A Light Sleeper's Guide To Hotel/Motel Etiquette

For those of us who live in the States, we're coming up on the Memorial Day holiday weekend (May 26 - 28, the unofficial start of the summer vacation season.

A few months ago I read an article outlining 6 things you shouldn't do in a hotel/motel. I thought it would make a good blog so I set it aside, to be revived when vacation time arrived. So…here goes.

Whether you're staying in a budget motel or a luxury hotel, there's one thing you can count on…while in your room you can hear noises from the rooms on either side of yours and also from the hallway.

1) Hitting The Snooze Button On The Clock:
If you're going to set the alarm for an early morning wake-up…please, please, please don't prolong the rise-and-shine by continually hitting the snooze button for an additional 8 minutes of sleep with each tap. There's a good chance that the person in the room next to yours had not intended to wake up that early…wake up again, and again, and again.

2) Animated conversation in the hallway:
It's amazing how oblivious some people can be to their own voices. They have no concept of how loud they're talking in the hallway outside people's doors at the break of dawn as they're going to the restaurant for an early breakfast or late at night when returning from the cocktail lounge. Either way, they are waking people who would rather be sleeping.

3) Repeated courtesy calls from the front desk:
Following check-in there's the 'is everything satisfactory' call. Later that evening there's the call asking if you need anything. Then, just as you've gotten to sleep, there's a call reminding you of the no smoking policy. You inform the desk clerk that you don't smoke and he says that someone on your floor called to report that they smelled cigarette smoke. Then you do the foolish thing (which prolongs the phone call) and ask why they're calling everyone on the floor at that late hour to remind them of the no smoking policy rather than sending someone to the floor to sniff around and find where the smell is coming from. But your question doesn't seem to faze the clerk or penetrate his consciousness with the realization of how ridiculous his phone call is.

4) Staying at a facility hosting a youth sports competition:
Oh, the joy of having the kids running up and down the halls at all hours of the night, randomly knowing on doors at 2am

4a) And closely related:
Being the unfortunate overnight guests staying on the same floor as the inconsiderate parents who sent their rowdy children into the hallway to play until they were exhausted. Perhaps the children were ready to fall asleep, but you are too angry to get to sleep.

5) Spreading germs throughout the restaurant buffet:
Nothing more off putting than watching someone coughing and sneezing on the food as they go through the buffet line. And equally unappetizing is watching someone picking through the rolls by hand until they find the one they want or watching someone dipping their hands into food trays rather using the provided tongs to pick up various food items even if those items are considered finger food.

And finally…a specific point made in the article I read—
6) Discharging bodily fluids all over the room:
The sheets are changed daily. The bedspreads, pillows, furniture upholstery, and carpeting are not. 'Nuff said?

Any particularly annoying hotel/motel incidents that you've encountered in your travels?