Despite all of my years traveling, I often forget about the little things that I take for granted staying in U.S. hotels (or Western chain hotels). It’s in Europe when I stay at the smaller hotel properties that I remember all the quirks that make for memorable encounters along the way. I recently met a couple in Naples who shared their not so great hotel experience and it was funny to see what mattered to him vs. her (she wasn’t thrilled that their third floor walkup had no air-conditioning, he didn’t care as the price was good). So for those of you experiencing European hotels for the first time or going back and have forgotten here are my European Hotel Tips you need to know before you book, pack and stay in Europe (note that if you are staying in a Western chain like Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, etc. or a 5 star hotels these may not apply).

European Hotel Tips – Hard To Find Items

1. Tissues – on my recent stay at a 4 star hotel in Spain, they gave you two tissues in the toiletry kit. I had a combination sinus infection and allergies so found the local Carrefour to buy a 12 pack of tissues for €1 (best money ever spent!). The next four hotels I stayed at didn’t provide tissues either! So bring tissues with you if not for the hotel then definitely for the bathrooms along the way (that’s a whole other issue especially in Italy)
2. Washcloths – if you like to use a wash/face cloth in the shower bring your own to Europe. It’s rare to see them provided in the hotels in my experience. I did get one at the Starwood Luxury Collection hotel in Naples and it felt like an extravagant treat
3. Conditioner – The toiletries are hit/miss. I rarely get hair conditioner so I bring it or buy it locally. Some hotels are providing shower gel dispensers in the shower so you may want to bring a bar of soap if you don’t like shower gel. Check to see if any of the toiletries have small foil seals, if so, open those prior to using in the shower – they are next to impossible to remove when wet in my experience.

European Hotel Tips – Don’t Assume the Hotel has…

1. An elevator/lift – not every hotel, AirBnb, etc. has an elevator so do the research first or bring bags you can carry (not every hotel has a bellman). My friend stayed in an AirBnb which was a 5^th floor walkup. I’ve stayed at hotels where the lift was broken and had to carry my bags. I’ve also dragged my bags up and down Venice bridges.
2. Air-conditioning – this can make/break a relationship in my opinion. Just like the couple I met, she wants air-con so make sure there is air-conditioning especially in Europe in summer. There are some rooms/flats that can be stifling if they don’t get a good breeze. Even cookies can’t remedy a hot room.
3. Wi-Fi – this is changing for the better as most of the budget/moderate hotels I’ve been staying at provide Wi-Fi in the rate now (I’m paying €5 per day in Capri, other hotels charge more). The front desk will give you a small piece of paper with the user name and password (take a photo of it because chances are you are going to lose it). They often limit the number of devices that can use the account at one time. One hotel allowed three devices, another just one. So take turns logging on/off if that’s the case. AirBnb is a hit or miss with strength and service issues.
4. A Full/Cooked Breakfast – Yes, I’m sure you want a cooked breakfast of poached eggs and pancakes (or is that just me?) but the breakfast in Europe is generally a selection of breads, meats/cheeses, yoghurt, cereals and cakes (I love desserts at breakfast). The properties often don’t have kitchens or restaurants so a continental breakfast is served. Bring a Ziploc bag and make yourself a sandwich, add a piece of fruit and a cookies/cake to take on your tour with you (this has saved me so many times).

European Hotel Tips – Don’t Worry this is Normal

1. Give Me Your Passport – Don’t freak out, the front desk needs to make a copy of your passport when you check in, this is standard practice. The AirBnb hosts in Venice & Florence copy the information by hand generally as there is a special tourist tax levied by the cities on lodging with the rate varying by property class.
2. The Big Key – some hotels haven’t quite switched to a keycard system so they will give you a small weight of a key that you definitely don’t want to carry. You give the key to the front desk when you leave and request it when you return. This is also how they know to clean your room when you are gone.

European Hotel Tips – The Bathroom Has Its Own Set of Issues

1. The Bidet – it still scares me too so I ignore it. The intimacy toiletries and special towels are for the bidet users.
2. The Shower has many weird knobs, buttons, etc. – play with the shower when you arrive so that you know how to work it. Any questions ask the front desk now rather than at 6 a.m., when you are cursing it trying to get ready.
3. The hairdryer – unlike the U.S. hotels that love you to play hide and seek with the hairdryer, the European hotels often have them bolted to the bathroom wall (they look like vacuums). Do note that many require you to hold the front button down the entire time to operate. I learned the hard way in Paris last year going to the front desk with a wet head and the portable dryer saying it was broken only to be told to hold the button (oops!).

European Hotel Tips – Saving Money and Being Green (sort of)

1. Do you want to pay in USD? NOOOOO! Always use a credit card without foreign transaction fees and pay in the local currency. When the hotel wants to charge you in USD, you get a bad rate and they often tack on a fee for themselves so that your cost is higher. In Amsterdam, the difference was $8-10 to pay in USD. Those fees add up.
2. Bring an old keycard. Many hotels save electricity by key card, you insert your hotel key card in order to work the lights and air-conditioning (if they have it). When you leave and take your key card out, all power is down and the room gets hot and you can’t charge your electronics. So I bring an old hotel key card to leave in the room all day – this way, I can charge camera batteries, etc. and keep the room cool upon my return. I’ve hit one or two hotels that have gotten keen on my trick as their systems only work with their chip keycards. Another hotel used the card for housekeeping to say if in the room or not so I didn’t get turndown service and missed the chocolates!
3. So you want to be green (except for the air-con of course)? Housekeeping will change the sheets, towels, toiletries daily so if you don’t want that, let them know. I prefer new towels only.

European Hotel Tips – Bonus:

Check in during the day if you can. You can see the room in the sunlight and if any issues can notify the front desk to change/address or worst case scenario go to another hotel (Hotel Tonight for the save). If you check in late, it might be the last room and you have no options but to stay until a remedy can be sorted in the morning.

These are my European Hotel Tips for travel to consider for your next stay. Do you have any other travel tips to add?