Travel Tip #28 (The Hotel Room Tour)

I usually don't put stuff on both Facebook & here, but "Goose" thought it was too good not to share. So here it is

Travel Tip #27

Every once in a while we come through with a serious tip, this happens to be one of those.
As I wander the hotel hallways looking for the ice machine I can't count the number of hotel room door that are propped open with door lock bar (see below)

What are you stupid? Are you just wanting to get beat up and robbed? C'mon people think a little bit.

Read the rest of the travel tips "Here"

Travel Tip #26

If you have a safe in your hotel room, don't always trust it!
'The rest of the tips"

A few time a year I get lucky enough to stay in what you would call one of the "Better" hotels. They're usually are stocked with a better grade of toiletries, real glasses, a cordless phone and if it's a really nice hotel you get an in room safe.
Now I don't have anything that I would deem worthy of locking in a safe, but being a nerd I'm intrigued with anything that has a keypad and an LED display. Meaning it requires further investigation.

Last week I checked into one of these "Better" hotels (how can they come up with a $700.00 per night rack rate) and there's my safe. Except instead of being bolted to the floor in the closet this one's stuck in the TV hutch.

After about .5 of a second I had said safe out of the hutch on the bed and ready to throw in my suitcase and head out the door. The bottom side of the safe looked like it could be torn open with a screwdriver or a cinder block which ever would be the handiest.
Note to the hotel staff - use something stronger than double sided tape to make sure your safe is safe.

Travel Tip #25

This tip is actually useful, so you know I didn't think of it. It came from "Make Use Of"

You can check your flight status using Google just enter the airlines name, space, and your flight number "Delta 861"

Check out the other tips "LINK"

Travel Tip #24

Don't stay in a hotel that has a drain between the toilet and the bathtub.
The possible reason for such a drain placement.
1) This bathroom is prone to flooding (to bad if you're in room #401)
2) At some point they figure this bathroom is going to flood (again, to bad if you're in room #401)
3) The drunk and incompetent plumber couldn't sober up long enough to place the drain in the bathtub.


Here's the previous tips "LINK"

Travel Tip #23

Remember growing when you played the "Spot The Difference" game? Look at the two pictures below besides "Before" & "After" can you spot the difference?

BEFORE

AFTER

Did you spot it?
I fixed the hotel room. I have no idea who designed this room and why would anybody sit at the desk with the television behind them?

I'm going to leave it this way and see if when I come back tomorrow evening if the housekeeping staff decided to fix it back or leave my re-design intact.


Here's the previous tips "LINK"

Membership Has Its Privileges

and when you don't have a membership with that airline chances are you're gonna get to sit in the last seat of the plane.

Travel Tip #22

It's been a while since we've had a travel tip and as I was packing I came across something that I use everyday. It's those "Glad Ziplock" bags in the snack size. They're the perfect size for my essentials and keep my suitcase & laptop case somewhat organized. No more digging for loose change or trying to find where I put my morning vitamins.

Here's the previous tips "LINK"

Travel Tip #21

I knew there was a reason that I don't drink coffee.Think twice before using hotel room coffee pots
Jan 23, 2007 07:45 PM
Ask just about anyone in law enforcement, and they'll tell you to be careful if you ever brew coffee in a hotel room. "I know enough now that whenever I go to a hotel, regardless of how nice it is, I'll never use a coffee pot," said Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshall. Instead of brewing coffee, coffee pots are sometimes used to brew methamphetamine. And since meth labs in hotels aren't anything new, Rick Phillips of the Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit says there's definitely a risk.
"The coffee makers that you find in every motel room is an ideal heat source. They mix it up in the coffee pot, put it on a heat source and let it sit there and cook," said Phillips. It's common knowledge to those who fight meth, but a shock to your average citizen. "That's a little nerve rattling," said Marshall County resident Toni Jones. "I didn't know that. Proud you told me," said Marshall County resident Daryl Rice. If you were to drink coffee from a pot used to make meth, it could be hazardous to your health. The problem is residue from chemicals such as red phosphorus and iodine. "Typical sickness and issues that would come with any chemical exposure, simple nausea, vomiting to maybe a hospital visit," said Phillips. Phillips says it's pretty easy to tell if a coffee pot has been used to cook meth. It will have a dark reddish-orange stain. You should also be skeptical if there's a chemical odor when you walk in the room.
via "BOINGBOING"

