35+ Travel Tips To Make Hotel Rooms Feel Cozier

Traveling is one way of rejuvenating the mind and soul that brings joy like no other. People who travel will always tell you amazing stories from their adventures, and it makes you want to pack your bags and leave right away.

You might want to visit the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland or would like to relax on a beach in Hawaii. You might like to go on a trek in the woods or go sightseeing and shopping at the local market. No matter where you go, there’s one thing in common: you want to come back to your cozy hotel room and get some much-needed rest.

We’ve compiled some great hotel hacks you can experiment with on your next vacation to make your hotel stay as pleasant as the vacation itself.

Fresh Aroma To Start

Freshly cleaned hotel rooms instantly put everyone in a better mood whenever we enter the room. You can always trust a room freshener to freshen up your mood. But, if your hotel room does not smell great upon entering, there is no need to worry.

If you put a car vent air freshener on your hotel AC unit, your room will smell like fresh daisies in no time. This is especially beneficial in humid areas where rooms tend to feel sticky and unpleasant constantly. 

Never Miss An Episode

Vacation is the time when people gain the opportunity to relax and unwind. This is when people like to catch up on sleep and do things they otherwise won’t have time for. this could be reading a book, sitting on the beach, or simply watching TV!

It might be difficult to find your favorite shows if you are visiting a different country, but that should not be a problem with this simple trick. You won’t need to buy on-demand videos. Watch your favorite Netflix shows by connecting your laptop with the TV via an HDMI cable. 

Privacy On Your Terms

It might be possible that your hotel room might not always give you the best view of the surroundings. You might have city lights and noises interfering with the peace you expected from your vacation. You can easily make that problem disappear.

All you need is a hanger from the closet, and you are done. You can pull the curtains close, and you can clip them together with the hanger wherever there are gaps between the two curtains. This way, no lights can enter or leave your room unless you open them.

Quick Fix Humidifier

Sometimes, being in a hotel room that is climate controlled can be a bad thing. With the constant air conditioning, you might feel very dry. Our body requires a certain percentage of humidity for proper functioning, and the AC or radiator might cause some damage to our skin.

To avoid that, we can use a simple trick which does not require us to demand a humidifier from the hotel reception. You can simply put a damp cloth in front of the radiator and let the moisture fill up the air of the room. This way, you might save yourself from becoming a raisin.

A Clean Vacation

You might think doing chores would be the last thing anyone would want to do on their vacation. But sometimes, doing laundry can be an inescapable part of the trip. Using hotel laundry services might burn a hole in your pocket, so here is a cheaper alternative.

You can simply use the sink of your bathroom to wash the clothes. Place some plastic on the drain and put some coins on it as weight so that the water stays in the sink. Add detergent to the water and soak your clothes until they are clean.

Spread Your Butter

Don’t you find it annoying when your bread is perfectly toasted, but the butter is as cold as ice? That is the problem with hotel buffets. You can get everything you want, but not quite the way you want it. 

Instead of waiting for the butter to become warm, you simply keep the butter packet on the toaster while it is hot. This way, by the time your bread becomes toast, your butter becomes soft and easy to spread on the hot toast.

TV To The Rescue!

One of the downsides of traveling to a new country is that you might not know what kind of power outlets they have. It might prove not easy when you want to charge your phone, but your charger cannot be attached to the power supply.

There is no need to panic. If you know the right trick, you can work your way around if you forget the converter at home. You can simply connect the wire of your charger to a USB drive input of the TV. This way, your phone can charge without the charger.

Share The Bed

If you are traveling with kids, you will most certainly end up sharing your room with them. An extra cot in the room very well translates to extra money spent on the hotel. You use your creativity to adjust to the number of people in a room. 

One way to do that is to have a large bed separated into 2 small beds using pillows. This could give you, and the kids separate spaces in one single space. And since it is your vacation, you can spend the time talking and telling each other bedtime stories.

Natural Iron

One cannot expect a person to bring his own iron when he is on vacation. One might iron all his clothes before going on a vacation, but there is no one to help you once you’re there. And if you ask the hotel reception for ironing services, you will see the long list of taxes on your bill.

How can you iron your clothes while on your vacation? It is straightforward. You can keep the clothing you wish to put on a hanger in your bathroom while you take a shower. The steam from your hot shower will ease out the creases from your dress, and you will be good to go.

No Speakers Needed

You can save a lot of space when packing if you don’t need to carry unnecessary items. Good music can amplify your vacation mood tenfold. But, you don’t need to carry speakers so that you can play the music loudly if you follow this next hack.

If you want a stereo effect in your hotel room without speakers, you can simply put your phone in a mug. Play the music at the volume you want, and you will have the effect of playing music on speakers without having to bring speakers along with you!

