As an airline pilot, I spend a lot of nights in hotels. I’ve picked up plenty of hotel hacks that make traveling safer, easier, and more comfortable—and occasionally save me from an embarrassing call to the front desk.
From getting a darker, quieter room to keeping food cold without a fridge, here are 20 hotel hacks I actually use.
1. Use the Hilton App to Check In and Choose Your Room
If I’m getting into a Hilton property late after a long travel day, the last thing I want to do is stand in another line.
At participating properties, the Hilton Honors app lets you check in digitally, choose your room when room selection is available, and sometimes use a Digital Key to head straight to your room.
Being able to pick my room ahead of time and skip the front desk is one of those little conveniences I really appreciate after traveling all day.
2. If You’re a Light Sleeper, Choose Your Hotel Room Strategically
If you have the option to choose or request your hotel room, think about where it is.
Light sleeper? Try to stay away from elevators, ice machines, housekeeping areas, and other high-traffic spots.
After enough hotel nights, I’ve learned that the location of your room can matter almost as much as the room itself.
3. Check Your Hotel Room Before You Unpack
Before anything comes out of my suitcase, I do a quick sweep.
I check the bed, bathroom, locks, and overall cleanliness. I also make sure everything I actually need is working.
If something is wrong and you need to change rooms, you’ll be very glad you don’t have to pack everything back up.
4. Add Extra Security to Your Hotel Room Door
A portable hotel door lock or door-stop alarm takes up almost no space in your luggage and can add another layer of security while you’re inside your room.
I learned this lesson after staying at a hotel that gave me the creeps.
Nothing actually happened, but I had such a bad feeling that I strategically placed things around the room that would make noise if someone came in—basically creating my own little booby traps—and slept with the hotel iron on my nightstand as my makeshift weapon.
Was this a good hotel security system? Absolutely not. 😂
Now I’d rather travel with something actually designed for the job.
Portable hotel door lock I recommend
5. Put the Luggage Rack in Front of a Connecting Door
Connecting hotel-room doors make me a little uneasy, so I’ll sometimes move the luggage rack in front of mine before going to sleep.
It creates another barrier and gives me a little extra peace of mind.
Just never block your main exit or anything you’d need to access in an emergency.
6. Clip Hotel Blackout Curtains Together With a Hanger
You know that tiny gap between hotel blackout curtains that somehow lets one entire beam of sunlight shine directly onto your face?
Grab one of the hangers with clips from the closet and use it to clip the two curtain panels together.
Instant darker hotel room.
7. Put a Towel Under the Hotel Room Door
Roll up a towel and place it along the gap underneath your hotel-room door.
It helps block hallway light and can slightly muffle the noise coming from outside.
It’s such a simple trick, but it can make a surprising difference when you’re trying to sleep.
8. Know the Basic Hotel Thermostat Tricks
I won’t list them all here since hotel thermostats vary so much by model, but these tricks are definitely out there. A quick Google search for your specific thermostat model can usually show you exactly what to do.
If your hotel room won’t cool down, don’t immediately accept your fate.
Make sure the thermostat is actually set to Cool, lower the temperature, and switch the fan from Auto to On or High if that’s an option.
Also check the unit by the window. Some hotel rooms have separate controls there.
If none of that works, call the front desk and ask whether there’s a temperature limit or occupancy setting they can adjust.
9. Check the Shower Before an Early Departure
If you have an early morning, turn the shower on before bed and see how long it takes to get hot.
Some hotel showers heat up immediately. Others apparently need a formal invitation.
Finding that out when you’re already running late at 4 a.m. means either leaving late or taking a very unpleasant cold shower.
Test it the night before and you’ll know whether you need to budget a few extra minutes in the morning.
10. Bring a Fire TV Stick for the Hotel TV
If the hotel TV allows access to the HDMI input, plug in your Fire TV Stick and you’ve got your own streaming apps and shows.
Just add CHECK THE TV to your checkout routine.
A fire stick left plugged into a hotel TV is basically a gift to the next guest.
11. Make Sure the Hotel Mini Fridge Is Actually On
Don’t assume the little fridge in your room is cold just because it’s there.
Some hotel mini fridges and coolers need to be manually turned on, and some have settings that can cause them to cycle off periodically.
Check the controls when you arrive and make sure it’s actually running before putting anything important inside.
12. Turn the Hotel Sink Into a Makeshift Cooler
No fridge space? Use the sink.
Fill it with ice from the hotel ice machine, nestle your drinks or other items into the ice, and cover everything with a wet towel to help insulate it and slow down the melting.
I use this for temporary extra cold storage—not for anything that needs strict temperature control.
13. Bring a Portable Food Warmer When There’s No Microwave
This is one of my favorite hotel travel essentials.
Not every hotel room has a microwave, and eating out constantly gets expensive. A portable food warmer lets me bring meals from home and heat them right in my hotel room.
