Hotel stay · Pre-departure
What should I remember before leaving for a hotel stay?
Prioritise identification, a payment card, prescription medication, glasses, keys, booking details, your phone and its charger. The items people actually forget are a power bank, earplugs, a spare cable and a laundry bag. What else belongs depends on trip length, who is travelling, and whether you will work during the stay.
Do not leave without
Forget one of these and the trip is affected before it starts. None can be replaced after you arrive.
Commonly forgotten
Recoverable, but you will either pay to replace it on the road or lose sleep over it.
Room security
Situational. Worth packing depending on the property, the floor you are on, and whether you travel alone.
Nice to have
Comfort only. Skip any of it without consequence.
Related questions
What do people most commonly forget at hotels?
Chargers, toiletries the hotel turned out not to provide, and anything left plugged in or hanging in the wardrobe. A sweep of the bathroom, the wardrobe rail and both sides of the bed catches most of it.
What should a business traveller add?
A spare cable, the laptop power adapter rather than just the laptop, any adapter your meeting room may need, and a copy of the booking that opens without a signal.
What should I check before leaving on the last day?
The safe, the bathroom shelf, the back of the door, the wardrobe rail and every socket you used. The safe and the bathroom account for most items handed to hotel lost property.
Hotel stay essentials at a glance
- Photo ID or passport
- Prescription medication
- Payment card in your name
- Booking confirmation
- Phone and charging cable
- Glasses or contact lenses
- Power bank
- Earplugs
- Spare charging cable
- Laundry bag
What this covers
This checklist covers important and commonly forgotten hotel items. It is not a complete clothing list, and it does not cover flights or airport security.