One of the most enjoyable parts of staying at a hotel during a trip is the complimentary amenities offered. Everyone loves free stuff, and hotels offer certain complimentary things to stand out against the competition. The rise of Airbnb has just made it a bigger tool for hotels to offer their chance to get a traveler looking for a place to stay. Complimentary amenities range from little things found in the room to larger activities offered throughout the entire hotel. They try to deliver fun and free things to appeal to people of all ages given the amount of families that travel together.
Unfortunately, not all free things will end up being good. There have been quite a few negative reviews when it comes to travelers being upset with some of the complimentary amenities disappointing them. On one hand, some people just view them as free extras and don’t necessarily get upset about them. Others however, will complain due to the amenities being part of the package that was marketed towards them. We will look at some of the things in hotels that may not be worth the free price. These are twenty complimentary hotel amenities that travelers should stay away from.
20 Phone chargers and adapters
Technology has become an important part of traveling over the past decade. Most people have their phones, laptops and chargers with them on trips. The chargers and adapters for each item are huge necessities when it comes to making sure they are ready to use when needed.
Many hotels offer complimentary chargers and adapters, but they aren’t necessarily the most trustworthy.
It is a safer bet to use the ones you brought with you on the trip. An untrustworthy charger could see your phone fail to charge and you might only realize it before heading out. Don’t bank on the complimentary chargers or adapters being better than yours.
19 Shampoo
Comfort is an essential aspect of every trip. Small things can make a big difference when it comes to the choices you make. Most hotels offer mini formats of shampoos, leading to a large percentage of travelers not worrying to bring their own.
However, there can be an issue with how certain hair types react to certain shampoo brands. It usually takes a few tries before someone finds an ideal shampoo that offers the best option for keeping their hair in ideal shape. The potential of your hair reacting poorly to the hotel shampoo could lead to an uncomfortable day. No one wants to feel upset about how their hair looks when going out for a fun day (especially when you know you're going to be taking all those selfies for your IG account).
18 Scented pillows
Some hotels have started adding the complimentary extra of scented pillows. The concept of the scented pillow is to provide a relaxing environment before heading to sleep. Lavender, coconut and other relaxing scents are supposed to help get to a more peaceful sleeping session.
The thing is this can be risky depending on the person. Some people are very light sleepers and the scent is strong enough to wake one up.
There are also folks that just dislike the scent of some of these pillows. If it’s something you know could be negative for you, don’t even try using the scented pillows.
17 Certain (Expired?) snacks
One of the most common complimentary additions to a hotel room stay is the option to get free snacks. Many people are annoyed at the average hotel room when seeing a snack bar offered but knowing they’ll have to pay a lot of extra money for it at the end of the trip.
This leads to some hotels offering the complimentary snacks for free. There are still some negatives when it comes to trusting hotel snacks. Some items are expired since they usually remain in the hotel unless someone eats them. A conspiracy theory also exists that some hotels offer a lot of cheap snacks to fill folks up instead of them getting the larger complimentary meals.
16 Computers
The importance of technology has seen some hotels add computers to their rooms. Desktop computers can be used to surf the net, watch movies or just get some work done. While it is convenient to use one there instead of having to bring your laptop, it may not be the right call.
There are more positives to using your personal laptop or tablet over a hotel computer. The hotel likely will be able to track anything you do, which is something most are advised to avoid when using any form of technology in a public space. Hotels also likely offer a lower quality than one you would choose for yourself.
15 Meditation room
Meditation rooms have become a relatively new amenity in recent times. The act of mediation helps people in many ways and has become a part of countless daily routines throughout the world. Some hotels have decided to add meditation rooms to provide a convenient atmosphere to those that would enjoy it.
Unfortunately for hotels, it’s difficult to create a peaceful state in such a busy place. The rooms are usually small and can get overcrowded. Most people would agree meditation is best done in your room, finding a comfortable spot without anyone else interrupting you. Hotel meditation rooms may not be the best idea to find inner peace.
14 On-Demand Movies/TV
The television service is usually one of the amenities offered at a hotel. There are typically a few channels offered with enough options to find something fun for free. One of the options is usually a video on demand section featuring many recent movies.
While the channel itself is free to look at the catalog, the movies will often cost some money. Hotel video on demand films can become pricy additions to your bill if getting more than one or two. This is an easy way to lose more money than you planned. It is the right call to skip ordering anything to watch at the hotel.
13 Luggage scale
The luggage rules for each airline is important to follow. Things like weight, width, length and overall dimension can lead to having to check bags or having to spend extra money. A luggage scale is something many people use to make sure they don’t go over any weight limit with their bags. Some hotels have a luggage scale offered in the room as a complimentary amenity. It is clearly practical for those having to fly back home with luggage. However,
there have been instances of the scale being inaccurate leading to problems coming for those flying out with heavier luggage than expected.
Bring your own luggage scale if it’s an important part of your trip.
12 Shower caps
Shower caps are something that can be important or pointless, depending on your routine. Some people refuse to get their hair wet during a shower and want the shower cap to protect it on a certain day. Others don’t even think twice about wetting their hair when it comes to showering at a hotel.