Picks you up better than a Starbucks

Past Tips
Travel Tip #20
Travel Tip #19
Travel Tip #18
Travel Tip #17
Travel Tip #16
Travel Tip #15

Another Tip For Hotel Tycoons

or maybe my rant for the weekWhen I check into a hotel room I really don't need all these little placards, notes etc......
I understand that you are glad I'm here. I know you are welcoming me back. I know which pillows are firm and soft because you have them stitched into the pillow cases plus my head can tell the difference. I know that your free breakfast begins at 6:00 am because your desk clerk told me that just 2 minutes ago. The only note that is of great importance to me is the TV channel guide and if that's missing I can usually figure out the stations in about 5 minutes.
I am sure that you must spend a fortune printing and re-printing these things cause I just know that most people wad them up and throw them out.

Rules, Rules, Rules

As with all good "Road Warriors" I spent sometime in the hotel's fitness center last night (it is the New Year after all). Hotel fitness centers range from being stocked with one 7lb dumbbell and a 9 year old treadmill to some places that just say screw it and strike a deal with the local Y.M.C.A or Golds Gym. One of the advantages of having a set territory is you learn what hotels have the best fitness centers and you end up frequenting them. Well for whatever reason my Montgomery Marriott property was sold out (Membership does not always have its privileges) so I ended up at the neighboring Hilton property with their on-site fitness center.
Not bad, several pieces for cardio and a nice Nautilus machine.
Check out the Fitness Center "RULES" sign, No Drinking, posted right behind the water cooler.
Nothing scares fellow travelers more than when someone they don't know pulls out a camera and starts taking pictures.
The one nice thing about working out last night was that it allowed me to feast on a countrified Southern lunch at "Martin's". If your ever on the edge of downtown Montgomery check it out.

Attention Fellow Fliers

You are in an airport and no this is not your own personal airport you are sharing it with lots of other people and one of these people is me. Sooooooo to make my life less painful and allow me to get home and see my family quicker. I have a few airport suggestions.

When using the kiosk to check yourself in you are going to either have to scan a bar-coded piece of paper or insert a charge card, ATM card or something with a magnetic strip containing your information. Be prepared because this is a rule there is no getting around it.

When going through TSA security lines you will need photo identification and your boarding pass. Have it ready, you back the line up and I am forced to wait while you rummage through your purse, laptop case wallet etc... looking for your photo ID. This another rule there is no getting around it.

You will need to remove your shoes and send them through the x-ray machine. We all have to do this. The government has not decided to single you out and make only you remove your shoes. Can you smell that rank odor? It's my feet and my shoes are off and in my hand ready to be laid on the x-ray belt. This another rule there is no getting around it.

You know those coins and keys in your pocket? Guess what they need to come out of their cave and into the white and blue bowl. These items will cause the screening systems alarm to sound. Do you know why? I am thinking it's because keys and coins are metal and so are guns, this is just a hunch and I might be wrong? When the alarm goes off this means that you have to go through the screener again, this takes more time away from me getting to see my family. This another rule there is no getting around it.

You know that really hip urban style jacket your wearing? That is going to have to come off your lumberjack sized back and go through the x-ray machine. Waiting for you to be told "Sir? Sir? Hey dude, you have to loose the jacket so it can get x-rayed." makes me have to wait and waiting takes more time away from me getting to see my family. This another rule there is no getting around it.

After going through the screening machine please do not stand at the end of the belt and bitch and moan about how you now have to get dressed again. Look down at the ground do you see all the feet with no shoes on them? We all have to "get dressed again". It's no ones fault but your own that you're such a dumb ass and wore 14" lace up boots to airport.

Pick your belongings up off the belt and then quickly move away so that the rest of us can claim our crap and get on with our life. While you are standing there struggling to fit your size 10 EEE foot into a size 9EE shoe you are causing the line to back up and this takes more time away from me getting to see my family.