Freebies For Special Occasion

If you are on vacation to celebrate something, like an anniversary, honeymoon, birthday, etc., you should let your hotel know. The only reason we are suggesting this is not because you should let your business be known to anyone, but because of what you can get in return.

If you are going for your honeymoon and you let the hotel know, they will add on some complimentary gifts along with congratulations for the occasion. You might get a discount on your stay or might even be upgraded without extra charges.

Table To Dine In

Traveling with kids is an adventure in itself. You might not be able to do many things, but you get to experience other things instead, like dining in at an early hour before their bedtime. This can be tricky because when kids eat, they tend to create a mess.

You can avoid that with things present in your hotel room. Usually, in a hotel room, there is an ironing board. That board can be used as a makeshift table where kids can keep their plates and eat their food. This way, the only mess created will be on the board. 

No Need For A Nightstand Table

Sometimes, for no good reason, hotel rooms generally don’t have a bedside table. It would seem like they assume travelers pack light and don’t have things that need to be kept on the nightstand. Hence, we are forced to keep things on the floor or in our bags. 

Instead of succumbing to these resorts, you can keep your things close to you without having to keep them on your bed. You can use the bedsheets to create a little pocket at the corner where you can keep your phone or glasses and get them easily when you are on your bed. 

Cap It 

On vacation, it is observed that people buy a lot of things for themselves and their loved ones. People can call them souvenirs that remind them of good times spent on the vacation. But as it happens, there might not always be room to pack everything in your bag when you return.

If you purchase shoes, for instance, you would have to pack them in your bag that is full of clothes. In this case, you can use the shower cap from the hotel room to pack your shoes and then keep them inside your bag so that the shoes do not ruin your clothes. 

Friendly Front Desk

Your hotel will always try to make your stay as smooth as possible. Whatever you might need, the reception will try to find and provide it to you. Whether you need a charger or some extra toiletries, you can always get it from the front desk.

Therefore, it is always a good practice to check the front desk for any of your requirements. You can get lots of freebies on your vacation if you know where to ask. Some hotels also provide hair straighteners to their guests when they need them, not just fruits and chocolates. 

Too Hot To Handle

Traveling in summer is an exciting prospect, but it can instantly put everyone in a sour mood when you actually have to bear the heat. We may like going places during the summer, but we want it to be cool when we come back to the hotel. 

To make your room cool, if there is no air conditioner already, you can use a wet towel. Place the wet towel on a window so that when the air passes through the towel, it becomes cool and enters your room, making it cooler in the process.

Food Delivery At Your Service

If you are one of those travelers living out of their suitcases in hotel rooms from one to another, you would definitely understand that you cannot get good food everywhere. The hotel you are staying in might not serve you the best food or be overpriced for your taste.

To avoid eating food that you do not wish to eat, you can simply order food from other restaurants that you like. You can always order a pizza or a meal from McDonald’s if you are up for it.  

DIY Mini Fridge

You might not always get a fancy room at a fancy hotel that can provide you with a mini-fridge. But that doesn’t mean you will have to have lukewarm beverages or keep leftovers out in the open. You can make your own mini-fridge in your hotel room with just one thing.

And that is ice—lots of it. You can put ice in the sink of your bathroom. Keep your drinks chilled and leftovers refrigerated with the ice in the sink. The best part of this DIY trick is that it goes directly down the drain when the ice melts, so you don’t have to clean up.

Extra Chargers

At one point or another, each of us has forgotten to carry a charger while going on a vacation. It is prevalent, and it is only human that we forget little things when we get excited to do something.

But as we have mentioned, it is very common. Chances are, someone might have forgotten to take their charger back home. You can call up the hotel reception and ask if anyone has found a charger for your phone, and you might get one as an extra charger from the front desk.

Sound Proof Room

The peace desired from your vacation can be hard to get if you happen to be in a bustling hotel. People can keep coming in and going out, and even if you are inside your room, the disturbances are enough to deprive you of your quiet.

To soundproof your room from outside commotion, you can roll up a towel or a blanket and put it near the crack of the door. This way, the noise and light from outside your room will not enter inside and keep you immune from the chaos.

Don’t Miss A Thing

Just as we forget to bring things while going on a vacation, we also forget things when we return from vacation. But does that mean we will keep everything inside our bags and never open them for fear of losing things? No.

The most common things we forget are chargers, cables, and keys whenever we come back from a trip. The easy way to not forget anything is to keep everything close. You can loop your keys onto your charging cable so that you do not forget either of them.

Instant Dinner Hack

Traveling for a long period of time can make you miss your home food. Hotel food is great, but after eating it a certain number of times, anyone can get tired. One can always crave comfort food and make it on their own.

