Simple Ways to Personalize Your Hotel Room

What items do you find indispensable for a comfortable stay in your hotel room?

Here are a few suggestions to make your impersonal room more “YOU.”

It goes without saying, try to book the nicest hotel room you can. Whether you’re paying for it or if it’s being comped, it is worth your while to arrange to have a cozy spot to retreat to when the casino gets to be too much.

The next thing to consider is your room’s location. Do you want a quiet spot or someplace close to the elevator? If you ask nicely, the desk clerk should grant your requests.

As a precaution it is smart to pack some disinfecting wipes and go over the grimiest parts of the room after you check in; the remote, door handles, etc. Might as well stop those germs before they get to you.

Personally, I don’t like unpacking my clothing into the hotel room drawers. First because I hate unpacking and secondly because I have read that bedbugs sometimes lurk in the drawers.

Some people who travel by car bring their pillows from home. That is a great idea but not practical for those of us who fly. Test the hotel pillows when you check in.  If they are not to your liking, you could always call the housekeeping department and see if they have an alternative.

Travel candles exist, but I wouldn’t recommend ever bringing a candle to your hotel room. It is a disaster in the making. A safer idea is to pack a few dryer sheets and place them strategically around the room in pillow cases or drawers. Your room now smells lovely! I am obsessed with the scent of Gain myself.

We all know how quickly you can become dehydrated in Las Vegas. Having access to cold water when you return to your room can be a welcome treat, but what if your room does not include a fridge? Simply remember to pack a few garbage bags and you can line an appropriate sized container with them (i.e. plastic trash can) and fill them with ice. Voila! You have a homemade fridge to chill your beverages.

Years ago the toiletry products in the nicer hotels were of good quality, but hotels have decided to economize on those. I find I am always happier bringing my toiletry products with me, rather than relying on whatever they happen to offer.

I am always thrilled when I discover that my room has a well-lighted makeup mirror, but just in case it doesn’t, I pack my own.

Some people are lucky enough to have hosts who send them elaborate floral displays or gift baskets to welcome them to the hotel. I have never been that fortunate, but there is no reason I couldn’t grab a few flowers and snacks and create a welcome station of my own.

Never travel without an extension cord. I learned this the hard way. Some of the older hotels have plugs in hard to reach corners. If I do succeed in making it to the outlet (after rearranging some furniture), I plug in my extension cord and then I have three easily accessible plugs at my disposal.

If you forgot your charger at home, remember that the TV has USB ports, and you can charge your appliances that way.

I frequently pack a rubber doorstop. At the end of the day, I lock my hotel room door, wedge the doorstop underneath, and sometimes even place a chair in front of it. My theory is that putting a multitude of obstacles in the path of a potential robber will give me plenty of time to call for help (am I paranoid or just cautious…you decide).

Hopefully, these tips will help you feel more comfortable in your temporary hotel room “home.”

[Images: Michael Movestro, Tripadvisor]

Blonde4ever

Bonnie, aka Blonde4ever, is the admin of one of our favorite Vegas forums: LasVegas4ever. She covers a large spectrum of topics from her personal experiences in Las Vegas.