"Always Ask For A Room Upgrade Quietly At Check-In": 20 Hotel Tricks That Seasoned Travelers Absolutely Swear By

If you love traveling as much as I do, knowing the best tips and tricks can make or break your trip. I recently stumbled across a Reddit thread where people shared "hotel hacks" they swear most people don't know. Here are the ones worth taking note of before your next booking:

1. "Check the mattress for signs of bedbugs before you open your suitcase. It doesn't matter if it's a hostel or an expensive hotel chain."

2. "You can put any card in the card holder to enable electricity. I do that to keep my phone charging while going to breakfast, or to keep the air conditioner running."

— u/kuyabiye

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3. "Book directly through the hotel, not Expedia or another third-party site. In the event the hotel is overbooked, the ones who booked directly get priority."

4. "Always ask for a room upgrade quietly at check-in. Most staff can make it happen if the hotel isn't full, and it feels like hitting a secret level."

— u/GreenSeduce

5. "The 24-hour cancellation fee. If you have to cancel your room, call the hotel and say I would like to reschedule my room for a later date. Once your room is rescheduled, you're now able to cancel your room penalty-free."

6. "If you know you're going to be checking in later during the day/evening, email/call them and let them know. Otherwise, you risk being marked as a no-show and your room being given away if the hotel is fully booked."

— u/andimacg

7. "When you leave the room, leave the TV on. It makes people think someone is in there."

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8. "Ever forget a phone charger cord or brick? Most hotels have a huge box of them under the desk from everyone who leaves them."

— u/hparamore

9. "If your curtains won't shut completely, use a hanger or two with the pant clips to clip them shut."

10. "I always ask for rooms away from elevators, and, depending on the location, a higher floor if there will be noise from the streets or outdoor areas. Anything to minimize extra noise."

— u/VersionCapable

11. "You can usually get free bottled water in the gym."

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12. "If there is a charge for the mini bar fridge, tell them you need it to keep medication in. They will empty it and not charge for anything."

— u/mpbaker12

"If not the minibar fridge, then they will provide a small one free of charge."

— u/Best-Lingonberry-129

13. "I always travel with my laptop and a 5-meter HDMI cable. If the internet is ****, I've got a hard drive full of movies."

14. "Bring painter's tape. There are always LED screens, and if you're sensitive to light, just tape them over. Alarm clock, microwave, weird LED indicators, etc."

— u/Efferdent_FTW

15. "Hotels are a great place for on-the-road bathroom breaks. The lobby bathroom is accessible and almost always very clean. In addition to hotels, banks and hospitals also have clean bathrooms."

16. "Actually use the luggage carts. I see so many people making multiple trips when there's a luggage cart RIGHT THERE by the door. It's been life-changing for me since someone pointed out that you're allowed to use them."

— u/passively-persistent

17. "Bring antibacterial wipes and immediately wipe down all switches, door knobs, and the remote control. Always run a couple of carafes of water through the coffee maker before using it."

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18. "A trick for those hotels where the thermostats are limited to only cool the room to a certain temperature: stick a portable hand warmer to the thermostat. This way, the AC will keep cooling the room because the thermostat never reaches its limit! Or ask the front desk to turn on VIP mode."

— u/MosselJongen

19. "As a front desk receptionist, you have no clue how many cool things I can give you (upgrade, complimentary breakfast, welcome drinks, late checkout) if you are nice to us. Also, if you seem like someone who will compliment my work online. BUT, if you start the check-in by DEMANDING an upgrade or anything else, I might decide you're not worth the trouble."

20. "Put a shoe in the hotel safe. You won't forget anything important in there."

— u/Schandre

"After having left  everything  in a safe last year — passport, credit cards, etc. — I now put my car keys in there."

— u/HyperbolicModesty

Share your best "hotel hack" in the comments, or submit anonymously using the form below. Your response might be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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