You can easily make your own cuppa noodles even when you’re staying at a hotel. You might wonder how to get hot water for your noodles, but if you have a coffee maker in your room, there is nothing more you need. You can take hot water directly from the coffee maker into your noodles and have your favorite dinner within minutes.

Plastic Cover For Protection

If you are someone who is very particular about cleanliness, then you might find the idea of staying in a hotel terrifying because living in a room that people from all over the world share is not your idea of relaxation. 

There is always a solution to any problem you might face. The hotel staff basically cleans the room, but you can also take your own precautions. Things like remote controls and other amenities in your room can be covered in plastic bags so that you don’t have to touch them with your own hands. 

Look For Better Rooms

Hotels generally start the booking process by getting rid of their “bad” rooms first. The rooms might not be that bad, but they can have faulty appliances like a door or window that does not close or even a bad view from the window. 

Even though you do not require to bribe the hotel to get an upgrade, you can always ask to see other available rooms if you are not satisfied with yours. Look for the one that suits all of your needs and get the upgrade for free.

Be Vocal

It is always good to let your concerns or problems be known instead of you suffering alone in silence. If you are not satisfied with the service provided by your hotel, you can always let them know what is missing and what you need. 

As long as you are respectful and polite, there is nothing wrong with complaining. The hotel staff and manager can take care of you and your needs once you let them know, and you can have a smooth vacation without any troubles.

Toothbrush Holder

You might not always find a toothbrush holder in your hotel bathroom to keep your own toothbrush. Hotel rooms and bathrooms are often cleaned regularly, but it is still not advisable to keep your personal belongings like toothbrushes on any surface. 

Instead of keeping it on the counter, you can use a paper cup to hold your brush. You can poke a hole in the bottom of the cup and keep your brush in the makeshift toothbrush stand. This way, you can keep it away from the bacteria on the surface. 

A Little $20 Bill

We do not wholeheartedly encourage you to pursue this idea, but if it brings anything good, then why not. These are the times that we live in, and as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody, there is nothing wrong with giving out incentives or motivation to get your work done.

Whenever you check into a hotel, you are required to produce an ID that verifies your identity. If you slip a $20 bill along with your ID and ask for an upgrade, chances are you might get one. What is the worst thing that could happen? They might return your money and refuse to do as you asked. 

Meal Made By You

Staying in a fancy hotel room is always a costly affair. And if you add room service and other things, your bill can skyrocket in no time. Instead of compromising on your services, you can use them to your advantage and save more while on vacation.

With basic appliances available in the room, you can prepare a decent meal for yourself inside your own room. You would not have to pay for the hotel food or buffet, and you can save a ton while preparing food for yourself. 

Stay Hydrated

You cannot always remember to carry water whenever you go on a trip. Most of the time, you will forget and end up being thirsty for a long time. You might even have to buy water when there is absolutely no need to.

If you are staying in a hotel, you can simply get water from the water cooler in the fitness room or gym of the hotel. You will need a water bottle so that you can refill it whenever it gets empty, and you won’t have to worry about water your entire stay.

Hotel Website Bookings

If you make your hotel bookings online, you would always go for booking sites that offer a discount on bookings or other packages for your holiday. That is usually very handy when you want to save bucks, but you might be missing on some great deals.

You should always check the hotel’s own website before you make any bookings. Chances are there might be hidden deals or one-day offers that other websites have failed to capture. You can avail these deals and get great benefits on your vacation.

Internet For Free

We live in times where we constantly need the internet to help us. Whether it’s for work or for relaxation, we have become dependent on the internet and smart devices. Therefore, having free WiFi at your hotel is a must.

If you are traveling to a foreign country, the international data charges might be costly. Therefore, you should always ask your hotel manager to provide free WiFi for your duration of stay. You might not check emails or social media while on vacation, but for your smartphone, free WiFi could be a bonus.

Road Less Travelled 

While following the herd might always seem like a secure idea, wandering on a less traveled path might give you something spectacular. For example, everyone wants to go to the beach on a sunny day, but while you get there, there are already crowds, and you might not enjoy yourself. 

The same goes for your vacation. If you go in the peak season, you will have expensive flights, hotels, and tourists everywhere. But if you plan your vacation in the off-season, you might get cheaper fares for flights and hotels and might also get to explore something that no one has ever done.

Discount On Long Stays

If you are planning to stay for a long time on your vacation, you should talk with the hotel manager about the rates for your room. If you tell the hotel manager about your plan to stay longer at their hotel, they might offer you a discount.

People don’t usually know about this and pay more for their long stay at a hotel. While booking online, you might get a good deal, but if you contact the hotel directly, you might be able to save more on your vacation than you intended.

