What NOT to do at your hotel

Whether you’re staying in a hotel, guest house or self-catering apartment, you should definitely use your head at all times. It’s essential to have some kind of awareness about your surroundings, anything can happen, from over the top hidden fees or hazardous falling windows – you need to be prepared for whatever lurks beyond the lobby. Here are the five major things you shouldn't do at your hotel:

- Don’t lean on the window -

There have many tales of unsafe hotel windows, some have even appeared in the news. In June 2011 a 2 year old fell two stories from a hotel window, she survived, but things like this remind you to be extra careful! Always remember that you should never lean on the hotel window, especially in places where alcohol flows freely from the minibar.

- Don’t touch the minibar -

Remember the days when you could quickly guzzle down a tiny bottle of vodka, fill it back up with water and pray the hotel won’t notice the cracked seal? Well, those days are long gone. Thanks to the new minibar sensors, even you even so much as touch or move a Coke bottle, you’ll immediately get charged! Unless you’re staying somewhere that isn't so strict about their minibars, keep your hand to yourself.

- Don’t use the bedspread or drink from the glassware -

To all the germaphobes out there, always remember that a hotel is a hotbed of micro-organisms, so the dreaded floral duvet that probably hasn't been washed since the Dark Age and the glasses (they touch your mouth) should be avoided at all costs! There are some easy solutions to these problems though – wash out the glassware thoroughly with hot water and soap and for the bedspread? Take a hanger from the cupboard, use it to lift the top blanket off the bed and drop it on the floor!

- Don’t walk around in your robe - 

Okay, it’s understandable, the robe is comfortable and the hotel spa is just down the stairs. You paid for the room so why can’t you walk around the hotel like it’s your own house? The thing is, the hotel is not your home and there are plenty of strangers around sharing the building with you, so stay classy and keep the robe-wearing for inside your private room.

- Don’t skim through your check-out bill -

Express check-outs are available in so many ways these days, through the rooms TV, email or even on the hotel’s own smartphone app, it’s just so easy to click CHECK OUT and be on your way. But, these bills often have mistakes like double charging for WiFi and minibar items, if you take the time to just check over the bill properly then you can correct the mistakes right then and there.

A bit of prevention can really stop something horrible from ruining your holiday and the purpose of these tips is not to strike fear into your heart, but to make sure you are informed!

After reading this, you're probably searching for great, high quality accommodation for your next trip! Give 808 Cartwright a call, for a luxurious, affordable, self-catering apartment. Need an airport shuttle service to get there? Airport Shuttle Cape Town can provide you with a great, reliable shuttle service to and from Cape Town International Airport.   

Written By: Christine Romans
Copy Writer at The Computer Guyz Cape Town