Any Tips For Making a Cheap Hotel More Bearable?
Ask Rolf: Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
10.02.07 | 3:36 PM ET
Dear Rolf,
I like the idea of traveling independently and booking cheap hotels and hostels as I go. The only problem is that sometimes the only affordable hotels available in a given place are a tad seedy—i.e. they’re noisy or they smell bad or they aren’t very clean. Do you have any tips for making the occasional dive hotel more bearable?
—Alan, Bristol, UK
Dear Alan,
Interestingly enough, I dealt with a similar question on my blog a few years ago, and it attracted a lot of reader input. On a general level, I advised preparing a “flophouse hotel survival” kit that included earplugs (since many flophouses are near noisy areas like discos or bus stations or mosques), a lightweight cable and padlock (to secure possessions against opportunist crime) and your own towel, soap and toilet paper (since many cheap guesthouses don’t provide these).
That said, everyone’s cheap hotel strategy is slightly different, and my readers also suggested the following:
* A bag liner or light sleep-sack. Bedding might not always be clean.
* DEET or mosquito netting. In tropical areas, or anyplace, mosquitoes might be a nuisance.
* Eye-shades. If a room is too bright, or if you want to sleep during daylight hours.
* Some kind of simple door wedge. Just in case the lock on hotel room door is flimsy or broken.
* Ambien, or a similar sleep aid. This should be used wisely and sparingly, but sometimes a sleeping pill can spell the difference between fitful semi-sleep and a full night’s rest.
* Tiger Balm or Bengay-style cream. In addition to muscle aches, a dab under the nostrils can ward off all manner of bad smells.
* Some friendly bonding with the owner or clerk at the front desk, and some other guests. Just to make sure someone is looking out for you, and treats you like a person instead of just some random body occupying a room.
On a final note, I might add some rooms in flophouse hotels are better than others—and it’s worth asking the front desk clerk to let you look at several rooms before you settle on one. In addition to cleanliness and security, choose rooms that are away from street noise. And check the toilets and shower facilities to make sure they work properly.
Send your questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you want to know whether Rolf has already answered your questions, see the Ask Rolf archive.