Hotel Tips

For the last three years I have lived in hotels more than in a home. Hotels in the United States, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Here are some tips:

1. Tip. Any tip is better than no tip. Make sure you have enough small denomination bills so that you can tip often and reward good service. Hotel employees remember who tips.

2. If you have a cell phone and a computer or tablet and especially if you are traveling with family bring an extension cord. You will want to charge all of your items overnight.

3. Even though they say the mini bar operates on "the honor system", they will not check you out of the hotel until they ask you what you consumed...and then have an employee go into your room to verify what you have told them.

4. Always make sure you know which faucet is hot and which is cold...in the sink AND the shower. It may vary from hotel to hotel and even from sink to shower. And, just assume that when you lean over to turn the water on in the shower it will first come out of the shower head icy cold.

5. If you can hear them talking or singing in the next room, they can hear you.

6. When you enter into a non smoking room that reeks from smoke, the bell boy will swear he does not smell anything and that you should not worry because it is a non smoking room.

7. The motorcycles always park in the best spots.

8. If you leave your room and forget to take down the "Do Not Disturb" door tag, you will return to a dirty room.

9. You are not destroying the universe if you want clean towels everyday.

10. 9 out of 10 times that you put your electronic room key card in the same pocket as your cell phone your card will be deactivated.

And the bonus tip: Every now and then some wise guy will set the alarm clock for 2:00 am before he checks out....