Staying in a hotel gives you a profound sense of freedom. You rarely feel guilt about doing things you’d most definitely feel bad about at home, like lounging on the bed all day! Here are 18 things most people will only do in hotels – but never at home.
Raiding the Mini Bar
While you might avoid raiding the snack cupboard at home, raiding the mini-bar in one sitting at a hotel seems like the right thing to do. Annoyingly, the prices are usually absurdly high, although when you’re in vacation mode, that won’t stop you!
Use Far Too Many of the Toiletries
While you might be rationing your blobs of shampoo back at home, you most definitely use all hotel toiletries liberally. You justify it by rationalizing that you’ve already paid for the room, so you want to get the most for your money, including an extra lather of body wash or washing your hair twice.
Work Out in the Hotel Gym
Most people avoid a hefty gym membership, and many even lack the motivation to work out altogether. Yet there’s something appealing about using a hotel gym to pass the time and stay active while traveling. According to The Washington Post, in-room fitness equipment is a big selling point for many guests!
Ordering Room Service
You might feel guilty about ordering takeout at home, but nothing can deter you from room service! This is especially the case if you want to avoid the busy hotel restaurant. Therefore, room service is, unsurprisingly, a much-needed commodity for many hotel guests, not to mention the late-night snacks.
Lounging in a Robe and Slippers All Day Long
If the hotel room includes a robe and slippers, this is even better than bringing your own! It would be rude not to enjoy the plush robe and comfortable slippers. Staying in a hotel robe is less about feeling lazy and more about feeling pampered and relaxed.
Watch Cable TV for Hours on End
Sitting on the couch and watching TV all day long is synonymous with laziness – or, at least, you feel guilty for it. Yet, having a TV binge in a hotel is a requirement when you have free access to channels you might not have at home, especially when they’re in a foreign language!
Eating Breakfast in Bed
At home, the risk of crumbs is too great to eat breakfast in your own bed, yet in a hotel room, it feels far more justifiable! You probably won’t be cleaning up your own mess thanks to daily room cleaning services, so it’s a cheeky indulgence that many of us enjoy on vacation.
Paying Extra for Room Upgrades
You’re more likely to avoid unnecessary purchases back home, yet in a hotel room, splurging for more is always a worthwhile treat, especially if you want extra luxury for a special occasion. HuffPost explains that hotel upgrades, like switching to a room with an ocean view, are always worth the cost, so treat yourself!
Using Housekeeping Services
Chores are certainly one thing you can do when you’re enjoying a trip away, which is why using housekeeping service is something you only do in hotels. The luxury of returning to a clean room with your bed made and clothes laundered is always worth paying for.
Sleeping In Without the Guilt
Staying in a hotel room is a prime opportunity to catch up on sleep; it lets you sleep in without the weight of the responsibilities you usually have at home. Best of all, if you’ve paid for breakfast room service a little later, there’s no need to even get out of bed!
Using the Hot Tub or Jacuzzi
Using a private hot tub might never even cross your mind at home. It’s a luxury not many people are going to have in their back gardens, after all. Yet, with a hotel booking comes the possibility of a relaxing jacuzzi spa that you’ll likely make time for when you’re away.
Taking Advantage of Travel Agents
Back at home, you’ll likely refuse to pay extra for any help with booking a trip, insider knowledge, or personalized services. However, when you’re staying in a hotel with travel agents on hand, there’s no guilt about taking advantage of that for a more expedited service.
Revel in Mini Toiletries
There’s something exciting about mini versions of everything in hotel rooms–that sort of childish delight doesn’t have the same effect back at home. It’s likely you’ll try every single mini toiletry provided in a hotel room, even if it’s not a product you would ever use, just for novelty’s sake.
Collect Hotel Stationery
Most people don’t pay much attention to pens and paper at home, but when you’re in a hotel room, suddenly, the branded pen becomes a souvenir! Reader’s Digest remembers that the traditional guestbook signing was too much of an invasion of privacy to keep, but luckily, hotels still offer interesting stationery in their rooms.
Lounging by the Pool for Hours
At home, the idea of any sort of lounging is met with guilt or pressing responsibilities. Yet, at a hotel, all of that fades away into the tranquil bliss that is voluntarily lounging at the pool all day. It’s a treat you feel like you’ve earned to experience that day of escape.
Taking a Long Bath
There’s something about a hotel bathroom that switches you from a lifelong shower fan to wanting a long bubble bath. It’s an indulgence that feels right in a hotel, yet you might not have time for it at home. Best of all, the rooms usually come loaded with the perfect bath products!
Spending Time at the Hotel Bar
Back at home or during a normal night out, most cocktail prices are something you’d never entertain. But with all the sophistication of a hotel bar comes the willingness to indulge in a new cocktail or two – while adding it to the room bill and worrying about it later!
Capture the View From Your Room
Last but certainly not least, hotel rooms are the perfect opportunities to take in panoramic views or skylines, the type of which you just don’t get back at home. Forbes claims that “A hotel with a view provides a sense of place, a memorable experience, and a lot of material for your Instagram feed,” and we couldn’t agree more!