What do you bring for hotel stays?

I will be staying in a hotel for a couple of nights every week for work. I'm going to be about 175 miles from home and will have to travel through Boston to get back. I have an extensive car bag in my truck, but I was wondering what additional items you may take for hotel stays. Thanks for your input.

A couple of tin cans to put behind the door or a string of chrstmas jingy-bells to hang on the door knob, and a hardwood wedge (two if there is a "porch"). You can actually get small motion detectors now, they aren't super expensive, but this option is cheaper.

When I've known I was going someplace interesting, I've thought about bringing an old leg hold trap with an 60 pound spring. Haven't yet, but it will slow the first guy though the door down if I ever do. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Tooth brush, toothpaste...just kidding. I don't generally carry too much extra for hotel stays, but I always remember to toss my SureFire (G2Z if it matters) into my suitcase and keep it on the nightstand. Make sure you lock windows and doors at night and know exactly where your exits are and you should be good. I generally stay in decent hotels in "safe" areas when I travel, so I'm more concerned with fires than break-ins and the like.

It's not necessarily a preparedness item, but a laptop can serve you well depending on circumstances. When hurricane Katrina was headed ashore, I had a family vacation planned in Dallas. (Yeah, we got some looks when we told people along the way.) We stopped over the night before in Memphis, and I was able to get a lot more news on the weather, evacuations, etc. online than I was able to get via the cable TV in the room.

Don't ever stay on the ground floor if you can avoid it (if there are windows readily accessible). I've always just used the lever bar to lock the door - even maids can't get through them. If it only has a chain, you are likely in the wrong hotel. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Make sure all valuables are under your pillow just in case, keep a larger - bright flashlight on the nightstand, use a cable lock for your laptop - some of the newer laptops and cables can alarm if moved without the unlock.

I always brought extra socks and underwear. It's also best to have reading material, laptop, and I'm assuming you already EDC a flashlight, whistle, and knife

A smoke escape hood (bear in mind the EVACU8/+ recall) might be a good idea if you're going to be high up in an unfamiliar building.

eeph

food and water because you never know

General things:
- Pick a hotel in a "good" neighborhood. Staying in a high-crime area is asking for trouble. You're better to have to drive some in the morning than to take a chance.
- Pick a hotel that has security entrances. This pretty much eliminates the one-floor-door-to-the-parking-lot variety. Be sure that the front desk is staffed 24-hours
- Park under a light or in a well-lighted area of the parking lot. Do not leave valuables in the car. Be sure any equipment or gear is locked in the trunk or well-hidden. Look around the lot as you drive in for suspicious activity, and look again before you exit the vehicle. (you do this everywhere, right?)
- Besides clothing and normal stuff, your EDC and FAK should come in to the room with you. The smoke hood mentioned above is a great idea.
- Have with you a set of clothes made from natural materials (cotton/wool/etc). In a fire situation, synthetics can melt and weld themselves to skin.
- Book your room far enough in advance to be able to secure a second-floor room. First floor (as mentioned above) is not a good idea. If you have to go out the window, second floor is not too bad of a drop.
- Find out about how the hotel is situated, and book a room on the "non-weather-side" of the building.
- Always have with you a survival guide. You can use it for reference if you need it, and it's good reading when you don't. Bring also a good reading book and a "how-to" book on some subject you're interested in for good reading variety.
- If you are able to carry, bring your range bag in with you. Cleaning your weapons is a soothing, relaxing activity. Beware that the smell of Hoppe's No. 9 does add a certain "flavor" to the room. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
- Always have food and drink items. Buy a french press to brew coffee or tea. I carry one MRE - and sometimes just eat it when I'm too tired to go out for dinner.
- Always have a cell phone and a charger. Be sure the cell phone gets charged in the car before you get to the hotel.
- A laptop lets you do stuff like browse and blab on forums.

I stay in hotels 4 nights per week, every week.

