Are you looking for great accommodation for your trip? While choosing the right hotel is important to ensure a comfortable stay, being a good guest is equally crucial. While most hotels are advertised as “home away from home,” you should consider factors like cleanliness—especially in the post-pandemic scenario, privacy, and hotel etiquette during your stay. So, here are a few things you should avoid to ensure an enjoyable and conflict-free experience:

Leaving valuables unguarded
You should always practice caution when carrying precious items like jewelry, watches, and even cash on your vacation. Keep the valuables, including wallets, smartphones, and laptops, safe in secure places like your suitcase or the room locker (even if it is a paid locker). Avoid leaving precious items on your bed or out in the open in rooms. If you are stepping out for a while, consider taking them with you.

Not checking for cleanliness
The first thing to do before settling into the room is to check for cleanliness. This is crucial to avoid contracting infectious diseases. You should inspect all surfaces, especially the bathroom. Tiny items in the room like TV remotes and door knobs you can always disinfect on your own. Ask the staff for disinfectant wipes to avoid touching contaminated surfaces. Avoid using the bed without inspecting it first to check for bed bugs, stains, and unclean sheets or mattresses. Although the housekeeping staff is supposed to clean unoccupied rooms, it is likely that they miss a few items. You can always ask for a different room if you find it unsuitable and can also ask the hotel about their cleaning policies.

Visiting extremely crowded areas
In the post-pandemic era, it is important to avoid contracting an illness from crowded places like hotel pools and gyms. You can choose to visit when these areas have been cleaned and are occupied by fewer people. You may also choose other forms of exercise like walking or running. Further, also avoid crowded elevators and try to find secluded spaces in the hotel.

Drinking tap water
All hotels might not have clean tap water, and it can carry diseases. It is important to ask for filtered, clean water or pick bottled water. Packaged drinking water is a much safer alternative.

Sending sensitive information over Wi-Fi
Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi, but the connection is not entirely secure. Although it can be a necessity, especially when you are traveling for work, it is easier to hack public Wi-Fi hotspots. Avoid sending and receiving sensitive information, especially without encryption. Important personal or work data can be leaked, including passwords and bank account details. Consider using a reliable VPN if using Wi-Fi cannot be avoided.

Using throw pillows
Throw pillows are some of the most difficult items to clean, which is why hotels can avoid washing them and usually switch them out for new ones if they are ruined. However, you should avoid using them as they are probably not clean and free from germs. In fact, completely avoid the ones that do not have removable covers. Further, a lot of hotels have been getting rid of unnecessary items like throw pillows to limit the spread of bacteria and germs.

Sneaking in pets
It is important to check the hotel policy on pets before booking a room. If the rules prohibit pets, you should seek permission from the staff and avoid sneaking them in. Hotels can have strict policies, and breaking the rules could force them to charge you or ask you to move. So, avoid the unnecessary hassle and disrespect towards the staff and stick to pet-friendly accommodation if you wish to bring your furry friends along.

Additionally, protect your privacy by not sharing your room number with other guests or saying it out loud. You should also avoid being rude and unkind to the staff throughout your stay to avoid conflict and unpleasantness.

Further, here are a few things you should avoid while checking in:

Not asking about the hidden fees: You should check with the staff about any additional charges that you need to take into account so that you do not end up incurring expenses on your bill. If these charges have been mentioned on the booking portal, confirm the information with the staff while checking in to avoid any surprises.
Forgetting to mention late check-out: Let the reception know about the late check-out as soon as you can. While this should be done soon after booking the room, inform the staff again while checking in.
Not asking for a better room: You can mention your requirements and ask for a different room if you do not like the room assigned to you. If they have vacant rooms, they can accept the request. For example, if you are a light sleeper, then requesting a room away from the elevators might be a good idea.

You should not make the following mistakes while checking out:

Not doing a walk-through of the room: You should check the entire room to see if you have packed all your belongings and haven’t left anything behind, as it might be difficult to retrieve them later on.
Not reviewing the bill: Always review the bill and all charges at the front desk during check-out. Seek clarification if any of the charges seem suspicious to you.