Email Your Experience

If you feel that you could have gotten better service from a hotel during your stay, you should note all the points that had gone wrong. Once you know what your expectations were from the stay, you can draft an email and send it to the hotel’s general manager explaining they were not fulfilled.

When you share your experience with the hotel’s general manager, you might get a discount for your next visit and better service, thanks to the email with all the helpful pointers. The hotel staff will be bound to provide a better service, and you will enjoy your stay much more.

Organize Immediately

Once you arrive at your hotel, you will have a better stay when you layout and organize your things instead of keeping them inside your bag. You can unpack your clothes so that they don’t get wrinkly by arranging your necessary items so that you find them easily.

This habit is beneficial when you have a busy day ahead and would not want to waste time finding things and unpacking them on time. Instead, when you have everything laid out, you can quickly get showered, drink coffee, and start your day.

Keep Things Safe

If you carry valuable items on your vacation, you might not be comfortable leaving them behind in your hotel room. That is reasonable considering it is a new place and you might not know anyone there. But you can keep your things safe even in your hotel room.

You can keep your valuable items inside your suitcase under a pile of clothing. If anyone were to open and look inside, then they would only find clothes because you have kept things hidden inside them. This way, you can rest assured that your belongings are safe.

Win Them With Kindness

If there is one law that we think might be universal is kindness that receives kindness in return. If you are nice to someone, they would be nice to you too. It’s as simple as that. And if you are nice and polite to the hotel staff, then that will be beneficial for you.

At the very least, you would get better service if you are nice to the hotel staff. They would listen to your problems and would try to fix them as you are a nice customer. If you get lucky, they might upgrade you to a better room for no additional cost!

Cut The Distance

When you are traveling, there is no telling if your flight will be on time or delayed. That is one thing that you cannot control, and you might have to bear a lot of inconvenience for your flight schedules and trips to airports.

To avoid this, you can always stay close to the airport. There are usually many good hotels near airports, and you won’t have to make extra efforts to reach the airport on time for your flights. If you cannot stay near the airport for your whole stay, you can always book it for your last night of vacation.

Location Matters

Whenever you book your hotel tickets, make sure that you check out the hotel’s location. The hotel you book online might look good in pictures, but if it is not in a preferable location, you might not enjoy your stay.

It would help if you always looked for tourist attractions or things to do that might be near your hotel. That way, you don’t have to spend a lot of time and money reaching places and doing things. If you want to explore the city you are visiting, it might be beneficial to book a hotel that is in the center of the city rather than in the outskirts.

Show Loyalty To One Brand 

Being loyal does come with its share of perks. Especially when you’re traveling, if you are a regular customer of a particular hotel, you might get deals that are otherwise not available for normal customers who visit the same hotel.

Hotel chains usually have loyalty programs where customers can collect points and benefits and redeem them on their next visit. If you become a member of these loyalty programs, you can get easy upgrades, free meals, free stays, and many more perks.

No Small Cups

You might have wondered that there are always paper cups next to the juice machines, and they are usually smaller in size. If you like to start your mornings with fresh juice, then you always have to go back to take refills because of the small cups.

Instead of getting the juice in small cups, you can take one of the coffee cups next to the coffee machines and pour your juice in them. This way, you won’t have to make several trips for refills, and you will get a good amount of juice in the big cup.

Ask Around

When you book a hotel room for your vacation, you can always book on the refundable quote and ask around the area for better rates in other hotels. You might be able to find a room that is within your budget and suits your requirements.

If you do get a better deal at another hotel, you can get your money back and move to that particular hotel. If not, you can always stay in the original hotel as that was your original choice, and you have paid for it. You might as well enjoy it.

Do Not Disturb

If you do not like other people entering their room without their permission, you might find this tip handy. You can try this out when you are going out of your hotel room and do not want the hotel staff to enter your room.

You can place a do not disturb sign on your doorknob so that no unwanted visitors can enter your room. You do this while you are still inside as well so that no one unnecessarily bothers you during your vacation.

Multipurpose Toiletries

The soap, conditioners, and shampoos that the hotel provides for free during your stay are usually as good as the ones you use at home. If you use them while you stay at the hotel, your hair and face won’t suffer because they are of good quality.

But that is not the only thing these toiletries are good for. You can use them for various purposes like shaving cream, make-up remover, cuticle cream, and more. You can even use these products to wash some delicate clothes or protect your leather accessories while on the trip.

Clear The Fog

This is one tip that can be beneficial for anyone during their vacation or at home. There is one problem that we face is the foggy mirror after someone has used the bathroom in the morning. There is one simple trick that can help you in this situation.

You can rub the foggy mirror with a bar of soap so that the condensation is absorbed by it. After rubbing the mirror with soap, you can wipe it clean with a dry washcloth. This way, the fog won’t stay on your mirror even after you are done with your hot shower.