7 Mistakes People Commonly Make When Checking Out of a Hotel

We all know the common pitfalls of staying in hotels: the sheets that might not be changed, the potential insecurity of valuables, the general grime that can haunt your comfort. But did you know that you could be making things worse for yourself— specifically at check-out?

It’s true! There are actual several common mistakes everybody’s made at least once when checking out of a hotel. Make sure the end of your stay is as good as possible by reviewing the three big ones we’ve highlighted below, then checking out Smarter Travel’s video down at the bottom for seven more!

  1. Not taking some “souvenirs” with you.

    No, it’s not stealing— it’s preventing waste! When your hotel room is turned over after you leave it, hotel staff will throw out the toiletry bottles regardless of whether or not you even touched them. You’ll be doing them a favor by taking them with you, and stocking up for your future travels or even future guests in your own home.

    It’s also totally OK to take the notepads, pens, slippers and even the room key cards (though why’d you’d want that last one is beyond us). What not to take? Robes and towels; the hotel will charge you if you take those items with you.

  2. Paying in cash.

    According to Clark Howard, paying in cash is the number one mistake travelers make when checking out of a hotel. Why? Because if there’s a dishonest clerk behind the desk, you may end up paying for your room TWICE.

    Clark explains:

    A lot of people decide at checkout that they want to pay cash instead of plastic. So you settle up and they give you a receipt (hopefully) and you go.

    The problem comes if there’s a dishonest individual working behind the desk. They may still charge your room to your card and pocket the cash.

    If you later notice and have proof you paid cash, you call up and they say, “Sorry, it was a clerical error.” But what if you didn’t keep that receipt or they didn’t give you one showing you paid cash?

    You lose.

    The best answer is the form of payment you leave at the desk when you check in is the form of payment you pay with when you check out.

    Definitely a scary possibility! Even if you trust that your clerk is honest, it’s better to be safe than sorry and simply use a credit card— and get that receipt!

  3. Keeping problems to yourself.

    Did something go wrong during your stay? Don’t keep it to yourself! While we certainly understand the impulse to not sweat the small stuff and realize that everybody makes mistakes, that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your comfort in order to not rock the boat— or your money to a subpar experience!

    Remember, hotels WANT you to have a good experience, even if it’s only to avoid a negative review online. If you didn’t mention anything during your stay, make sure to mention it during check-out. At worst, the problem will be fixed for the next guest; at best, you may get money off your bill!

    And if your stay was PERFECT? Tell them that, too! You’ll probably make their day.

There’s more mistakes where these ones came from! Check out the video below for SEVEN more hotel check-out mistakes Smarter Travel says we’re all making.

Have you made any of these mistakes before? Are there any others you can think of you’d like to warn your fellow travelers against making?