Unless you opt for a temporary rental service like Airbnb, HomeAway or FlipKey - or stay at a friend or relative's place - hotel living is an essential aspect of business travel. Many people don't look forward to it, not unlike some travelers' opinion of flying, but it can't be helped.
That said, you don't have to be locked into a mediocre or downright bad experience while hotel-dwelling during your latest corporate jaunt. Take a look at the following pointers to help better your next period of time away from home:
"Staying at hotels for business trips doesn't have to be an uncomfortable experience."
Use the same lodging franchise
When traveling for business, you don't always have a choice in the matter regarding the hotel in which you end up staying. However, if you do - or if you can successfully convince your company to change its policy - Entrepreneur magazine recommended finding a chain you like and going there as often as possible. You likely accrue various rewards by doing so, which will make future stays cheaper and more enjoyable.
Be sanitary
Writing for the Travel Mom blog, coffee vendor and frequent corporate traveler Nasreen Stump highlights the importance of keeping your hotel room as sanitary and germ-free as can be managed. It's bad enough to get sick while on the road for any reason, and far worse when you're traveling to represent your company. Stump recommended using disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer.
It's also wise to keep the room clean overall. While the hotel has staff paid to deal with sheets and crumbs on floors, why make their lives harder?
Alarm use
According to Entrepreneur, the room's alarm clock may be set to a random hour. Avoid rude awakenings by turning it off for the duration, and using your phone's alarm instead.
Keep track of favorites
If you're going to regularly stay at one hotel, it also makes sense to find restaurants and stores you like and write down their details, Stump wrote. You might even want to record the numbers of rooms you particularly enjoy so you can request them in advance next time.