I'll chime in here too, since I spend more than my fair share of time in hotel rooms:

- Pick a hotel chain that you like that has a good reputation. If you're staying there quite a bit you'll get to know the front desk staff and stand a good chance of being upgraded to a nicer room whenever possible. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Best Western and Holiday Inn Express are both pretty good.

- If the chain you like has a frequent traveler card, join up. Usually you earn points for each dollar you spent on hotel stays, similar to frequeny flier miles. Once you've accumulated enough points you can get free gift cards or hotel nights. Might as well earn something for sleeping in a hotel bed.

- Ditto on keeping some shoes or sandals to hang around the room in. I also leave my shoes right next to my bed in case I need to leave in the middle of the night. I've walked across a couple of carpeted floors, only to find my white socks suddenly filthy.

- Use a bag or organizer to keep your goodies in (watch, keys, wallet, laptop/PDA, cell phone, travel charger, camera, FAK, PSK, knife, flashlight, etc.). If you do have to leave quick at least you can grab your important stuff. Also this reduces the chance you will leave something costly behind. The Maxpedition Nucleus (based on CountyComm's Bug Out Bag) is my favorite so far.

- Bring along some travel disinfecting wipes. You can find these in a little pouch in most grocery stores, drug stores, and Wally Worlds. As soon as you enter the room, pretend you're Howie Mandel (germaphobe) and go nuts. Wipe down *everything* you might touch, especially the remote control and telephone.

- Don't forget a few snacks, some juice or water, and OTC meds (Pepto or Immodium, Tylenol/Advil, and some sort of cold or allergy medicine). Nothing worse than getting hungry or sick and no stores being open.

- Keep a small cooler and some plastic silverware in your car. Always handy when that take-out restaurant forgets to give you a fork with your spaghetti, or you want to have a sandwich and cold drink in 2 hours.

- Bringing a spare pillow from home helps you sleep better.

- Last, but not least, have fun and travel safe! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all of the info. I'm going to use Residence Inn at the same location. I signed up for one of their rewards cards so that I can start earning points. I will probably request the same room every week so that everything is familiar to me. Thanks for the idea of an organizer bag, it gives me an excuse to buy something new!

OK, its a sign that you lived in dorms too long when you read this, Massacre, and the first thought is "duh, doesn't every do this?"

I always reserve a room on the second floor. It is high enough that people can't look in or climb in the windows very easily & It's close enough to the ground to jump if necessary.

Pretty much anyplace that deals with travelers would have them. They usually are tied to an alarm, although I did see one that used a strobe instead. Either way, it's job is to wake you up.

And the leg trap would get to bite on an old tire iron before I left the room for the day. Give me some credit. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Rather than jumping, bring a 15 foot coil of tubular webbing and a good biner. That should handle second or third floor, and it's more than strong enough to hold any of us. Inch thick, and it's about 5" diameter rolled up.

no one mention a good light weight hiking boots. One can't run comfortably wearing dress shoes.

Any excuse to buy new gear is a good excuse indeed. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I bring a 12ga. pump & buckshot.

Not very discrete, and the possession of an unregistered firearm in Mass is a MINIMUM of two years in maximum security. Even if you are just passing through- they have "transit permits".