How to behave in a hotel?

If this is your first time traveling, you probably have many questions about staying in a hotel. Today we will discuss this topic in detail.

Hotel Check-in

Upon arriving at the hotel, the first thing you need to do is go to the administrator's desk, or as it's also called, the reception. You need to complete the registration procedure. For this, you will need 3 things:

1. passport
2. printout with booking confirmation (not always requested, but it's better to take it with you)
3. card used for payment (also not mandatory, but often requested)

Please note that hotel check-in is carried out at a specific time, usually after 12:00 PM, but in many places also after 2:00 PM.

In any case, it's best to clarify this information in advance. If the hotel has available rooms and they are ready to receive guests, you will, of course, be checked in earlier. Many hotels require a deposit in case you break something or empty the mini-bar. Most often, the hotel freezes a certain amount on your card or asks for the same amount in cash. For a deposit, it is advisable to use a credit card; in this case, the bank's money will be frozen, not your own, and no interest will be charged on this amount for credit use. After all formalities, you will be given the room keys. The key can be a regular one, or an electronic one. In some 3* hotels, as well as all 4 and 5* hotels, a porter service is provided to carry your luggage to your room. This service is free, but it is considered good manners to leave the porter a small tip. Its size depends on the country and the hotel category.

Room Check-in

Upon entering the room, don't immediately unpack your belongings. Check if it meets the parameters specified in the confirmation. This is especially true for rooms where you specifically paid for a view, for example, of the sea, or a bathtub instead of a shower. Don't forget to check the functionality of things important to you - TV, shower, air conditioning, plumbing, etc. This is especially relevant for budget hotels. If something doesn't suit you, immediately call or go to the reception and calmly explain what exactly you are dissatisfied with in the room. If there are available rooms, they will move you; if not, and your complaints are justified, the hotel may offer you some gift, discount, free excursion, etc. Of course, the extent of the apology will depend on the hotel's policy. Be prepared that your request might be ignored.

How to behave in a hotel?

• Don't make noise. People come to relax, so it's better to move a party from your room to a bar or restaurant.
• Observe the dress code. This rule mostly applies to hotels in seaside resorts. Sitting in a restaurant in swimming trunks and a swimsuit or in shorts with a bare torso is indecent. While in Turkey and Egypt, some places might turn a blind eye to this, in Europe, you won't even be allowed into a restaurant dressed like that. The same applies to flip-flops, shorts, sandals, and tracksuits, especially during dinner.

• Do not take food out of the restaurant. This is not only not accepted but also often prohibited by hotel rules. If you have paid for meals under the ALL, HB, FB system and you miss one of the meals, most often breakfast due to an early excursion, then talk to the hotel in advance; some prepare special lunch boxes, but this should be done not at the moment of departure, but in advance, for example, the evening before the excursion.

Hotel Services

It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the range of services provided by the hotel in advance or clarify them at the reception. Among the essential questions:

1. Restaurant operating hours. If you have paid for meals, clarify at what time breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. For those on the ALL system, it is essential to clarify which specific drinks are included in the all-inclusive system and in which bars (in large hotels, not all bars and restaurants may support this system).
2. Pool operating hours. Don't think you can swim in the pool 24/7. Theoretically, yes, no one drains the water at night, but most often, the cleaning system is activated in the evening and at night, during which time the concentration of chemicals in the water will be significantly higher than during the day.
3. Room cleaning times. This is necessary so that if you like to sleep until noon, you are not woken up by the maid; for this, hang a "Do not disturb" sign on the door in the evening, and then "Please clean my room".

Hotel Check-out

Hotel check-out must be done within the hours set by the hotel. As a rule, this is by 12:00 PM, sometimes by 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Clarify the check-out time with the hotel in advance. If your flight is much later, ask where you can leave your belongings so you don't have to stay at the hotel.

For an additional fee, the hotel may offer you a so-called late check-out - the possibility to vacate the room later than the set time.

Rules may vary in each hotel, but most often, it's enough to simply go down to the reception with your belongings and hand in the room key. If you left a cash deposit for the room, don't forget to collect it. Sometimes the room is checked by a maid, meaning you inform them that you are checking out, a hotel employee comes to your room, checks if everything is in order and if you haven't emptied the mini-bar, and then you can hand in the keys. However, this option is becoming less and less common lately.