Not a Hotelier? Then this is one is for you, my beloved guest :)

For sure, a guest will be served like a king during their stay at a hotel. But you don't think that operational hotel staff will not talk about the guests during their break hours, do you? Just assume they do (just if you said they don't), especially for the guests with "special" behavior, the question is, how do you want them to "review" yourself? Personally, I want a good review, it is like my "personal branding". Ok, maybe you don't care about their thoughts about you, but let me tell you this, you will be surprised how they will serve you if you are being a "nice guest". Because when you already have their heart, "Serve every guest from the heart" is not just a term anymore, you will not just gonna be "A King", you will be a Family.

Here are some good tips from me (as an "insider") for you

1. Put your used towels in the "proper way"

The rule is, to put your used towels down on the bathroom floor or in the bathtub if you want your towels to be changed during housekeeping making up your room. If you hang it or even fold it nicely, the staff may just get it wrong and think that they are fresh ones.

2. Do Not try those "hacks" that you found on the Internet

You can boil water for some instant noodles, but if you want to heat up a frozen pizza with a hairdryer, or try to make a fresh crusty toast with an iron, please, don't! Just ask the front desk staff whether they can arrange a microwave for you in your room or you can just ask them to arrange with the kitchen to heat it up for you.

3. Let Housekeeping do your bed

Don't make the bed yourself. The staff is going to replace the sheets no matter what. If you make the bed right after you get up, you're just actually creating a lovely dark environment for those tiny dust mites. You know, even the best hotels with the best staff can be powerless against those little guys.

4. Do not try to trick your mini bar items

Don't try to trick the hotel into thinking you never drank that soda from the mini bar. A can of soda might cost you double what you'd pay at the mini-mart, but you don't want to get put yourself on the hotel's naughty list. Trust me, they faced these kinds of guests, A LOT! So please do not think that they don't have any preventive SOP for this kind of issue.

5. Tips 

Saying thank you is always polite and nice, but a nice tip would go down even better. But unfortunately, it's not that polite to leave your room tip on the last day of your stay. Different people might have been cleaning your room on different day, so only tipping the last one is kind of unfair. If you decide to leave your tip on your check out day, leave a note along with it to make sure they share it with their co-workers. Or, you can just give it to the front desk staff or Duty Manager, they will make sure that it will be given accordingly.

6. BIG NO for taking Re-usable items

Taking reusable items from your hotel room as a souvenir is a big no-no. It's okay to grab those shampoos, conditioners, lotions, soap, combs, or sewing kits. But leave the towels, glasses, and dishes behind for the next guest. Let's say. if your room has the bathrobe that you really love to have, you can always go to the front desk and ask if you can buy one. If you try to take one with you without asking for permission, the chance is, they will notice it during the room checking on your check-out process.

7. High Floor Room = Windy Balcony

Don't dry hotel towels out on the balcony. If the winds end up with "let's have a ride with me" to one of the towels, you'll be the one who's going to pay for it. Friendly reminder, they're just plain white towels, but they can be pretty pricey.

8. Late Check-Out? Request it!

It is "very okay" to call down to the front desk and ask for a late check-out. It's probably not a big deal for the hotel. Even better, by delivering your request, the hotels know you might be more likely to choose them again on your next holiday.

But what if they say no? Well, at least you tried :)

Quick tips (don't tell them I am the one who told you this)
You will get a better chance to get a "yes" answer especially if it is on "the everybody is checking out" day, which is on Sunday or the last day of the long weekend period.

9. Be a "Housekeeping Friendly" Guest

You might want to help the staff out? Do this, air out your room when you are leaving the room for check out.  This small step is one of the most time-consuming things they have to do (and they have to clean the rooms really fast!). Just leave the windows open to freshen the room up a bit, or you can even leave the air conditioning on. But just don't do both at the same time.

10. Be Honest

Everyone knows that accidents can happen anywhere. And it's okay if you accidentally drop a glass and it breaks. But don't try to get away with it. Give the front desk a call, they most likely won't even charge you for such a minor accident. The worse thing is, if you leave it behind, the management might think the housekeeping staff broke it and they might make them pay for a replacement. :(

11. Join The Hotel Reward/Membership Program

Never refuse an offer to join your hotel's reward program. It's usually free and you can get its benefit even on your first day of stay. If you travel a lot try to choose those big chain hotels that give you bonuses every time you book. You could get a free upgraded room to a suite, get a better wi-fi speed connection, a free spa, or even a free night!!!

12. Hotel will prepare for your arrival, but WILL YOU?

Booking etiquette is a bit different now than it used to be. You used to have to confirm your stay at some hotels by writing them a letter. But nowadays just make sure you have all your booking info handy on your smartphone. That'll make the front desk staff pretty happy. If it's a big hotel they might have hundreds of people checking in in the span of a few hours. And don't forget, you will be in that queue.

13. Concierge staff is your "WIKI" 

Yes, the concierge will be the "one who knows almost everything" in the hotel. You can ask where the best restaurant or spa in town is, which mall is the nearest one, what event will be happening this week and many many more. You name it, they will tell you, or they will find it out for you!

So....Enjoy your stay! Hope to see you again on your next trip :)

Hope this article is useful. Again, I will be more than happy to hear your feedback, comment, or even any critics. 

Lobby Lizard
It is okay to move slow, but make sure you move forward