Flightster

Hotel Living: Your Home Away from Home

December 19th was my last day of flying for work before vacation for the Christmas holiday and January 15th was my first day back from vacation. I had been off from work for almost a full month. I was home every night, slept in my own bed, saw my friends, and lived a normal life.

I quickly learned that I don’t like living a “normal” life. I prefer to be on the road.

My first trip back to work was fun. I had a great crew and I worked an incredibly productive trip. With trip productivity comes the need for some serious sleep. As I walked into my hotel room in San Francisco, I saw I had two double beds. I instantly put my luggage on the bed closest to the window, unzipped it and moved my amenity bag into the bathroom. I took my computer out, plugged it in and connected to the internet. Turned the TV on to CNN and set the air conditioning down to 65. I was officially home.

In that moment, as I turned to my computer screen, I realized there are things I do on a layover in a hotel that I do to make it feel more like home. First, I think the reason why I automatically assume that I’m not going to sleep in the bed closest to the window is because at home, my bed isn’t anywhere near a window. It’s next to the door. I also immediately move my amenities into the bathroom. I don’t just place the bag on the counter, I actually empty the contents and display them like they would be my bathroom at home. Plugging my computer in? Well that’s a no brainer. At home my computer is always on, connected to the internet and accessible. I recently relocated from Phoenix to Los Angeles and was without internet for weeks. I felt like I was in rehab. I turn on CNN because I want to find out what’s happened in the world for the past 10 hours while I was flying and because I like to know what’s going on in general. I watch the news everyday without fail. Lastly, the air conditioning. I usually sleep better when it’s cold and having my room set so low helps me sleep after a long day.

There are some things, like turning the air down, that I only do in hotel rooms and I don’t do at home. I noticed that when I’m placed in a hotel room with double beds, I take all of the pillows from the other bed, add them to the one I’m sleeping on and kind of fall asleep in the middle of a fort of pillows. I don’t really know why but it’s something I only do in a hotel room and not at home.

As a flight attendant we split our time between our hotel home and our real homes. But, being in hotels for the majority of our lives comes with perks.

You never have to clean! That’s not saying that I’m a messy guest, but you don’t generally have to worry about picking up after yourself, making the bed, etc. You can just get dressed and go!

Another perk is being able to “take long hot showers.” Shebly, who writes the blog “Up Up n Aaway,” says that she takes longer showers in hotels because when she’s on a layover there’s no rush or errands to run so she has time to relax. Shelby also enjoys “bed picnics.” Yep, I was confused too. What she likes to do is head out to a nearby grocery store and buy snacks and meals for her layover. She returns to her hotel room and throws a picnic for herself on her bed while relaxing watching TV. “If you’re really lucky you have two beds. One to eat in and one to sleep in. It’s great!”

Whether you’re a flight attendant or a business/leisure traveler getting comfortable in your hotel room is something that we all do. What little things do you do to make your hotel room more like home? Or, do you prefer that it’s nothing like home and a true escape so the way you find it, is the way you leave it?

PG

Bobby Laurie

Bobby Laurie, author of the book Planely Speaking and television travel correspondent, currently works as a Flight Attendant at a low-cost airline and as a freelance journalist. After graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Technology with a degree in Mass Media Communication, Bobby combined his passion for both journalism and travel by writing about the travel industry through his insider knowledge and personal experiences. You can read Bobby's blog about being a flight attendant and the airline industry by visiting UpUpAndAGay.com.

6 Comments

  1. 1 year ago
    Shannon

    While I don’t travel to the extent that you do, I do like hotels to feel like home. I take an over-the-door shoe organizer in the suitcase with me so that all of the little things don’t get strewn across the room. We have 4 people in 1 room so it’s easy to get super messy super fast with so many toiletries, chargers, snacks, etc.

    I also often take things to make the room smell good, especially if it’s in a humid climate. Sometimes I’ll pick a new scent before our trip so that smell becomes synonymous with that trip.

    I also sometimes bring liquid soap because many hotels only have bar soap which we don’t normally use.

