As we all know, travel can be a wonderful and life-affirming thing…but it can also be a real headache, especially if you had bad luck at picking your hotel! For sure, spending a night in a hotel room can have its highs and lows. That’s why we’ve put together a few handy hotel hacks to make your stay even better!

Reap the Rewards

An absolute must-do hotel hack is to sign up for their member, or rewards program before you arrive. As soon as they check that you’re a valued member, your chances of room upgrades, quicker service, faster Wi-Fi, and any other perks might increase. Online sign-up usually takes only a few minutes, and you’ll immediately start accruing points for future stays.

Find Unexpected Charging Stations

Most of us carry multiple devices into our hotel room, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, just to discover that we forgot to bring enough chargers to keep all of our essential little companions fully charged. But don’t panic! Just take a quick peek behind or on one side of the room’s TV…you might find handy little USB port that will surely accommodate one of your devices. Who said television wasn’t good for you?

Avoid Being Disturbed

Noise is a common nuisance when staying in a hotel. Those pesky elevators that run up and down ALL night. The cleaning crew squeaking their supply trolleys past your door. Kids, and occasional adults, running and screaming in the corridors, not to mention those blaring TV’s and parties next door! If you’re looking for a little peace and quiet, try a simple yet effective solution: earplugs. Additionally, request a room on the top floor (no footsteps above!), and at the end of a corridor (which reduces the chances of getting noisy neighbors or being near elevator shafts)! Some of the world’s quietest hotels even offer soundproofed rooms, so when you’re searching for where to stay near a train station or any other potentially noisy spots, keep an eye (and an ear) out for this feature!

Wake Up!

Did you know that you can amplify the music playing from your smartphone just by placing it inside a glass? Goodbye, speakers! So, if you can’t figure out how to set that unnecessarily fancy alarm clock on your hotel bedside table, try setting your phone alarm this way, right next to your bed!

Book Your Room and Flight Together

If you’re looking to save money on your next trip, you would be wise to consider booking your room and flight together for the best possible deals. In the competitive world of travel, package deals can save you a considerable amount of money if you know how to purchase them accordingly. As with all things travel, it’s important to do your research prior to hitting the confirm button. Besides, packages can be a particularly good choice if you’re looking to book at the last minute. Finally, remember that pricing out all the elements separately and then comparing them to the total price of the package is always a good idea!

Join AAA

One of the best ways to save money on your next hotel room with no additional effort on your part is to join the American Automobile Association (AAA). Many hotels all over the world offer meaningful discounts to AAA members, helping you to easily recoup what you paid to join the organization. Most of these deals come as a flat percentage benefit, making it easy to understand how much money you’re saving. AAA members also frequently enjoy greater flexibility regarding cancellation policies. And, of course, you’ll also get plenty of additional benefits, including emergency roadside assistance, the ability to easily secure an International Driving Permit, and more.

Keep the Power on with a Spare Card

In an effort to save on energy costs, many hotels have implemented key card systems that are engineered to shut the power off in the room when it’s not placed into the appropriate door slot. This means that when you’re away from your room, the air conditioning will not run nor will there be power to charge your electronic devices. While this is certainly not the end of the world, it can definitely be an inconvenience. Hint: You can override this by simply sticking an old credit card or spare membership card into the slot when you leave the room. Now, that’s clever!

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Override Your Hotel Room Thermostat

In order to enjoy a comfortable hotel stay, your room will need to be at the temperature of your liking. Unfortunately, not all hotel rooms allow you to manually adjust the thermostat. If that’s the case, try this hotel hack: hold down on the “display” button while simultaneously pressing the “off” button. As you release the “off” button, continue to hold down “display” while pressing up on the arrow buttons. Then release all of the buttons. At this time, you may be able to override the set room temperature and adjust accordingly, ensuring that you will sleep more soundly!

Use the Shower or Hair Dryer as a Clothes Steamer

Most hotels do not provide a steamer to use on your clothes. However, you can easily fix your own using a shower or a hair dryer! Simply hang the clothing article in the bathroom while turning the hot water on and sealing off the bathroom by closing the door. It will only take a few minutes before the wrinkles will begin to dissipate. You can also use a hair dryer by moving it up and down the clothing at a close distance if you do not have time to use the “shower steam” method. Either of these methods work great when you are in a pinch without a real clothes steamer on hand!

Put That Shower Cap to Real Use

Who knew that an ordinary shower cap could provide uses far beyond keeping your hair dry when showering? For example, this plastic covering can be used to wrap around the remote control so that your fingers are not continually touching what is known to be one of the dirtiest parts of any room, which is something to consider when booking cheap hotels deals. You can also wrap the cap around your dirty shoes before putting them back into your suitcase full of clean clothes so that they do not contaminate the rest of your belongings. Did you order room service and have some leftovers? Try wrapping the cap around the food before putting it into the refrigerator. This will keep the food fresh for you to eat at a later time.

Do you have any other hotel hacks tips to make your trips more enjoyable? Let us know in our comments section below!