50+ Brilliant Hotel Hacks To Save You Money

Materials Needed: Plastic bags 
Estimated Savings: $10+*

Hotels often provide free toiletries so that guests don’t have to worry about bringing huge bottles of shampoo along for the ride, but they aren’t always the greatest. Plus, if you’re fussy about what shampoo you use, then it makes sense to bring your own. That doesn’t mean they’re easy to transport, though. 

Shampoo Bottle Sealers @hbtaylor10 / Pinterest.com

Too many travelers know what it feels like to open up luggage and see exploded toiletries. It’s never a fun experience, but you could save yourself the cost of new shampoo and new clothes by simply cutting a piece off a plastic bag and putting it underneath the lid. It acts as the seal you never knew you needed. 

To be fair, the quality of hotel soaps and shampoos has improved over the years. Now, hotels are inking deals with brands like Biovida, Malin + Goetz, and even L’Occitane. Hilton Hotels uses Peter Thomas Roth’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, which is a huge improvement over its previous cheap brand.

Materials Needed: Plastic wrap
Estimated Savings: $5*

Bathrooms in hotels are strange places that often lack some of the basic things that we expect. If you’ve gone to wash your face only to realize there’s no plug in the sink, then don’t panic. We’ve got you covered. All you need is plastic wrap. 

On-the-Go Drain Plug @jpsharp / Pinterest.com

Stick the wrap over the hole and you’ve got yourself a drain cover that will stop you from losing coins, hairpins, and all manner of objects that could disappear down the drain. It’s a mystery world down there, and you don’t want to be looking for your wedding ring by sticking an arm into that black hole.

Though, that does spark the interesting question: what happens if you lose your wedding ring down a drain? Brides.com says that the #1 thing you should avoid is doing what we all would do, which is to stick an arm down the pipe. You should immediately call a plumber to avoid damage to you, the pipe, or your ring.

Materials Needed: Ironing table
Estimated Savings: N/A

Over the past few decades, TVs in hotels have definitely upgraded. In most cases, you can usually find something to watch, but not every hotel has smart TVs with Netflix or other streaming services. If you’re determined that a trip won’t derail your binge-watching streak, then a laptop is essential.

Bedside Laptop Desk @twylaklife / Instagram.com

The only trouble is, it can be difficult to position so that everyone can see it. That’s where the trusty ironing board comes in again. An ironing board is a perfect shape to hang over a bed to act as a table. We really don’t give ironing boards the credit they deserve. 

You might also be able to stream your phone to your hotel’s TV, depending on what type of phone you have and what type of TV the hotel has. Apps like the Hotel Cast app can help with this. If you have a streaming stick or a USB cable, you might be able to connect it that way.

Materials Needed: Plastic Bag 
Estimated Savings: N/A 

Most people have probably already tried this one, as it’s a way to keep your hotel room clean. We’re all used to having a hamper in our homes, and that hamper is a convenient way to get dirty and worn clothes out of the way of the room.

DIY Hamper ©Brandy McKnight / Shutterstock.com

Unfortunately, hotels don’t come with a hamper. However, they do come with a plastic dry-cleaning bag. The bag is usually found hanging in the closet. It’s free to take, and you can use it to keep your clothes from piling up. This way, your room won’t get messy or cluttered. 

Materials Needed: Phone/Computer (To Complete the Booking)
Estimated Savings: $5-$10*

Another hotel hack is to book your room directly through the hotel. This will save you $5-$10 on your room in most cases, and it can actually help you get a better room. According to Frommers, hotels give customers priority when they reserve directly through the hotel because the hotel doesn’t have to pay commission fees to a third party.

Book Directly Through the Hotel ©McLittle Stock / Shutterstock.com

This, in turn, leads to better customer service. If something goes wrong during your stay, you might be able to swing a free upgrade or perks, as you’re a full-paying, commission-free customer who booked with the hotel in question.

Materials Needed: Keys, Phone Charger 
Estimated Savings: Not forgetting your things

Losing your car keys is a huge pain, particularly if you’re traveling for work and need to be somewhere in the morning. It’s surprisingly easy to do in hotels. You’re in a new place, and you have to develop a new, temporary routine. You might put your keys somewhere and totally forget.

Attach Keys to Phone Charger @genigillfoss / Pinterest.com

Here’s a hack to avoid that. Hook your keys to your phone charger. Use a carabiner or tie a loose knot around the key ring. You’re far less likely to lose your phone charger, which is attached to your phone. Chances are, you won’t forget your keys if they’re attached to the charger.

Materials Needed: LAN cable
Estimated Savings: N/A

Ethernet tends to be better than WiFi, even though WiFi is more convenient and is usually “good enough” most of the time. Ethernet gives you better speed, more reliable connections, and lower latency. If you’re connecting via a LAN cable, bring your own. Rooms that provide high-speed internet access will have ports.

