What should I do when entering a hotel room?

From safety to cleanliness, hotel service experts recommend taking the time to do a little room inspection to ensure a safe and comfortable stay. According to the housekeeping department, here's what you should do when you enter your hotel room.

Let's start with safety

When you first enter your hotel room , make sure the door is closed and locked. If you plan to use the safe, check that it is in working order.

Mary D'Argenis-Fernandez, founder and CEO of MDA Hospitality, also recommends checking to see if any adjacent doors are locked. If the peephole has a cover, make sure it's fully closed. Take some time to review the escape plan on the back of the door and note the location of the emergency stairwell.

Check essential functions

After thoroughly checking the safety features in your room, make sure everything is working properly. You should check that the essentials – outlets, thermostat, TV, bathroom fixtures, and coffee maker – are working properly to avoid any unexpected problems later.

Light switches and clocks should also be noted. Open curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible and look around the room for anything unusual.

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Clean frequently used areas

High-touch areas, like remote controls, thermostats, and coffee makers, are disinfected daily by hotels. But guests should still be mindful of these hot spots. Some travelers, like Laura Asilis, an A-list advisor at Travel+Leisure, make sure to wipe down a few items, even in luxury hotels.

TV remotes are notorious for being one of the dirtiest items in any hotel room—if you're careful, you can wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe. Light switches and bedside phones are also frequently touched surfaces that aren't always thoroughly cleaned. Faucets and toilet flush buttons, of course, shouldn't be overlooked either.

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Checking that everything is ready before you check in can save you the hassle of having to repack if you have to change rooms, so don't be afraid to take some time to do these things before you check in and check into your hotel room!