If your job requires you to go on frequent business trips, you may feel like you see the inside of hotel rooms more often than your own living room. While many hotels make an effort to make their rooms as comfy and quiet as possible, it is still not the same as home sweet home. Fortunately, there are a variety of hotel hacks that will help make your business travel hotel life as easy and stress-free as possible. Check out the following tips:
Call Ahead to See What the Hotel Offers
Lugging around a heavy suitcase can quickly make your neck and back hurt; to pack as lightly as possible, call your hotel prior to your trip and ask what amenities and supplies they offer their guests. You might find that you can leave your travel iron, hair dryer and many other items at home. As Wisebread notes, some hotels will even provide you with dishes, which can make in-room eating easier to do and encourage you to eat healthier by not dining out.
Bring Items that Remind You of Home
While you might be happy to use the hotel’s hair dryer, you should definitely pack things that will help turn a neutral hotel room into a homey haven. Examples include a framed photo or two of your family and/or pets, a flameless scented candle, your favorite movie or TV series downloaded on your laptop (added tip — if you bring along an HDMI cable, you can stream the shows from the computer to the hotel room’s TV) and/or a hometown snack that you love but probably won’t find in the hotel vending machine.
You could also pack your favorite makeup, like the high-quality Artistry line available from Amway; the Natural Glow Eye Shadow Quad and Ideal Radiance Illuminating CC Cream are easy to pack and can help even the most tired traveler’s face look perkier.
Pack Clothespins
As you gather together your clothes and toiletries, add several sturdy clothespins to your suitcase. You can use them to clip your hotel room curtains shut; this will ensure the room stays dark in the morning if you are on the east side of the building. You can also use one placed on its side as a toothbrush holder which will keep the few glasses available for drinks and rinsing. If you have to hand wash items in the room, the clothespins will come in handy to secure the wet garments to the hotel room hangers.
Bring a Power Strip
Women who travel typically need to pack a laptop, tablet, phone charger and other devices that require electricity. To avoid having to unplug the hotel room lamps, alarm clock and other devices, pack a power strip and plug in all of your items in one place.