4 nights a week, every week? Well, Farmer, you must not be a farmer. I sure hope it's not your marriage putting you out 4 nights a week! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Farmer, Great info, unfortunately the range bag has to stay in NH. MA is very anti gun and getting a non resident CCW is expensive and difficult to get.

Bells on the door is good idea. Where can we find these miniature motion detectors and what might they activate? As far as the leg trap goes.........I pitty the poor maid who enters the wrong room!

Well, if you want something a little more solid than a hardwood wedge for a doorstop:
Traveller's Door Stop

Alex

A smoke detector might be a good idea. After all you have no idea when the hotels one was last serviced, or even if the bloody thing actually works. If its a high rise hotel. Tell them you suffer from vertigo (little white lie, you only suffer from it above 40,000 ft...) and ask for a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Reduces the distance you have to go if bugging out when the fire alarm goes.

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I'm in sales. The marraige is fine because I'm in sales and not home long enough to build up an argument!

I'm surprised no one mentioned it, but I can think of one very important thing.

Maps of the area.

Pilllow?

In addition to my EDC, FAK and flashlights, specificalIy for travel stays I like to carry my Garmin eTrex Legend loaded with MapSource maps of local area (and route if going by car) and a small traditional compass along with1L Nalgene and an assortment of rations (granola/snack bars, some hard candy, extra single-serve coffee bags, some sugar packs. I also need to carry a laptop, and use a CamelBak PeakBagger, with a 3L reservoir to consolidate the pc and gear.

I would add a tin cup or bowl from my gear to that. Along with a spoon and a packet of instant noodles. Presuming that your room has a kettle (or you brought your own travel kettle) you can at least guarentee something hot to eat.

Bring your own alarm clock, if you have to be somwhere at a certain time. Hotel alarm clocks are unreliable.

If you don't have a set of bells or a wedge for the door, move a piece of furniture in front of it.

Firearms may be restricted in MA, but you could decide to remove your car's tire iron for "maintenance"

Rather than taking up space with an alarm clock, I always just use the alarm on my cell phone. Sometimes I set a redundant alarm on my PDA as well.

I concur with the previously suggested recommendations to request the second floor if possible. You're up off the ground, but close enough to evacuate easily if needed. Keep a good flashlight nearby (I always have my E2E on me anyway), lock the doors and enjoy.

I'm a safety geek. I'll look at a floor plan of a hotel and choose (if possible) a room near an emergency exit, preferably near a fire extinguisher as well.

If I'm traveling by car (and therefore have much more latitude in what I bring) I'll even toss a fire extinguisher and a smoke alarm into a duffle to bring into the room. I haven't invested in a evacuation hood yet though.

You know, I totally forgot... get some flip-flops for walking in the bathroom/showering - hell even just for the carpet floors. It's really scary what's left behind by your hotel-roommates (that's what they are, and they just slept in your bed!). One time I found blood on the side of the tub (I was a traveler for years) and I've seen the Dateline type undercover investigation with the blacklights and such.

Anyway, the other thing I always used to do was keep clothes handy. I sleep in gymshorts, so normally it was just shoes and a shirt for emergencies, but in the winter, I always had my pants, socks, shirt and coat laid out for a quick getaway in case of a fire. And keep a spare blanket, coat and sleeping bag, and hand/foot warmers in your truck (you had a spare vehicle key in your laid out pants right?) so if there's an evac, you get to stay snuggly warm while everyone stands outside waiting in the snow.

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".

Yeah, dorm for 2 years, 2+ years of traveling every week and 8 years of an average of a few flights a year travel. I've logged a lot of miles.

I tried not to dwell on previous hotel bed occupants, and I never EVER used the coverlet thing they give you. Ask a maid to take it off and bring a couple regular (read: washed) blankets in it's place. If you ask nicely they'll take it with them and maybe wash that piece of skanky cloth for the next poor soul.

I've worked at home now for about 6 years with some travel here and there. I could slip back into travel mode if need be, but let's just say I don't care to very often. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />