10 Ways to Avoid Being the Hotel Guest No One Likes

Last week, we shared some funny, but all-too-real naughty hotel habits exposed in Expedia’s 2015 Hotel Etiquette Study. Now, pulling from the same study, we want to share some tips on how to avoid being the worst hotel guest ever. How can we appropriately advise? We snagged the 10 most annoying hotel guest behaviors as reported by everyday travelers just like you! Here’s a simple guide to not being “that guest” on vacation—you know, the one everyone throws some mad side-eye because he or she is everyone else’s vacation. Not that any of us would ever do such a thing…

Have you ever done such a thing? Have you ever had your vacation tarnished by one of these terribly behaved hotel guests? Tell us your story in the comments section below!

1. Watch Over Your Kids

Clocking in at number one, and bothering 67 percent of people are parents who let their kids run wild. While we totally understand that you are on holiday (hey, so are we!), you can’t take a vacation from being a parent. (Actually, you can—leave the kids with Grandma!). So please, watch your kids so the rest of us don’t have to. There’s nothing more awful or awkward than having to reprimand an adult for the actions of their wild and crazy children…well, except possibly having to play nurse to an absent stranger’s kid who’s had a bad fall.

2. Be Quiet in the Halls

Close behind in second place, “Hallway Hell-Raisers” annoy the hell out of 64 percent of people who participated in Expedia’s survey—and we don’t blame them. There’s just something unnerving when you are trying to get some R&R and there’s a cacophony of commotion just outside your room in the no man’s land of the hallway. That big conversation or loud scampering of feet is close enough to cause disruption, but too fleeting to warrant us opening the door and politely asking you to keep it down, or you know, take it into your own room. Let’s all agree to abide by the golden rule on this one: Be as loud in the halls as you would like everyone else to be.

3. Stop Complaining Already

Another high-ranking complaint was, well, complainers. Fifty-four percent of people did not find it fun to bear witness to those other high-maintenance guests who complain about everything. As frequent flies on the wall, this is something we can definitely stand behind. So please think before you make a complaint. Stop to consider the issue at hand, factors that have led to your being upset, and how much power and/or control the staff member you are about to unload on actually has over your complaint. Too many times we’ve seen guests on a power trip berating hotel staffers over things that were out of their hands, unnecessary, or just plain silly. Now, let’s all be friends and hug it out.

4. Remember You’ve Got Neighbors All Around You

Man, there is nothing worse than checking into your room—your own private vacation home away from home—only to realize that the walls are kinda thin and the people on either side of you (or above you) are acting like they are the only people within a 50-mile radius. While we usually go on vacation to escape, we have to remember to not get so lost lest we forget that we are sharing this lovely oasis with several neighbors close by. While no one is suggesting you tip-toe around the room or speak in whispers (unless that’s your thing), it never hurts to have a neighborly attitude and awareness when it comes to noise.

5. Leave the Drama at Home

In the same vein of witnessing someone complaining or berating a staff member, it’s also a big downer to watch anyone on holiday publicly argue. Again, we all go on vacation in the hopes of leaving all the negative stuff behind…so nothing shatters that fantasy faster than watching two (or more) people just straight up go at it. It’s a real vibe killer for everyone, so try to keep the drama back home, or at least somewhere private so happy hour can stay happy.

6. Don’t Act Like It’s Your Private Pool (Unless It Is)

We aren’t going to argue with the notion that vacations are meant for letting go, getting loose, and perhaps partying a little harder than you normally would at home, especially if you are traveling with a group. But that doesn’t mean you’ve got the right to commandeer the pool for your own private party. At least 22 percent of people surveyed know what it’s like to be poolside, trying to relax with a new book or just soak up some sun, when all of a sudden the serene vibe changes to “spring break.” When big group travel together—particularly bachelor, bachelorette, or birthday parties—and drinks are involved, it’s super easy for participants to forget that there are other people at the hotel who are not part of the group, and didn’t come to party. So be mindful and try not to let the daiquiris blur your judgment.

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7. Turn the Volume Down When It Heats Up

So maybe you’re celebrating a weekend away from the kids, on your honeymoon, or just wanna get frisky on vacation…that’s cool, have fun—but while it’s easy to get lost in the moment, try and keep it a moment that stays behind closed doors. Amorously noisy neighbors are simultaneously awkward, funny, and annoying to nearly one-fourth of all hotel guests in the survey.

8. Keep Your PDA in Check, Please

Similar loud lovemaking, PDA (public displays of affection) annoy 20 percent of guests who have no choice but to bear witness. It’s awkward for anyone in the vicinity of two people who are pawing at each other like wild animals while everyone else is trying to eat dinner, have a conversation, or grab some sun. It’s particularly bad form to get frisky in spaces that other guests use, like the hot tub (which seems to be a popular place for heavy canoodling).

9. Be a Professional Drinker

Traveling for work is hard; we know because we do it everyday. And we also like to indulge in an adult beverage after a long, wearing day. Unfortunately, some business travelers, especially those who tend to frequent the same hotels over and over, can tend to treat the hotel bars like their local pubs. So please, if you are imbibing while on business, be a professional (i.e. classy) drinker for the sake of your fellow travelers.

10. Don’t Be a Chatty Kathy or Ken

Elevator chatterboxes only upset about six percent of those in the survey…perhaps it’s because not all hotels have elevators, or maybe it’s because most people have gotten the memo about zipping their lips while sharing one. We aren’t saying you shouldn’t be cordial to your fellow guests, but there’s only so much information you can—or should—want to share over an elevator ride. So keep it simple, with a smile and hello.

—Katherine Alex Beaven

More From Oyster.com:

• Naughty Hotel Habits Everyone is Guilty Of
• The 5 Weirdest Superstitions Around the World
• What It’s Actually Like to Wander the World as a Digital Nomad

This article was originally published by Oyster.com Under the headline 10 Ways to Avoid Being the Hotel Guest No One Likes. It is reprinted here with permission.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

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