Do not argue or piss off the TSA folks. Yes, it is quite possible that just last week at their old job they were asking customers "Do you want fries with that?". Alas these folks are the gate keepers to the terminal when they get mad they slow down, when they slow down it takes more time away from me getting to see my family.

I know in the big picture my happiness is not that big of a deal to you folks, but think of this as what you can do to spread some happiness to a bunch of people and it won't cost you a single cent. Not a bad thought during this expensive holiday season.

Frick's World Travel Tip #20

Never and I mean never sit/lay/pass out drunk on a hotel room bedspread, especially if you are naked.
The above photo is visible proof of what can happen to the bedspread before you ever check into your room. The shirt and towel are both soaked in sweat and the shoes have been, well they're shoes so they have been dragged through all kinds of stuff. Now I'm not going to tell you what town or hotel this was taken in lets just call it a game of "Bedspread Roulette".

Past Tips
Travel Tip #19
Travel Tip #18
Travel Tip #17
Travel Tip #16
Travel Tip #15


travel tip
fricksworld

Frick's World Travel Tip #19

If there is patio furniture in your bathroom, you might want to change hotels.
If there is patio furniture in your bathroom and no pool on the property definitely change hotels.

I spent the night in "Lawrenceburg TN" and the above scenario was what confronted me when I opened the door to my room for the evening. I am generally not a real bathroom intensive guy but I guess it was nice of the hotel to think of my comfort, in case the seat that was already there wasn't comfortable enough for me.

Past Tips
Travel Tip #18
Travel Tip #17
Travel Tip #16
Travel Tip #15


travel tip
fricksworld

Frick's World Travel Tip #18

La Quinta is Spanish for "Behind Denny's"

Past Tips
Travel Tip #17
Travel Tip #16
Travel Tip #15

Frick's World Travel Tip #17

The dog you hear barking may not necessarily be in the next room "Read More"
and "More"
via "BoingBoing"

Past Tips
Travel Tip #16
Travel Tip #15

Frick's World Travel Tip #16

Never stay at a hotel/motel with a number in its name.

Past Tips
Travel Tip #15

Frick's World Travel Tip #15

Don't bother searching for the first 14 tips there aren't any, this is the first official tip, but #15 gives a better appearance than #1.
We have had a few un-official tips in the "past" but again this one is official.

TIP #15
When returning your rental if you plan to leave the keys in the ignition while waiting for rental lot lizard to tally up your bill ROLL DOWN THE CARS WINDOW!
The poor guy behind me at Hertz this evening did not follow this advice, too bad. He hops out of the car, the Hertz guy hops in writes down the odometer, hits the door lock button, forgets to remove the keys and slams the car door. Forgets to remove the keys, "Son-Of-A-Nutcracker, my luggage is still in the trunk and scattered across the back seat" is all I could hear this poor chap scream.
As I hopped the bus to the terminal I thought "Man, this guy sure could have used Travel Tip #15"

How to stay on the road

Another night on the road and time to share a few tips on how to sleep a hotel room,
First: do not do any structural damage to the room, because they will ding your credit card, and there is nothing worse than having to justify questionable movie charges & structural damage on your expense report.
Second: do not place any thing of value on the bed in which you plan sleep, you will never remember to pick through the bedspread in the morning and you will be 100 miles down the road before you remember that your valuable item is still wrapped up in the bedspread.
Third: use all of the trash cans in the room, house keeping loves tying those little knots in the plastic can liner
Forth: use all available towels, this will assure that the next patron will have fresh towels. Hopefully the person in your room last night did the same for you.
Fifth: you may have to be an interior designer and re-arrange the furniture so that you can work and view the TV at the same time.Do not be afraid to do this.
Sixth: take the pen & notepad with you, this can save you a bunch of money when the kids need school supplies.
Seventh: place the 1/2 used shampoo bottle in your luggage each night, this way you get a new bottle every day. At the end of the week empty all of the little bottles into one big botlle with a fancy lable, this will impress family members when they stay at your house and the guest bath is stocked with an expensive bottle of shampoo in it.

This picture is from Jameson Inns in beautiful Easly, South Carolina