“The focus of entertaining is impressing others; the focus of true hospitality is serving others”-Tim Chester (A Meal with Jesus)

If you are into staycations in lieu of expensive vacations, then I am going to hazard a guess that you have probably stayed in more local hotels than I can count.

Indeed, part of what makes a staycation great is the fact that you get to stay in a swanky hotel room for at least a day and a night. Depending on where and what kind of hotel you choose, there will be instances wherein you do not have to worry about a single household chore and simply be waited hand on foot and allow yourself to be pampered. In this regard, a hotel stay—regardless of whether you are on a staycation or on a holiday—is truly a luxurious way to relax and indulge yourself.

Unfortunately, while we can safely regard hotels as our “home away from home—well, at least an upgraded version of our homes anyway—we should not feel too much at home in our hotel rooms. Sure, when it comes to hotel service, a guest’s comfort is given paramount priority but this does not equate doing whatever you wish inside without risk of any repercussion—pecuniary or otherwise. Take note: Paying a certain amount for a hotel room might entitle you to the hotel’s services but that does not immediately mean that the hotel and their staff are at your disposal and every single behest. Think of staying at a hotel room—whether it may be an illustrious one such as Seda Hotel Nuvali or elsewhere—as a very short-term rental wherein you are allowed to stay in a room for a specified number of days. This means that you are to take care of whatever is inside your hotel room as you would be held accountable for any damage that might happen to the room itself and the things inside.

With that said, here are some of the things you should never do in hotels:

Take home the bathrobes

Most hotel guests are guilty of taking home the toiletries the hotel provides for the duration of their stay. Essential vanity products and amenities such as shampoo, lotion, soap and other cosmetic necessities are just some of the things hotel guests are notoriously noted for taking home by the bunch. In most case, this is acceptable. What is not acceptable, however, is taking home the bathrobes as well. This should have been common sense but unfortunately, some guests are under the impression that it is theirs for the taking. Remember that bathrobes, much like towels, linens, artwork, and electronics, are the hotel’s property provided only for your convenience and not for your consumption. As a general rule of thumb, anything that is not consumable is not yours for the taking. Incidentally, if you take anything out from the hotel fridge such as drinks and snacks, you will be changed for them.

Break something and then lie about it

Accidents are inevitable but that does not mean you should not own up to them. Damaging stuff in your room and lying about it would only harm the staff or future guests. One such example is breaking a glass or glass bottle inside the room—a precarious situation that might cause one of the future guests to cut their foot should they be walking in the room barefoot. Glass is difficult to spot—regardless of whether the room was cleaned or not. Be up front about it, so as to prevent any untoward accidents. After all, you would not want the same thing to happen to you, right?

Cook anything without a proper designated kitchen

Some hotel guests would smuggle cooking ware into the room in a conscious effort to mitigate expenses by opting to eat in. Of course, it is understandable that you wish to keep your vacation expenses to a minimum but unfortunately, this could potentially cause a few problems, especially if the hotel room does not come equipped with a kitchenette area. These appliances may set of the fire alarm system and may even cause an actual fire. Stick with meals that require no cooking if you are on a tight budget instead.

Leave jewelry and other expensive belongings inside

While the hotel assures you of security and safety, they cannot always guarantee the same for any precious belongings left inside your room. After all, it is precisely for this reason why some hotel rooms have installed a safety deposit box inside rooms to which only you would know the code. While hotels are in the hotel business, you cannot expect them to always stop thieves from taking what is not theirs. With this in mind, never leave any valuable items in plain sight such as in drawers or vanities. Take them with you or at least place them inside safety deposit boxes.

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