“Free Bottled Water In The Gym”: 49 Hotel Hacks People Swear By That Others Don’t Know

I always travel with my laptop and a 5 meter hdmi cable.

If the internet is bad, I've got a hard drive full of movies.

blackhawk5906:
This is actually something I live by. I needed an HDMI cord and went to like 5-6 shops in Atlantic City looking for one. Finally found an overpriced one in a gas station and bought it. That was almost 10 years ago and I carry that HDMI with me every time I travel.
I’ve used it to hook up a Nintendo switch, hook my laptop to a hotel tv to do homework, and watch countless movies with it.

Attach something to the handle of your suitcase as soon as you put something in the safe. The more ridiculous, the better eg a pair of stockings or several metres of toilet paper, tied several times. When you are ready to pack to leave, undoing the many knots will give your brain a chance to remember there was a reason you went to ask this trouble.

If the hotel TV is locked down and you want to use your own device then you can access a secret menu to enable the HDMI ports.

On a Samsung TV, press mute, then 119 and then the ok button. Turn off the H Browser and it will allow you to use the HDMI ports. I've been doing this in The Moxy for past month.

Thanks to u/cykelstativet for some extra info.

Sony: Info > Mute > Vol+ > Home


The hotel WiFi has blocked access to Kodi however, so I use a VPN and can stream whatever I want.


Unit_79:
I used to travel quite a bit, and always with the same roommate. We got bored one night, and were sick of tv inputs being disabled. This was that window of time where smart tvs were barely a thing, and cheap universal remotes were still made.
We went to the store, bought a couple different generic remotes, and googled tv codes, and were able to jailbreak all our tvs from then on. It was so handy, and kind of fun. Tv remotes became part of our kit for every trip from then on.

If you’re staying in a budget place bring a 3 meter phone charging cable and an extension lead. The plug sockets are usually miles away from where you want them.

4electricnomad:
This is a solid rec. Also definitely bring an electric extension cord with a few plugs at the end of it if you’re staying more than a few days anywhere, it’s a huge quality of life upgrade since many hotels either have the plugs in awkward spots or don’t have enough plugs in the area of the room where you want them.

A lot of mid tier to higher end hotels have box fans they can bring to your room. I sleep with a fan and always dread hotels, and recently found this out at a Hilton. Slept like a baby all week.

Bring antibacterial wipes and immediately wipe down all switches, door knobs, and the remote control. Always run a couple of carafe of water through the coffee maker before using it.

Actually use the luggage carts? I see so many people making multiple trips when there's a luggage cart RIGHT THERE by the door. It's been a life changer for me since someone pointed out that you're allowed to use them.

I always ask for rooms away from elevators and depending on the location a higher floor if there will be noise from the streets or outdoor areas. Anything to minimize extra noise.

Always pack your bags before you go out drinking.

Nothing is worse, than your boss banging on the door to wake you up and letting you know the Uber is waiting and all your things are everywhere.

Specific. Vegas Westin has smoke detection in the room specifically for anyone who is smoking Tobacco or THC. 400 dollar fine. These can also be set off via shower steam. Always check your bill on checkout.

If you don’t care about having a view, I always request a room on second or third floor so I can just use the stairs and not have to wait for an elevator. This saves countless time if you’re at a busy hotel like in Vegas.

If your curtains wont shut completely, use a hanger, or 2, with the pant clips to clip them shut. Most hotels have movement sensor thermostats now. If you need the fan to keep running, there are tons of YouTube videos that show you how to hack the thermostat.

Venomous_Ferret:
If you can access the thermostat, try this:
Press and hold down the “display” button While holding that button, also press the “off/auto” button Release the “off/auto” button Press the “up” arrow button Release all buttons This enables VIP mode which lasts for about 4 days and also lets you drop the temperature to as low as 65F.
Also to bypass motion sensor if that doesn't work buy a cheap MYLAR (silver) helium balloon in a store and weigh it down in front of the air vent if it is in front of the thermostat. Mylar reflects the infrared sensor so it simulates movement, the air will blow the balloon around to do the trick.
EDIT: The button sequence trick is for certain Honeywell thermostats like the ones used across Walt Disney World resorts in Florida.

If you are booking a hotel that has a great view on one side and terrible views on the other, but no way to select a side, call the hotel about three or four days before and request a bottle of champagne in your room when you check in. The concierge will typically set it up in a good room. I did this at a boutique hotel in Washington DC and had the great views over the Potomac. I did it in Las Vegas and they upgraded me to a suite for free. It’s worth the minor extra cost.

Bring a travel router! (Gl inet) It connects to hotel wifi then you connect to it. This puts a gap between your data and privacy. If your able to install tailscale, you can set up your home wifi networks. Now your IP address is "local " no hotel wifi passwords and anyone being noisy thinks your still working from home.

Don’t use the comforter. They are only washed when they are visibly dirty.

If the hotel has a Roku tv, you can install a ROKU app in your phone to control it and access more features than the hotel proprietary remote allows.

Shove towels into the pillow case when your pillows are too soft.

One of my best hotel hacks: I always travel with my own showerhead. No more water-restricted trickles — swap it out in 30 seconds and suddenly you're showering like you're standing under a firehose. Game changer.

If your hotel restricts the number of devices you're allowed to connect to the wifi, you can connect a Windows laptop to the wifi and turn on its mobile hotspot. Connecting your other devices to the hotspot doesn't take up more of the hotel's slots for wifi, but you can add as many devices to your hotspot as your computer allows.

Put one room key in your wallet and leave one by the bed. Way too many people lock themselves out at the worst possible time.