
On August 5th, 2008 at 4:03 pm Amy said

Ask for a room away from the pool or other recreation area. You may think you’re getting a great view for a bonus price, but when kids (young or college) are downstairs screaming in the pool at 6am or 11pm when you want to sleep, it can be downright annoying.
On August 5th, 2008 at 6:16 pm Karen Fawcett said

When I travel - which I do as much as possible - I always take my own pillow plus extra clean pillow cases. Beds may be different but having my own pillow is one less adjustment I need to make. And since I wash it — I know it’s clean or at least, it’s my dirt. The pillow is so old (made of down) that I can fold it into a tiny roll. I use it on the plane too.
On August 5th, 2008 at 9:32 pm Frank said

I put the remote in a ziploc freezer bag. Never have to worry about catching cooties after that. Also carry an 09 oz size bottle of LYSOL. Spray the toilet seat and sink area. Also comes in handy when working a morning flight and your jumpseat is near the………..err….ummmm……..(smelly) lavatory.

I also try and memorize which hotels have microwaves. I travel with most of my food for my trips. It’s beneficial to know where I can heat up soup, do popcorn, or reheat a meal from home.
On August 6th, 2008 at 3:19 am Elisa said

I always carry a tv earphone; that is, earphones with a 5-metres long cord - they really take up the space of a packet of crisps, and are a life saver to listen to the tv without disturbing others, anytime at day or night, at whatever volume you want, and work also as earplugs in extreme circumstances. Also I always carry my own pocket radio, also with earphones. Nothing better than falling asleep with a good radio programme in your ears……………
On August 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm William said

When traveling out of the USA, be sure to bring along some medicine for stomach issues. You can never be too sure about how the local water and yes, the ICE too.
Just because its frozen, it doesn’t mean that it won’t will affect you.

You sure don’t want to spend the first day or to in your bathroom.
On August 6th, 2008 at 2:02 pm Bob said

I like the first floor because it is faster and easier than waiting for an elevator, but the downside is that sometimes you get car headlights shining through your window even with the curtains closed. To avoid this I try to park my car in front of my window so there won’t be headlights through the window after midnight.
On August 6th, 2008 at 4:39 pm Larry said

I don’t like using the hotel washcloths so I pack “Mr. Clean” reuseable wipes. You can buy them in packets of 6. Cut them in half as they measure 21″ x 11″ and use them as onetime washcloths.
On August 6th, 2008 at 11:34 pm FRANK said

When you check the alarm clock, make sure the AM vs. PM setting is correct. Not noticing that is a guaranteed route to oversleeping — ask me how I know.

Also, check things like the TV, the A/C and the toilet for functionality before you start unpacking or change into your PJ’s. The hotel’s solution to a dead TV or a toilet that won’t shut off once flushed might be to change you to another room — which is a lot easier before you have unpacked and changed.
On August 7th, 2008 at 2:10 am Karen Fawcett said

Wow — I thought I was “careful” when traveling. I always take my own blanket and thick padded eye shades. And yes, baby wipes. I’ve taken press trips where I’ve been the most popular person in the group! It may not have been due to my personality. But when the temperature is over 100F - those wipes can keep you going!
On August 7th, 2008 at 8:07 am Jennifer said

Since I only do carry on I bring laundry soap & one of those water sucking towels so I can do laundry when I want. I also bring anti-bacterial wipes, Kleenex, breakfast bars (for the munchies on a day trip) and of course a book or two that I don’t mind leaving behind for the next person.
On August 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm Skip said

Things to toss into a bag at the last minute:

* Cotton twine

* Extension cord

* car charger as well as wall charger for my cell phone

Also, if I’m on an extended trip, I use a bellman to carry my bags (tipping him generously makes him a friend for my whole stay). When I get to the room, I pull out a couple of tens or twenties and ask him if there is a possibility of an upgrade. He’ll call down to the front desk and ask; he has a much better shot of success if there’s any availability. If he’s successful, I just got an upgrade for very little money. I got this tip right here on Tripso, many years ago–good show, Tripso!