Some hotels offer free shuttles to and from bars and restaurants in the immediate area. But most of the time, they’ll only take you so far, within a couple of miles from the location. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to thoroughly enjoy your vacation, without worrying about having to drive back from a late dinner with friends.
Uber and Lyft are popular pretty much everywhere these days, so install the apps on your phone and put them to use – everywhere!
TV to Phone Charging
One of the main tips you’ll hear from those who travel internationally is to remember to bring your power converters because different countries have different types of plugs. The last thing you want to do is start to unwind at a hotel thousands of miles away from home and realize your phone is dying and the outlet doesn't match your charger! But even if you run into this situation, don’t panic, because there’s still a way for you to charge your cell.
Just use the USB port on the back of the TV, which you should be able to find almost anywhere. And, if worse comes to worst, and your hotel doesn’t have a TV with a USB port, try calling the front desk to see if they have any converters on hand. If they have a high volume of international guests, it’s likely that they will.
Water, Water Everywhere!
It’s a good habit to bring a water bottle with you everywhere you go, anyways. As humans, we’re supposed to stay hydrated by drinking between 60-140 ounces of water each day, depending on our weight. But if you forgot to bring your water bottle with you on your trip, the hotel should be able to help you out. Most modern hotels have a water cooler in the lobby, and another in the gym.
Between the two, you should be able to get your daily fill with no issues. If you don’t want to keep walking back and forth to refill your little plastic cup, use one of the larger paper coffee cups, which will last you a bit longer. Plus, you can usually find a lid for those, which is nice to have when you’re on the go, even if you are just drinking water.
Late Checkout
If you’re not an early morning person, or if you just had a late night and you need to sleep it off, checking out of a hotel in the early morning can be extremely inconvenient. Luckily, most hotels offer late checkout options for those exact situations.
Most of the time, you can only extend it by a couple of hours. But still, 1 pm is a lot better than 11 am when you had a rough night and you need the extra shut-eye!
Make Use of the Concierge
Hotel front desk people may not have entered into the hospitality industry because they love pleasing people, but that’s exactly why hotels exist. So, while they’re there, they’re supposed to help make your stay as easy and fun as possible. This means that if for any reason during your stay you find yourself lacking something that you need, you can call the front desk and they will do everything in their power to help remedy the situation.
They can also suggest the best restaurants and shopping in the area, etc., since they’re locals and will know the place well.