Travelzoo.com hotels

1. Set the mood

Turn your hotel room mug or water glass into a speaker. Just remember to be mindful of your neighbors … and make sure it’s empty.

2. Make the TV pull double duty

If your charger got left behind during the packing rush, you can charge your USB device using the room’s TV.

3. Or triple duty

Can’t wait to see your favorite shows? Stream shows to the hotel TV. If you don’t already own a Chromecast (or similar device), it might be worth it just for this — as long as the hotel room has Wi-Fi and the TV has an HDMI input, you can easily stream shows from your phone, tablet, or laptop. This is also handy for work trips — if your small screen isn’t cutting it, you can enlarge your work via the wireless streaming device.

4. Never move another piece of furniture to find an extra plug

Some hotels are short on sockets — carry a small, three- or six-port mini power plug to maximize availability.

5. Draw the curtains, and keep them closed

When it’s naptime, sleeptime or hungover time and the curtains don’t close all the way: connect the ends of each curtain with the clips on a hanger. Instant blackout shades.

6. Use the shower as a steamer

Not many hotel rooms come equipped with a steamer, but you can create your own by turning up the hot water and closing off the bathroom. Hang a suit, dress, or whatever needs to be steamed in the bathroom (as close to the shower as possible, without getting it wet of course) and wait a few minutes to see the wrinkles disappear.

7. Or, consider a hair dryer

If you don’t have time to steam up a bathroom, take the hotel hairdryer and hold really close to the shirt … move it up and down and it’s like an instant steamer!

8. Child proof with electric, masking or duct tape

Some hotels are already equipped with child-friendly gear like cribs and outlet covers — just call ahead and they’ll set everything up before your arrival. For childproofing on the fly, remember: a single roll of electric, masking or duct tape goes a long way. Use it to tape washcloths to sharp corners and keep drawers from closing on curious fingers.