Tips for an Enjoyable Hotel Stay

When staying at a hotel, knowing you got a good rate and great location are just two aspects of an enjoyable stay. The other, of course, is whether you enjoy the hotel, in particular, and your room.

Here are some inside tips to help ensure you have a safe, healthy, and happy hotel visit.

Be nice to the staff.

It goes without saying, but basic manners go a long way in hotels and restaurants. Be kind and appreciative to the staff, especially the front desk agent who checks you in. He or she, more than anyone else, can make your stay either a pleasure or a disaster.

Keep an eye on CO.

You’re probably aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO), and may even have a CO detector in your home. CO is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO — often called “the silent killer”” — can kill before a person is aware of it. The effects of CO vary from person to person, but symptoms generally include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.

When booking a room in a hotel, ask if they have CO alarms installed in the rooms. If not, don’t book or accept a room equipped with a fuel-burning device, such as a wood-burning stove or gas fireplace. If you stay there anyway, definitely do not let the unit run through the night.

Also, do not book a room that opens onto an enclosed parking area, or next to an indoor garage. There could be CO gas in the air. You may also want to invest in a portable carbon monoxide detector. If symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and/or confusion occur, get to fresh air quickly.

Think twice about valet parking.

Remember that scene in the movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when the garage parking attendants took Cameron’s father’s prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California convertible for a joyride? “Borrowing” parked cars goes on more than you may realize. Granted, it usually happens with really nice cars, so if you’re just tooling around in a rental, you probably don’t have to worry.

Beware of bedbugs.

It’s not pleasant to think about, but bedbugs are a problem in many hotels across the nation. If you’re worried about bedbugs in a hotel, you can check for them yourself in the bed, sofa, and chairs. Here’s what you need and some telltale signs to look for:

Pack a few useful items for identifying bedbug infestations, including a flashlight and a magnifying glass. You can also use an old credit card to scrape and dig for signs of bedbugs.

Adult bedbugs are flat, brown, oval, and wingless, and measure about 1/4 to 3/8 inches long. They change from brown to purplish-red after they eat, becoming larger and more cigar-shaped. Young bedbugs look like adults, but smaller.

Check the bed’s mattress, box spring, and sheets for any signs, such as rusty or reddish stains on the bed linens, pillows and mattresses.

Look at carpeting or flooring around and under beds. Bedbug excrement leaves dark spots, about the size of a period on a printed page. Bedbug waste “bleeds” on fabrics like a pen or marker would.

Inspect the furniture for bedbug eggs and eggshells, which are white and about 1 mm in size. Open and inspect zippered coverings on furniture and pillows, and at frames and feet of sofas and chairs.

Check walls, wall hangings, paintings, clocks, baseboards, floorboards, and electrical outlets. Use an old playing card or credit card to probe and scrape out any live bedbugs, remains, or waste.

BYOG: Bring your own glass.

It’s a little known fact, but hotel housekeepers sometimes use furniture polish to ensure the hotel room glasses sparkle, and don’t have any spots. So, it’s probably a wise idea to pack your own drinking glass, or ask the hotel bartender if you can borrow a clean glass during your stay.

Ditch the duvet cover.

Most hotels wash the sheets and blankets on a regular basis, but few, if any, ever wash the duvet covers. So, do yourself a favor and strip that bad boy right off the bed when you get there. If you think you might get cold at night, call the front desk and (nicely) request a clean extra blanket.

Don’t be cheap — tip well.

Tip well, especially a bellman if he brings your luggage up or down from your room in a timely manner. Don’t forget the housekeeper who has to clean your room after you leave, and again, the all-powerful front desk agent — give this person a $10 bill when you check in, and it will help ensure you’re stay is a pleasant one.

Double check incidentals and mini bar bill.

If you’re billed for incidentals and/or the mini bar, be sure to review the bill and make sure charges are legitimate. Hotel staff has been known to steal from a room’s minibar, sticking the guest with an unwarranted bill. If the charges aren’t yours, dispute them. To avoid room extras, bring your own supplies.

How to Wear an Airline Oxygen Mask

We’ve all set through the flight attendant safety briefings before takeoff, including how to properly wear an airline oxygen mask in case of an emergency. But were we actually listening and paying attention?

Last April, when an engine on Southwest Airlines flight 1380 failed and broke apart, tragically killing a passenger and forcing an emergency landing, photos emerged showing the vast majority of passengers wearing their oxygen masks incorrectly—some had them on upside down, many didn’t have the mask covering their noses.

So, do yourself and the passenger next to you a favor and take a minute to read the following on how to properly wear an airline emergency oxygen mask, courtesy of stuff.com.

Pay attention—even if you’ve heard it before

Grant Amos is principal director of Flying Without Fear, an Air New Zealand program to help flyers become more informed, safe and comfortable airline passengers.

“Humans tend to operate on the basis that ‘It won’t happen to me, and if it does, I’ll be fine in an emergency because I’m sure I’ll know what to do,’” Amos says. “There is that concept that ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it’ people don’t fully understand what they’re getting involved in.” Amos said the Southwest flight proved that many U.S. passengers didn’t know what they were doing.

Flying has been made very easy and seamless, Amos says, and as a result “passengers lost sight of the fact they they’re not in their living rooms—and if something goes wrong they have to know what to do—properly.”

While frequent flyers may assume they already understand all the standard safety precautions, equipment and procedures vary between airlines and airplanes, so it pays to pay attention each and every time you are on a plane and the flight attendant goes through the mandatory safety briefing.

Should an emergency, or even very rough turbulence, occur, a well-briefed passenger will depend less on crew members, stay calmer, avoid panic, and have a greater chance of survival.

How to properly wear a mask

On the Southwest flight, many passengers were holding the mask by hand over their mouths,” Amos reports. “Some of them were too busy worrying about selfies and sending texts to worry about oxygen – when getting oxygen was the most crucial thing,” he adds.

An aircraft’s oxygen mask should be worn over your mouth and nose, and the elastic band should be around your head.

A recent Air New Zealand safety video says: “If you need some 21st century air, oxygen masks will fall down from above. Just pull down on the mask, and place it over your nose and mouth. Pull on both sides of the elastic to tighten it. Don’t worry if the bag doesn’t inflate, oxygen will flow easily. And make sure you’ve got your own mask on before helping children, or those who are less able.”

Count the rows to the doors/exits

What else can flyers do besides pay attention to the safety briefing? The Federal Aviation Administration advises flyers to count the number of rows between them and the nearest exit upon boarding the flight, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Business Insider reported that John Chesire, a retired airline captain, pays special attention to each airplane’s aisles to be prepared for emergencies. “For one thing, I always look around to find the nearest emergency exit,” Cheshire wrote. “Then I count the number of seats between me and that exit. It only takes a quick glance. I do this so if ever necessary, I can in the dark, or under water, or if there is smoke, or if upside down, I know beforehand where the exit is, and I can blindly count the number of seats by touch to reach that emergency exit row, because I have counted them,” Chesire added. “It’s quick and easy to do, every time.”

Also try to remember a second and third exit from the plane in case the aisle closest to you is blocked. And, according to The HuffPost, if you want to further protect yourself as a passenger, consider studying the safety card in your seat-back pocket. Even if you’re able to count ahead and reach the exit aisles in the event of an emergency, some exits open differently depending on the type of plane.

Source: Stuff.com