    If I go somewhere alone, I don’t do any of these things. I just enjoy the quiet and reduced responsibilities while I can. :)

    Reply
  2. 1 year ago
    Steve

    Before I answer your question, I’d like to brown-nose a bit. I’ve been regularly biz-traveling for over a decade. A lot of that sucks (and not in the way I like!): the TSA, lounge lizards, people who can’t follow gate agent instructions, and self-important self-upgraders. They can all go to hell. Two aspects, though, I absolutely love: hanging with FAs and plopping into a hotel. So aspect #1 completes my brown-nosing (I love you guys). Now for #2.

    I’m a complete slob in my hotel room until the last day. I put notes on the desk, bed, and sink that say “Don’t bother cleaning anything. Close the door, turn on the TV, and take a break on your employer’s dime. If you have a supervisor who checks up on you, hang the do-not-disturb sign or do whatever you need to avoid getting in trouble. I’ll take care of everything when I check out.”

    Then I proceed to behave exactly the opposite of how I do do at home: strew clothes about the room, pile pillows (like you), litter the place with magazines and receipts and (ugh) business cards, even leave the cap off the toothpaste — basically allow chaos to rule the roost. On the final night before going to bed I clean and reorganize everything. My goal is to depart as if I left minimal impact.

    Biz trips are stressful; being a jerk in private is my release. My right to jerkiness stops, though, when it affects someone else.

    Reply
  3. 1 year ago
    Mike

    I’m always disappointed when I get a 2-bed room; didn’t think about the upside (more pillows, one bed to mess up and one to sleep in).

    I’m more like Bobby than Steve, though. I have a routine, I unpack things and put them “just so” so that I don’t feel lost in the room. And I like my housekeeping every day. I want a clean towel and a made-up bed.

    Bobby, that picture of you lying among the pillow fort is just so cute.

    Reply
  4. 1 year ago
    MHA

    I just love Shannon’s idea of bringing along scented items so a specific trip will get associated in her mind with a specific aroma!

    I do have some hotel habits, including also picking the bed closer to the door when there’s a choice. I have to say I do like a king bed when it’s just me, but there’s also some value to having that second bed to act as a horizontal closet. :-)

    While my brother almost always turns the TV on and starts flipping channels like a loon, I just can’t do it. It’s distracting, and not in a good way. If there’s something I want to watch, I’ll watch it, but I also know my TiVo back home is collecting the stuff I need to see. I also rarely use the radio, except to wake myself up.

    As for the spare pillows, they’re a rarity because I’ve needed to ask for non-feather pillows, and it’s a rare and special hotel that can replace the entire setup with top-quality feather-free bedding. (The Hampton Inn in Downtown Albany does a great job, unless they’ve run low.) But my pillow fort is used to block out extraneous noise from outside, or from a snoring roomie!

    Reply
  5. 1 year ago
    FRANK

    Ok, you’ve been flying too long when you think you recognize the HOTEL ROOM in the picture above! Is that a Doubletree hotel room? LOL! I have to chuckle every time I enter a room on a layover and pick up the remote, I swear I’m more familiar with my “hotel remote” then the one at home.
    I dont like using the other bed in the room, that’s if there is one. All those bedbug stories and personally seeing other crewmembers with the bites on their limbs and faces. That’s enough to place your suitcase on a solid surface, for peace of mind.
    I like your pillow idea. You look way too comfortable on that bed. It looks like you’re in a cloud. Just like you’re office. =)

    Reply
  6. 1 year ago
    Alecia

    Yes, the bed picnic!! I’ve been a FA for about 9 months now, and that’s part of my hotel ritual.

    First, I take all the hotel toiletries and stuff them in my luggage–when I get home, I add them to my collection. (Last year, I gave a huge grocery-bag full of toiletries to my mom for Christmas, and I swear she was more excited about those stupid little soaps than anything I’ve ever purchased for her.)

    Next, I unpack my Lush soap–along with all the other toiletries I’ll need–and wash my hands really well with my fancy soap. My hands always feel so gross after a day’s work!!

    Then I change into comfy clothes, turn on the TV and take a large towel and spread it over the bed to use as a picnic blanket. I like to pretend I’m eating fancy room service food.

    I like to crank up the AC so I can burrow under the blankets. Weird, I know, but that’s how I do.

    Extra pillows are wasted on me–I just pick the firmest one and leave the rest. Aside from bringing extra towels (and toiletries? haha), housekeeping can leave me alone. I like being a slob. :)

    Reply

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