{"id":95613,"date":"2018-07-20T11:03:14","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T16:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=95613"},"modified":"2021-06-05T11:10:12","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T16:10:12","slug":"how-to-make-the-best-of-a-bad-hotel-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/leisure\/how-to-make-the-best-of-a-bad-hotel-room\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Best of a Bad Hotel Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

The days of online travel booking have made it far, far easier to ensure that you\u2019ll get the accommodation you\u2019re expecting. Review websites, traveler photos, and social media combine to give you a virtual look at the exact room you can expect to find yourself in when you book your next trip. But, that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t surprises now and again. Penny-pinching travelers, especially international ones, are far from immune to landing in unexpectedly bad hotel rooms. For some, a crummy room is never worth the savings. For others, it\u2019s a value they\u2019ll never pass up. Season yourself to fall into the latter category with tricks for turning your bad room into a bearable abode.<\/p>\n

Start at the Desk<\/h3>\n

Chances are, you\u2019ll know you\u2019re staying at a bad hotel the minute you arrive in the lobby. The lobby is a reflection of the hotel\u2019s overall quality and should give you a pretty good idea of what your room will look like. If you\u2019ve arrived unexpectedly in a bad hotel, talk to the front desk about your room\u2019s location to ward off potential issues from the outset. Ask for a room near the end of a hallway and away from elevators, ice machines, lounges, foot traffic, and other annoying noise creators.<\/p>\n

Check Before You Unpack<\/h3>\n

Before you unload your stuff, thoroughly check the room to make sure it’s equipped with standard supplies like towels and toilet paper. Also check to make sure that all the lights and other amenities work, including the shower, air conditioning, toilet, and TV. You\u2019re more likely to be able to switch rooms without a fuss if you alert the hotel staff of any missing items or malfunctioning amenities before you get the room messy.<\/p>\n

Mind the Dirty “Danger” Zones<\/h3>\n

\"Illustration<\/p>\n

Researchers who tested<\/a> surfaces in different hotel rooms found that 81% of them contained some fecal bacteria. When a toilet flushes, it sprays bacteria around the bathroom, and dirty hands spread contaminants into the room itself. The dirtiest surfaces were:<\/p>\n