Bring Your Own LAN Cable ©Daniel Krason / Shutterstock.com

Usually, these ports are near the desk, on the phone, or by the bed. If you forget your LAN cable, the hotel might be able to lend you one. As Wired.com put it, “Hotel WiFi sucks,” and using the Ethernet can make your stay much more pleasant, tech-wise.

Materials Needed: Phone, LodgeNet Mobile App 
Estimated Savings: N/A 

Travel and Leisure reported on just how dirty TV remotes are. 81% of the surfaces in a hotel room have at least a small amount of fecal bacteria, but the worst of the surfaces in the study was the TV remote. The TV remote was covered with all types of nasty bacteria, fecal and otherwise.

Use TV Remote App on Your Phone ©Tero Vesalainen / Shutterstock.com

By downloading the LodgeNet mobile app, you will be able to turn your phone into a television remote. You’ll see the remote-control buttons on the phone, allowing you to change channels, look at on-demand options, rent movies, and, best of all, avoid touching fecal bacteria.

Materials Needed: Thermostat 
Estimated Savings: N/A 

LifeHacker revealed ways you can override your hotel’s thermostat. The thermostats in hotels don’t usually allow you to go above or beyond a certain point, which means that rooms might be cold in the winter or warm in the summer. To override the thermostat, you have to put it in VIP mode.

Override the Hotel Thermostat ©lunopark / Shutterstock.com

First, hold down the thermostat’s display button. While holding that down, press “OFF.” Then, release the OFF button, while continuing to hold down the display button, and press the “Up” button (an arrow pointing upwards). Then, release all buttons. This will disable the thermostat’s motion sensors, so it will keep the room cool all day (instead of just when you’re in the room).

Materials Needed: Towel
Estimated Savings: N/A 

Wendover Resorts revealed a hack for their (and other) hotels on Twitter. We’ve all been in a hotel where our hotel-neighbors are loud and annoying. People on vacation come home drinking, or they let their kids run up and down the hallway at all hours of the night.

Wedge a Towel Under the Door @WendoverCasino / Twitter.com

The light from the hallway can also be super irritating. If you’re trying to sleep and need dark and quiet, wedge a towel under the door. This will muffle the sound and block out the light. Also, don’t forget to travel without earplugs, and, if you do forget, you can always ask the hotel for help.

Materials Needed: Coffee Cup 
Estimated Savings: N/A 

Who knows why hotels give you such tiny cups for juices? It might be to save money on breakfast, or maybe they’re trying to make juice cups the new espresso cups. Either way, it’s never enough juice. If you want an actual cup of juice, just grab a coffee cup and use it.

Coffee Cups for Juice @thetwinster2/Pinterest

Most hotels serve juice in a nine-ounce cup. According to Clark.com, the best hotel breakfasts are at the Hyatt, Hilton Hotels, and Comfort Inn and Suites. Drury Hotels, a family-owned chain, also gets an honorable mention, as its free breakfast serves hot, delicious, make-your-own Belgian waffles.

Materials Needed: Hotel Rewards Card 
Estimated Savings: $0.005-$0.01 cent per point*

Hotel rewards generally operate via a points system. When you make purchases within the hotel, whether you’re buying concessions or renting a room, you rack up points through the hotel car. You might even be able to earn points through regular purchases like gas, entertainment, and groceries. Hotel credit cards give you a sign-up or welcome bonus as well.

Collect Hotel Rewards ©Gustavo Frazao / Shutterstock.com

These are worth it if you travel a lot. You can get free stays, upgrades, and perks once you get enough points. According to U.S. News Travel, the top three “Best Hotel Rewards Programs” are Marriott Bonvoy, Wyndham Rewards, and World of Hyatt.

Materials Needed: Paracord with Bead 
Estimated Savings: N/A

It can be a little jarring to stay at a hotel, especially if you’re not used to traveling. You’re staying in a giant building with other people you don’t know, and that can be a bit intimidating to some people. One hotel hack to boost security, according to one Twitter user, is to use a paracord and bead to tie the deadbolt.

Improve Security @clenprice / Twitter.com

The deadbolt is able to block people from coming in, but it does open four to five inches in width. That’s a little too wide for comfort. You can tie a paracord around the deadbolt to ensure it doesn’t budge an inch if someone tries to come in.

Materials Needed: Car Air Freshener 
Estimated Savings: N/A 

Whether it’s cleaning products or the last person who stayed there, sometimes, hotel rooms don’t smell all that fresh. Or, at least, they don’t smell like anything, which, we’re sure, is everyone’s preferred smell for a hotel room. The easiest way to remove a smell is to take the air freshener from your car and attach it to the vents of your hotel’s A/C unit.

Get Rid of That Funky Smell @gingermoontrade / Pinterest.com

According to USAToday, there are a few other ways to get rid of the funk. For smelly stains on the carpet, you can add ten to fifteen drops of your favorite essential oil to baking soda and shake. Leave the mix on for eight hours. You can also spray the room with Febreze or plug in a portable electronic air filter, which you can find on Amazon for $50-$150.