From bachelorette parties to business trips, people stay at hotels for a wide variety of reasons. But when all your energy is directed toward the party or the boardroom, it’s easy to forget about the world around you.
In hopes of creating a more considerate travel community, we researched the top flying and hotel faux pas, and came up with the golden rules to help you be the best possible traveler you can be. We already covered The Golden Rules of Flying, so now it’s time to break down “The Golden Rules of Hotels Stays.” Check them out and pass them on to help create a better travel experience for all!
Be Kind
When we asked travelers about hotel faux pas, we found that being rude is a major turnoff. Whether it’s in interactions with fellow travelers or the hotel staff, be kind. Travel can be a stressful activity for many, so a little kindness toward your fellow hotel guests can go a long way.
Also, it’s important to be kind to the staff. Understand they have a job to do. Make sure you tip your bellmen, porters, and/or housekeepers for a job well done. They’re working hard to make your stay amazing.
Be Considerate
Our research showed that the top annoyance when staying in a hotel is loud neighbors. To avoid this faux pas, be considerate and understand that your fellow travelers might have a different agenda than you do.
As a general rule, quiet hours should start at 10 p.m. Of course, you should never be too loud. If you’re a hotel guest there for a good time, keep your voices and music at a respectful level all day, but after 10 p.m. take the party out of the room. It’ll be more fun to party out on the town anyway.
If you’re trying to hit the sheets at an early hour, bring some earplugs or turn on some relaxing music to drown out the noise next door. After 10 p.m., it’s fair game to call down and complain, as long as you do so in a respectful manner.
Being considerate will also help you avoid some other major faux pas like jumping the line and “stealing” a taxi from another guest, leaving your luggage in the hall and complaining about being woken up when you didn’t put the “do not disturb” sign up. Take the time to think about others, and you’ll be on your way to being a fabulous hotel guest.
Be Respectful
Respect is the final step in avoiding committing any major faux pas during your hotel stay.
Whether it be the pool or a lounge area, don’t make a mess in the common areas. Remember others are using this space too.
Also, be respectful in your room. Don’t try to pack too many people into one room and don’t take things you aren’t suppose to–it’s not a free for all! But the mini shampoo is all yours.
If you’re interested in checking out our research on which travel faux pas don’t sit well with frequent travelers, here’s our list of the top hotel faux pas:
1. Hotel guests that are loud neighbors (65%)
2. People who are rude to other travelers and hotel guests (64%)
3. Guests that are rude to hotel staff (56%)
4. Those that line jump for a taxi or “steal” a taxi from another guest (51%)
5. Hotel guests that make a mess in common areas (45%)
6. Travelers that complain about being interrupted or woken up by housekeeping when they don’t put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign (34%)
7. Travelers that take things from their hotel rooms that they’re not supposed to (33%)
8. Guests that don’t tip bellmen, porters or housekeeping (24%)
9. Travelers that have more people stay in their hotel room than allowed (22%)
10. People that leave their luggage in the hall (19%)
For more information or methodology, please visit our press release on this data.
