Travel Secrets I Learned Working in a Hotel
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White Sheets Look Cleaner (and They Usually Are)
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Odds Are Good You Can Get a Last-Minute Deal
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Don’t Sleep With the Bedspread
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Bring a Bleach Wipe
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Ask for Discounts Exist
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Joining the Hotel’s Loyalty Program Can Pay offÂ
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You Can Borrow a Cell Phone Charger From the Hotel
Ever since I started working in hotels, the way I travel has completely changed. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how hotels operate was eye-opening—and it taught me plenty of tips and tricks that have made my own trips much smoother.
I didn’t work at a luxury property, but the truth is most hotels—whether budget-friendly or high-end—follow many of the same practices. That means the insider knowledge I picked up can help improve your travels, no matter where you’re headed next.
The sheets are white so they can be bleached out. If there’s evidence of body fluids, hotels soak them in a solution overnight to disinfect and remove the stain. Treatments like this are fairly common and sheets wear out quickly.
Sheets typically don’t last more than a year and are frequently replaced. Also, housekeepers replace all linens in the room, even if one of the beds doesn’t look like it has been slept in. When I stay at a hotel, I usually feel pretty confident the sheets are clean.
Hotels don’t fill up as often as you would think. It always seems that way when you’re a traveler and you get to your crowded hotel on a holiday weekend, but there’s almost always a room. What this means is, if you’re looking to save money on a hotel room, odds are good that you’ll be able to get a last-minute deal on it, especially if you don’t go during peak travel dates.
Bedspreads are almost never washed between guests. In fact, if I see a patterned bedspread in the pictures of the hotel online, I won’t book it. I look for a hotel room with all-white linens—something that has to be cleaned between guests. If you do get a hotel room with a bedsheet or anything else decorative on the bed (like pillows), take it off before you sit or sleep on the bed.
The TV remote is one of the grossest things in the hotel. You can wipe it down with a bleach wipe or put one of the plastic bags from the ice bucket over it. Microwaves, fridges, coffee makers, ice buckets, phones, and other high-touch areas of the room are also culprits for germs.
If you're booking directly with a hotel, you should know that there are a lot of discounts on offer that travelers often forget to ask for. These include hospital rates, extended stay rates, corporate rates, AAA or AARP membership discounts, and university rates.
When calling to ask about a rate, check and see what discounts may be available.
Joining a hotel's loyalty program can get you a lot more than points towards free stays. Some hotel rewards programs will give you free upgrades, complimentary snacks and water, free WiFi, early check-ins, or late check-outs.
Forgot something? Call the front desk. Most hotels stock everything from toothpaste to cell phone chargers that they can loan or gift you upon request.