Thirty-One Tips: 23. Hotel Departures

Have a designated “Last Room-Checker” for scanning your hotel room before departure.

Leaving Fargo today, I thought of a quick tip to save some headaches and a few dollars. Life on the road for a pool player can be a grind. I have a tendency to over pack and bring things I often never end up using or wearing.  Some things I don’t regret bringing are some of the creature comforts to make the stay at a hotel a little more homey. Slippers, my own pillow, sometimes a tea kettle and press pot. Obviously, some of these items are near and dear to me. It can be a real downer to leave some of that stuff behind upon checkout.

Stuff I’ve forgotten in a hotel room.  The only tape gun that never bit back. Value $10.  Badger shaving brush. Value $65.  Down pillow used for years to fit my noggin and sleeping style- Value: Priceless.  A whole bottom drawer of shirts/shorts/mp3 player.  Value- Who knows, but I was lucky to get the stuff back!

Have a procedure in place for one person to be the designated room checker to look all over for any items that might not have made it into your suitcase.  I’d guess most travelers have had a close call with a cell phone charger, wet swimsuit, or some other item that isn’t nearby your luggage when packing.  Empty the room and have one person do a quick but thorough once over looking for any non-hotel owned items remaining in the room.  Check the closet, the hook on the back of the bathroom door, drawers if they were used, and any other spots where you might have stowed some of your gear.  May your next road trip be a profitable and loss-less journey.