Don't lie down on your hotel bed without doing this first, according to housekeeping
When you first walk into your hotel room, it can be tempting to flop down on the bed - especially if you've just had a long travel day.
But wait!
Before you relax, there are a few key things you should do, according to housekeeping experts.
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There are a few things to do before you can relax. Getty Images/iStockphoto
First off, when you get into your new hotel room, make sure all the locks work and the door closes properly. The last thing you want is to feel unsafe.
Mary D'Argenis-Fernandez, founder and CEO of MDA Hospitality, told Travel + Leisure to also make sure any adjoining doors are locked, too.
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"If the peephole has a cover, ensure it is fully closed," she added.
"Take a moment to review the emergency exit map on the back of the door and note where the stairwells are located in case of an emergency."
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Check the door lock is functioning. Getty
Once you feel safe, it's a good idea to just make sure everything in your room works, so you don't have any surprises down the road.
Afi Anifrani, executive housekeeper at Thompson Savannah, told the publication to check on the essentials like the safe, powerpoints, AC or heater, the TV, the bathroom fixtures and the coffee maker.
The last thing you want is to realise at 11pm that something is faulty and needs repairing.
Next, it's probably a good idea to wipe down any high-use items in the room that housekeeping may have missed, like TV remotes and light switches.
Hotel rooms are cleaned but some spots could be missed. Getty
Studies have found that these items can harbour cold and flu viruses, E. coli, and even traces of faecal matter.
A quick once-over with a disinfecting wipe can spare you from touching gross germs, even in luxury properties.
Some hotel guests even put the remote in a plastic sandwich bag before using it, to minimise germs.
Then when it comes time to check out, are you the kind of person who goes up to the front desk before leaving?
We recently asked our readers what they thought in an exclusive Nine survey, and the majority of Aussies thought it was rude to leave without physically checking out - 70 per cent of respondents say they always stop at the reception desk.
Do you physically check out? Getty
"It is totally unacceptable to leave the front desk without fully checking out. Show respect to the staff," one respondent shared at the time.
According to some online discussions, there's a big generational divide between people who line up to check out, and people who just leave.
"Boomers will literally wait in a hotel line to tell someone at the front desk that they are 'checking out' instead of just going home," one person posted on X, sparking fierce debate among the comments.
One person said: "I call it common courtesy - something future generations will never experience."
