Unwashed bathroom glasses, coffee pots rinsed with mildew remover and secret minibar restocking fees: Everything you need to know about your hotel room (that NO ONE tells you)
- Studies show that TV remotes can house as much bacteria as a toilet
- Some minibars will charge you for storing your own items inside
- Using advice sites, like TripAdvisor, to get free perks can actually backfire
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When you first enter your hotel room, it's tempting to immediately head toward the minibar, brew yourself a cup of coffee or raid the toiletries that have been supplied for you.
But, before you get carried away, there are a few things that you should know.
Your stately room is likely not as clean as you believe it to be. And those goodies you're eager to try out? They may not actually be free.
MailOnline Travel reveals the most important things to know about your hotel room, including those that no one will ever tell you...
Hotel rooms may appear clean, but there are certain areas the cleaning staff don't often have time to inspect
Beware when touching the television remotes and light switches
A study by the University of Houston revealed that the most touched places in the room such as television remotes and bedside lamp switches are often the least cleaned.
Results found that in some cases, they had as much bacteria as bathroom toilet seats and sinks.
That's enough for us to remember to pack our hand santizer whenever we travel!
Pack your sanitizer for items like remotes and light switches which are hot spots for germs
Drinking from the bathroom glasses
You may be tempted to quench your thirst when you arrive and use the bathroom glasses for a drink.
However in an expose by Fox News, it was revealed that many hotel maids do not wash them out with soap before the next guest checks in.
Hidden cameras revealed glasses that were rinsed only with water, or that were wiped down with a cloth that had previously been used for cleaning the room.
Use bottled water, or request plastic cups from reception to be safe.
Think before you snuggle up in the blankets
Due to a lack of seating area in some hotels, the bed becomes the place where most people sit, eat, and perform other, ahem, intimate activities.
Some mothers even change their child's nappies on the blankets, too.
While you have no need to worry about items that get washed daily, some of the smaller blankets may not get replaced that often.
It is advisable to check user comments before staying at a hotel so that you are aware of the experiences of other guestsWhile pens and brochures are often free to use and take, items such as bathrobes, slippers may not be.
Travelodge have noted a number of items being taken out their rooms that are supposed to remain.
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman said: 'Since we have introduced our new brand design and modernised our rooms, we have seen a significant rise in our fluffy pillows, snuggly duvets, striped bed runners and contemporary artwork being taken from our 500 UK hotels.
'There have even been attempts to smuggle our new luxurious king size Travelodge Dreamer bed out of the hotels.'
Don't threaten to leave a bad TripAdvisor review in change for perks
Unfortunately, some people resort to blackmail to receive upgrades and free perks, in exchange for not writing a negative comment on the hotel's TripAdvisor page.
If you are tempted to use this technique, take note: hotels have a way of proactively reporting any threats before a corresponding review is submitted.
A spokesperson for the online review site said: 'It is absolutely against the terms and spirit of our site to use TripAdvisor's name to try and claim discounts or freebies that would not be available to other guests.
'Our fraud detection experts will then investigate and, where we find evidence of threatening behaviour, take action to stop their reviews from ever reaching the site.'
The mini bar items are extremely over-priced for what you get, bring your own snacks for guilt-free feasting
Don't go crazy with the minibar
When you're nice and cosy, it can be tempting to see what the minibar has to offer, as opposed to leaving the room to explore other snacking options.
However, prices of items in the fridges are often exorbitant, and can leave you regretting that last little packet of peanuts when you get the bill.
Before indulging, remember this: The 2014 TripIndex Survey found that average price for nuts in Switzerland, France, New York, Canada, Singapore and Sweden was over $10.
Topping the leader board was Toronto, where the average bag of nuts cost an unbelievable $18.23.
And don't add your own items
For savvy travellers who bring their own items instead of perusing the (expensive) minibar options, beware. You could still be hit with a large charge.
Several hotels have a restocking fee to dissuade you from placing personal items in the fridge.
Last year it was revealed that hidden fees were set to earn hotels £1.4bn in revenue add-ons, a six per cent increase from 2013.
A study by a professor at New York University's hospitality school noted that although these fees only add an extra two per cent in revenue, most of that money is pure profit for the hotel.
Blogger Keri Anderson was horrified to find that there was a charge to placing personal items in the fridge
Be careful when using the coffee machine
An investigation by ABC News showed cleaners simply swirling the pots in water without properly cleaning them, which leads to a build up of bacteria.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, one cleaner was found to have cleaned the pot with a bottle of Lysol mildew remover, and another was captured using the same cloth to clean the coffee maker as she had used to clean the bathroom floor.
Always clean the machine yourself before use - even if it had been cleaned after the last user, it could have been sitting around collecting dust for a few weeks before you arrive.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2982438/Everything-need-know-hotel-room-no-one-tells-you.html#ixzz3TqZFkNfB
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