Anyone that thinks a shower cap is important to them should bring their own. While it’s highly unlikely, there’s still a small chance that the hotel shower cap could be a bad decision. A few people have complained about getting lice after staying in a hotel. Naturally, a recycled shower cap would be the worst place for it to spread.
11 Swimming pool
Swimming pools are a very fun amenity offered by many hotels all over the world. The idea of getting some swimming time while on vacation or on a trip is a great option to have. Unfortunately, it is usually offered to everyone else staying in the hotel, too.
A hotel swimming pool during busy hours can turn into a pretty bad time. Families often have young children that enjoy making noise or diving into the pool. Some busy hours will see the pool have no space left and be packed with folks from the various hotel rooms. Your best bet is to avoid the pool during busy times.
10 Toothbrush
Another bathroom item that seems obvious to bring with you on a trip is your own toothbrush. Most people list a toothbrush as the most important thing to pack. Hotels often add a complimentary toothbrush for those that forget to bring one.
The toothbrushes offered by the hotel are almost always brand new, but there’s still that fraction of doubt that leads to second-guessing using it. Save yourself the stress and just bring your own toothbrush. Even if you forget yours, buying one in the area would be more beneficial than just relying on the one provided in your hotel room.
9 Vending machines
Vending machines are considered a complimentary amenity due to it being free to look at before making a choice. Snacks are usually the top thing offered in vending machines, but they sometimes offer drinks or even small meals.
The problem is most vending machines will charge you way too much for something as basic as a sandwich, soda or a bag of potato chips.
Most people will agree that using the vending machine at a hotel is probably a bad idea unless desperate for a bite to eat with no other options around. The food is usually mediocre with the price being too high.
8 Landline phones
Most people today have their own mobile phones to make calls among other things like texting and internet use. However, there are still quite a few hotels with a landline phone available to use. The initial purpose of this was to use the phone for any calls needed. It used to be an important and helpful amenity offered by hotels.
This is no longer the same today with less people needing access to a landline. Mobile phones typically have superior call quality. Most phone plans also offer enough minutes, if not unlimited, to make the landline even less significant. It is a better bet to just use your own phone than the complimentary one.
7 Valet parking
One small potential perk of staying at a hotel is the valet parking. Many hotels offer quite a few employees waiting to park the cars of anyone staying in the area. This is typically a complimentary feature with no charge required to get your car parked.
However, most would agree it’s in poor taste to not at least leave a tip for the driver. It also can be a confusing process if you’ve never had valet parking before. Some people even prefer to park their own cars. Valet parking is not for everyone, and it may be the right call to avoid it if any of these issues apply to you.
6 Alcohol
Many hotels will provide a bar for rooms if someone wants to get a drink or two in each day. There are some that provide the drinks as a complimentary amenity. It seems like a win-win scenario with the option to get drinks for free.
However, many people would advise against having such fun in a hotel room. Free drinks usually entice travelers to keep going and could lead to drinking a little too much. There’s also the fear of alcohol poison or a hangover ruining the next day. The safest bet is to avoid drinking in your hotel room and just going on with the plans made before the trip.
5 Workout gear
Gyms are often located in many of the upper level hotels. Travelers have the option of working out to stay in shape and continue their routines while on vacation.
Many people enjoy the gym amenity itself, but the workout gear offered is not always met with the same excitement.
Clothes of such nature are covered in sweat once someone works out in them. While they are cleaned by the hotel, it’s still a tricky thing to wear items you know many people have immensely sweated in. Anyone looking to workout at the hotel should save themselves the trouble and just bring their own workout gear.
4 Board games
Board games are among the least significant things on the list, but they are something you should avoid enjoying at a hotel. Many places have a few board games for those staying in family suites or special options designed to entertain children.
The hotels will place various board games in the room for families to choose from. A common issue here is that some of the pieces or facets of the game are missing. No one wants to find out halfway through a game that an important part is missing. It would be a better idea to bring your own games or find a different form of entertainment.
3 Some gym equipment
The hotel gyms have already been mentioned as one of the most popular amenities. Most people that want to continue a routine of working out enjoy the luxury of having a gym while staying there. However, there are some older machines that appear either out of date or a bit too used to trust.
Gym buffs at a hotel will advise against using any equipment you feel may be a risk for potentially negative results. Most hotel gym rooms don’t get frequent upgrades. It can lead to issues for those using equipment that is too old or has other issues that can lead to a risk during your workout.
2 Bible
One unique thing offered by many hotels is a bible in each room. The bible clearly is an important book to many people all over the world. However, it is typically considered one of the least useful things found in the average hotel room.
Anyone with a strong passion for having the bible with them will likely bring their own. Most would prefer to use a hotel bible given the potential of prior people to stay in the room writing in it. Obviously, those with no interest in it would have no use anyway. Basically, it’s best to avoid using any hotel bibles for any reason.
1 Soap
One thing that more people have started to refuse using is the complimentary soap offered in hotel rooms. Most hotels will provide soap for those that didn’t bring their own with them. Unfortunately, it has led to some issues coming up for travelers trusting their hotel soap.
Some hotel soaps have been criticized by dermatologists for being too heavily fragranced.
The potential dangers have scared folks away from using the soap in their hotel bathroom. Most soaps won’t be dangerous to your health, but certain cases are risky enough to warrant bringing your soap with you for showers in the hotel.