Room Keys & LIght Switches

Summary: Always hang onto your hotel key card
Cost; Free


In most hotels in Europe and Asia there is a little card pocket near the door that you put your room key in to activate all the lights - and when you leave you simply remove it on your way out to automatically shut off the lights, lower the thermostat, and let the maids know they can clean up the room.

It saves money and electricity, it is convenient for the hotel staff, and generally a good invention - except if you have ADD. What it means for ADD is that after an exhausting day of business meetings or pleasure travel - and you lug all your packages up to your room, that you then go through a furtive search through all your pockets or bag for your room key, schlep all your stuff back down to the front desk, wait in line, get a duplicate key, drag your stuff back up to your room and open the door to see your old room key smiling at you from the switch.

The hotel room was forcing me to violate the rule of home base.

My previous coping strategy had been to just get two room keys, put one in the wallet and one in my pocket - and if I left the key in the room no worries. A friend let me know that the pocket isn't a sensor at all - you can just drop a business card in there and put your key back in your pocket. Either system works great - as long as you keep your key on your person or at home base.

Never use the hotel dresser drawers

Summary: Using the luggage rack reduces lost items
Cost: Free

Nearly every hotel room has a folding luggage rack to hold your suitcase. When you get to your room grab this thing out of the closet and put your suitcase on it. When I have hanging clothes (suits, etc) I'll hang them in the closet and put the luggage rack in there with them. To get my suitcase I have to 'see' the hanging clothes as well.

Tip: Anything invisible will be left behind in the hotel room.

I carry a mesh dirty-clothes bag to hold the dirty clothes so they are separate from the clean clothes. I will usually hang this from the luggage rack that holds my suitcase (or chair if it is on a chair). All clothes are either in the suitcase or in the bag -not on the floor or anywhere else they are likely to turn invisible.

Your preparation for check-out is faster, you will *never* leave clothing behind in the hotel room again.

If you have work-out clothes or swimsuits that need to hang out in the bathroom consider adding a reminder tag to your suitcase.

Use only the desk and bathroom plugs

Summary: Use visual plugs as reminders not to leave things behind
Cost: Free!

One tough thing about travel is that every hotel room is different, there isn't an established 'home base' for your things, and it is incredibly easy to leave things behind.

TIP: Your most important ally is putting things in your visual space. You are a keen observer but if something is hidden it is likely to be left behind.

One of the big culprits with leaving things behind for me (especially expensive electronics things) is the outlets in the hotel rooms. There aren't enough is one problem - which tempts you into using the deadly outlet behind the bed, under the desk, or under the nightstand.

Scenario: You plug your cell phone into the nightstand outlet. Perfect - your phone is there when you need it. The next morning you are in a rush to get up - you unplug your phone and leave the charger. You pack your bags and check out the charger (invisible) is left behind.

I use only the bathroom outlets and the desk outlets (by necessity) - brick chargers in the bathroom outlet jump right out at you. When I pack my toiletries bag I grab the charger and pack it at the same time.

If I have early check out I will pack my suitcase and leave it in the bathroom with the phone sitting on top of the suitcase. Morning comes, brush teeth, pack toiletries bag and the cell phone charger has never been left behind since.