Things You Should Do When You Check Into a Hotel Whenever I check into a hotel, I am particularly grossed out by the bedspreads on the bed.   Bedspreads are NOT cleaned after each guest leaves, so the first thing that I always do is take it off and put it somewhere like the bottom of the closet.

This is a list by Smartertravel on things that you should do as soon as you check into a hotel room.  I have added my own two cents to this list as well.

1.)  Check for Bedbugs - check the mattress, bed frame, and
headboard -- you're looking for small brown stains. Bedbugs are hard to see (they hide during the day and can run away quickly when disturbed), but they leave behind brown bloodstains when they process the blood of their victims. Be sure to check under the sheets and mattress pad, too.

2.)  Sanitize - Your room may look clean, but that doesn't mean it is. There was a recent 20/20 spot on how hotel housekeeping staff cleaned the drinking glasses with windex and put them right back on the counter (this particular example was true in several Executive Suites locations).  Another example was using the same rag to clean the toilet AND the countertops (yuk).  Bring antibacterial wipes and wipe areas down to be on the safe side.

3.)  Check Hiding Spots - Before settling in for your stay, check
your room for anyone that may be already be inside.  No one needs
a surprise like that. 

4.)  Make Sure Temperature Controls Work - The temperature may seem fine when you check in, but what happens at 2:00am if it doesn’t work?  The hotel may not have a maintenance staff 24/7 to fix things.  Even if they put you in a different room, do you really want to do move in the middle of the night?

5.)  Remove the Comforter or Bedspread - As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, this is a biggy for me!  Hotels do not wash bedspreads after every guest.  According to a former housekeeping manager for a major American hotel chain, it is possible that a hotel bedspreads are only changed four times a year. 

6.)  Check the Alarm Clock - If the previous guest set the alarm
for 4:00am you may just end up being awaken at that time for your visit!

7.)  Put the 'Do Not Disturb' Sign on the Door - To aleviate the possibilty of having housekeeping walk in on you, put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door. If you are staying more than one day, remember to take it off in the morning if you want your room cleaned.

8.)  Make Sure that the doors lock securely -  In 1974, singer
Connie Francis was raped at a Howard Johnson’s in New York.  Her assailant gained entrance into her room after she was asleep and was never apprehended.  

9.) How to Get Out of the Building - This is one of the more
unlikely items, but fires do occur in hotels.  You need to know how to get out of the building in the event that it happens to you.

In a nutshell, if we use just a few precautions, traveling can be a lot safer for all of us!