14. Ask the Hotel Front Desk for Plates and Utensils
Eating in your room and suddenly realize you have nothing to eat your food with?
Call downstairs.
Hotels often have paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins, and other basic supplies available if you ask.
15. Think Twice About Using the Hotel Coffee Maker
I’ve heard enough hotel coffee-maker horror stories—including stories of people supposedly using them to wash underwear—that I personally get my coffee downstairs or order it instead. 😂
If I really need hot water and want to use the coffee maker, I’ll inspect it first and run plain water through it.
16. Ran Out of Underwear?
Speaking of underwear.
If you ran out of fresh ones, grab a disposable coffee cup and fill it with hot water.
You can use the coffee maker to heat the water (just use the coffee maker to dispense the water—don’t put the clothing machine…), or use hot water from the sink if it gets hot enough.
Let the item soak with a little soap, rinse it out, and hang it up to dry.
Not glamorous, but neither is running out of underwear.
17. Clogged the Hotel Toilet?
On the topic of unglamorous things…
If you clog the hotel toilet and the water is rising, stop flushing.
Once the water level has gone down, add some dish soap—or hotel conditioner in a pinch—followed by a cup of hot (not boiling) water from the sink.
Let it sit for about 10–15 minutes before trying again.
If that doesn’t work…
It’s time to make the call. 😂
18. Check the Hotel Iron Before Putting It Near Your Clothes
Hotel irons have seen things.
People have been known to use them for some pretty questionable purposes—including cooking—so I always inspect the bottom before putting one anywhere near my clothes.
I still use the iron and steam, but I usually hold it just above my clothes and rely heavily on the steam to release wrinkles rather than pressing the iron directly against the fabric.
If you want to be extra cautious you can put a towel between the iron and your clothes.
19. Make a Warm Compress Before Your Skincare
After a long travel day, this is one of my favorite little hotel-room self-care tricks.
Run a clean hotel washcloth under really hot water, wring it out, and hold it around your face for a few moments after cleansing and before doing your nighttime skincare.
It feels like a tiny hotel-room facial.
20. Do a Final Hotel Room Sweep Before Checkout
Before I walk out of any hotel room, I check:
Bed. Bathroom. Outlets. Closet. Fridge. Safe. TV.
Chargers and streaming sticks are especially easy to leave behind.
Then I stand at the doorway and give the entire room one final look before closing the door.
It takes less than a minute and can save you a major headache later.
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Hotel Pet Peeves From Someone Who Basically Lives in Hotels
And because I spend an unreasonable amount of my life in hotels, I can’t write an entire hotel-hacks post without mentioning a few hotel pet peeves.
Consider this my tiny hotel-etiquette PSA.
Talking Loudly in Hotel Hallways.
This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal at 6:30 p.m. But sometimes 6:30 p.m. is my bedtime. There are days when I need to be up at 2:30 a.m.
Hotel hallways echo everything. If you’re having a full-volume conversation outside someone’s room, there’s a very good chance they can hear you.
People staying in hotels are sleeping at all kinds of weird hours.
Keep the hallway conversations down and your sleeping neighbors will love you for it.
Slamming Hotel Room Doors
Hotel doors are heavy. I get it. But the constant slamming can drive you insane when you’re trying to sleep.
And housekeeping—I love you—but you’re guilty of this too. Sometimes housekeeping leaves the deadbolt flipped out while they’re cleaning so they don’t have to keep unlocking the door every time they go in and out.
The problem?
If you’re coming and going, the door can slam against the deadbolt every. single. time.
Catch the door before it slams—it takes two seconds, and your neighbors will quietly thank you.
Knocking When the Do Not Disturb Sign Is Up
If my “Do Not Disturb” sign is hanging on the door, there’s a very good chance I’m sleeping.
Maybe it’s noon. Maybe it’s 4 p.m. Maybe it’s 7 p.m.
Pilot sleep schedules do not care what time society has collectively decided bedtime should be.
Unless there’s an actual reason the hotel needs to contact me, please let the little sign do its job.
Making Me Come Downstairs for My Food Delivery
This might be my most irrationally passionate hotel opinion.
If the hotel allows delivery drivers onto guest floors and I’ve given them my room number, please let them bring the food to my door.
I’ve been traveling all day. I’ve changed into pajamas. My hair is up. I’ve emotionally committed to not leaving this room again.
I ordered DoorDash. Not LobbyDash.
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My Best Hotel Hacks After Years of Traveling
After enough nights away from home, you realize the best hotel hacks aren’t complicated.
They’re the little things that help you sleep better, feel safer, eat what you want, and make a temporary room feel a little more comfortable.
And occasionally, they’re knowing how to unclog a hotel toilet, emergency-wash your underwear, and never trust a hotel iron without inspecting it first.
If you spend a lot of time traveling too, I’d love to know: What’s the hotel hack you swear by—or your biggest hotel pet peeve?
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