7 Things You Should Always Do When You Check Into a Hotel Room
Your long journey is over, and you’re finally alone in your hotel room. Before you flop down on the bed or run to the window to check out the view, make sure you do these important things first—they could save you from a ruined night of sleep or an expensive mistake.
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Check for Bedbugs
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Check the Alarm Clock
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Study the Emergency Escape Route
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Deadbolt the Door
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Sanitize
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Jettison Any Decorative Items From the Bed
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Wash Your Hands
The very first thing you should do when you enter your hotel room is check for bedbugs. Put your luggage inside the bathroom (ideally in the bathtub), where bedbugs are the least likely to be hiding. Next, follow this easy guide to identifying signs of bedbugs.
If your room does have bed bugs, you’ll want to know before you settle in, as these pests are extremely easy to pick up and carry with you to your new room—or worse, back home.
In-room alarm clocks are being phased out of hotel rooms in favor of smartphone docking stations. If your hotel room still has an old-school clock, be sure to check if the alarm is set.
If the last guest set a daily alarm for 6 a.m. and never turned it off, you could be rudely awakened earlier than you wanted to.
Better yet, unplug the clock entirely if possible. This will prevent unexpected alarms and help you sleep better without the glowing light (unless the clock has a battery backup).
Emergency escape maps are required by law to be posted on the back of the main door to every hotel room. Take a few minutes to orient yourself in the hotel building and to familiarize yourself with the fastest exits (as well as backup routes in case the closest path is blocked).
Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this information during your stay, but in the worst-case scenario of a fire or other emergency where every second counts, these few minutes of preparation could save your life.
Mistakes can be made, and it’s not uncommon for someone to be given an incorrect room assignment and the key to your room, meaning another guest could accidentally walk into your room, even if the door is locked. When you’re inside your hotel room, always activate the deadbolt or security chain to prevent intruders (or just unexpected visits from hotel staff).
Your room may look clean, but that doesn't mean it's sanitary. Wipe down germ hotspots (like light switches and doorknobs) with an antibacterial wipe to stay healthy. And be sure to wipe down the television remote control (or better yet, put it in a bag or shower cap) before using it, as it generally isn’t cleaned in between guests.
It’s a mystery to us why hotels insist on putting decorative throw pillows on beds (that clearly can’t be washed). Make sure your sleeping surface stays clean by removing anything that isn’t obviously laundered when the room is cleaned—including throw pillows and bedspreads.
You’ve just come from a plane, public transportation, or road trip with rest stops—washing your hands as soon as you arrive in your own private bathroom is a smart move.