It seems like our family spends a quarter of our lives staying at hotels. Over the years, we’ve figured out what we really need to make it a comfortable hotel stay. Depending on where we’re going, we make sure we have our hotel packing essentials. Check our list of 20 Useful Things to Pack for a Hotel Stay.
disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
20 USEFUL THINGS TO PACK FOR A HOTEL STAY:
1. Antibacterial Wipes – Stay sanitized and wipe down the TV remote, nightstands and light switches. These are breeding grounds for germs usually not cleaned by housekeeping.
2. Laundry Bag – Let’s not mix those clean & dirty clothes (especially wet from the pool that didn’t dry enough). Get a drawstring laundry bag or a backpack laundry bag that’s perfect if you’re going on a long trip and will be needing to do laundry on-site, like a vacation to Disney World.
3. Portable Travel Iron – We’ve had bad experiences using the hotel’s iron where it stained our clothes so we bring our own. This portable iron steamer is lightweight and easy to use we bring it to our hotel stay and use it at home as well. The best part, you don’t need to use the hotel’s ironing board.
5. Directional Sensor Night Light – Works great as a night light for those bathroom trips when everyone’s asleep and you don’t know the layout of the hotel room when it’s pitch black. It’s also directional so you can face it to the ground or against a wall to use as ambient lighting. We pack this for cruise trips as well.
6. Sleep Mask – Make sure to bring a sleep mask to your hotel stay in case those curtains do not close all the way and you’re planning to sleep in.
7. Binder Clip – Have these handy so you can clip and close the curtains tightly where they meet together. Don’t ever again have a curtain “peek-a-boo” surprise from the light outside the window that wakes you up in the morning. They are great for leftover bags of potato chips as well if you are big on snacking during trips.
8. Earplugs – Are the hotel walls too thin? Are your neighbors making too much noise? Get these earplugs to find your quiet time.
9. Hotel Slippers – Bring these so your feet don’t touch the dirty carpet. Sometimes they provide slippers in the hotel room so check the closet, but usually, they don’t so just bring one instead.
10. Long cable phone charger – More often than not, the hotel outlets are not really where they should be so we bring long cable phone chargers to make sure we can be in bed and easily access our phones while it’s charging.
11. Portable Door Lock – If you are traveling alone, bringing a portable door lock is a smart thing to bring to a hotel as it can provide you with extra security and privacy as it prevents unauthorized entry, so the door can’t be opened from the outside, not even with a key. It is easy to install and remove without needing any tools.
12. Hanging Toiletry Bag – Every so often there’s not enough counter space in our hotel bathroom to put our things, especially since we are traveling with kids. We now pack this hanging toiletry bag to keep my make-up, medicine, pieces of jewelry, and toiletries hung. Since we travel a lot, I also use it at home and hang it in the closet where it’s ready to go when we have impromptu trips.
13. Bubble Bath – When we stay in the nicer resorts where there’s a separate bath from the shower, there’s never really a bubble bath or even bath salts. To fully enjoy it, we bring our own. The kids also like bath bombs with a surprise toy.
14. Universal Plug Adapter – If you’re traveling to another country, especially Europe, make sure to bring a Universal Plug Adapter so you can charge your phone or whatever it is you need to plug in your hotel room.
15. Snacks and Drinks – Save money by bringing your own snacks and drinks versus buying from the hotel. We bring a bagful coz’ the kids love to snack, especially after a dip in the pool.
16. Travel-size Air Purifier – If you have allergies, bring a mini air purifier to reduce possible odor or smoke from your hotel room.
17. Separate Extra Duffel Bag – If you love shopping whenever you travel, I would suggest bringing a foldable duffel bag in case you end up going home with more things than your luggage can allot.
18. Travel Router – Some hotels only allow one device to be active per room unless you’re willing to pay an extra fee. This travel router acts as one device where you can connect multiple devices.
19. HDMI cable – If you want to watch something from your laptop to the hotel’s TV, bring an HDMI cable especially when you’re traveling with kids and you’re unsure if their favorite show will be on TV or if you will be plugging your Nintendo Switch or other game devices.
20. Flat iron and Curling Iron in one – Hotels usually provide hair dryers but if you want to style your hair, don’t forget to bring a flat iron &/or a curling iron for your hair, especially if you are traveling to attend a wedding.
Now let’s start packing for your hotel stay!
21. Luggage – Make sure to bring the right luggage to meet carry-on or check-in size restrictions if you’re going through the airport. Try to also look for one that is expandable and preferably has spinner wheels allowing you to easily move it through airports and hotels. If you need more than one, especially for international travel, then get a luggage set. Also, consider not buying a black one if you’re going through the airport, it’s just hard to figure out which luggage is yours once it comes down the conveyor for pick-up.
22. Packing Cubes – Get your luggage organized with packing cubes so it is easier to access your stuff when traveling especially when you get to the hotel.
23. Your own toiletries in travel bottles – If you prefer to bring your own shampoo or soap and dislike hotel toiletries, you’ll want to bring your own toiletries in travel bottles. These travel bottles are easily refillable and are TSA approved so you can place them in your carry-on bag if you’re flying before getting to your hotel.
24. Compression Storage Bags – If you want to squeeze more into your luggage, I do recommend bringing a few compression bags. Hubby used them when we stayed at Disney World and they really worked, allowing him to pack more into his luggage than usual.
25. Digital Weight Scale – You sometimes need to weigh your luggage as there are weight restrictions when it comes to luggage especially when traveling internationally on a plane. If your hotel doesn’t have one, I recommend bringing this scale especially if you doing a lot of shopping during your trip.
PIN OUR HOTEL PACKING ESSENTIALS:
Also Read: Airplane Essentials
