Traveling often means staying overnights at various hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Accommodation can be one of the most expensive part of your trip, depending on where you are traveling to, so why not make the most out of your stay? Check out the following things that you can ask your hotel if it’s not already in your room or listed on their site. Majority of the time, you’ll be able to get these services and items at no additional cost!
(This list varies based on country and the star rating of the hotel, so I will base it on my experiences at a 4-5 star rated hotel. )
1 Toiletries
All hotels should provide at least a small tube of toothpaste, toothbrush, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and a bar soap. If you don’t see any of these things in your room, give your receptionist a call!
2 Shuttle services
Some hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport for free (or at minimum charge). It’s always a good idea to check with the hotel prior to arriving at your destination about their shuttle services. If your hotel offers shuttle service, I would highly recommend you go with it instead of booking another ride or taxi.
*During our stay at a semi resort in Phuket, we used their shuttle services from the resort to the beach street every day. We took the resort card and number to call them, in case it got too late or if the shuttle didn’t arrive on time.
*For our last night in Rome, we booked the airport shuttle service from the hotel for just $5 per person, which is significantly less than getting a taxi.
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3 Free Wifi
In these times, complimentary wifi comes with most hotels so that you don’t have to use your own data plan. This can be useful when you’re traveling out of country and have limited data. I connect to the hotel wifi whenever I am traveling abroad to save data for the actual traveling portion.
4 Coffee & Tea Station
Most hotels provide a coffee and tea station, which is available 24 hours. Besides coffee and tea, this is also a good place to go if you need some hot water, sugar or a cup! Some places will also offer bagged snacks and other goodies. Hot water can be used to cook packaged soup and quick meals.
5 Travel tours, packages & city maps
Many hotels now have tons of pamphlets on major attractions in the city, maps for public transport routes and even tour packages. Most receptionists are locals and have been there for a long time. Find your receptionist when he/she is free to chat and not busy with other customers. This is a good time to get all the information and to even book a local tour if you’re interested!
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6 Shaving Kit & Shoe Shining Kit
Traveling on day three and forgot your shaving kit at home? Before you set out to the nearest convenience store to buy one, ask your receptionist if they have disposable sets.
Ran out of shaving cream? Use conditioner from your room!
7 Plastic & Laundry bags
Need a few extra bags while packing up and getting ready to head home? If there isn’t any in the closets or near the iron stand, you can always ask up front! Hotels always want to promote themselves; so the more bags you have with their logo on it, the better for them!
8 Goody packets for kids
Some hotels provide goody packets and activities to keep children busy during the stay. Check with the receptionist! While you are at it, find out the most popular places to take your kids in the city!
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9 Beach towels, pool access and more
Beach towels are usually available to check out at a station if there is a beach nearby OR if there is a common pool. I don’t recommend shared crowded pools, but if you need a beach towel for a day trip or a trip to the beach, you can check it out from the hotel! If your hotel does have a pool and you need to cool down after a long day, go for it! Just confirm the timings because some of them close early!
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0 Gym
Are you having more of a sedentary vacation? Maybe the weather was not very friendly for outdoor activities? Stay fit by using the free gym in the hotel once you get back from your day!
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1Spa/Massage and Sauna Center
Some luxury hotels have a spa/massage center for free or an additional charge. Although prices may be high based on how luxurious the hotel is, you could get a special discount for staying at the hotel. While I was in North India, we made good use of the free sauna room and booked a massage for the evening!
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2 Bikes and other gears
If you are staying at sea side hotels (mainly out of country) in small towns, they may have a bike or two available for tourists. Some houses near the beach will also have many beach items like kites, goggles, snorkeling gear and more. During our stay in San Pedro island in Belize, they had several bikes we could take out for the day and had snorkeling gear if we wanted to use it at the beach.
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3 Information
This is my favorite thing to get from my hotel receptionist. If I am in a new city and want to know the best places nearby to eat, I ask my receptionist. Need information on public transportation? I ask the receptionist. Need recommendation on places to visit? I ask the receptionist. We have never gone wrong with this. (I don’t solely rely on this; I also have my list of places to visit, eat at and transportation. But the more information I can get, the better!)
* It’s true that the receptionist may be a little partial when it comes to giving out advice and may suggest a restaurant that gives the hotel a small commission. But it is also true that hotels usually won’t recommend any restaurants that aren’t good- because they want to keep their customers happy. (See below for a hotel hack relating to this.)
Check out one of my favorite posts in the site; must have items for those who love to travel!
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