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EXCLUSIVE: Brits warned of 'common mistake' hotel guests always make before they're even in their room

Hotel guests could be sabotaging their stay by making a simple and common mistake when arriving, with more than half of Brits confessing they are guilty of the behaviour

[Medium shot of couple using digital tablet to check in at hotel front desk during business trip]

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Are you making the same mistake when arriving at a hotel?(Image: Getty Images/Stock Image)

Brits have been warned about a common mistake they could be making when checking into a hotel.

Arriving at the hotel you booked weeks in advance is often filled with anticipation and excitement, whether it's for a weekend city break or a rural escape in the countryside. And while it marks the start of a night away, with customer service at the heart of hospitality, how you act during the stay can determine alot, and you might not even realise.

"The worst thing to do at a hotel is to treat the staff badly", etiquette expert William Hanson exclusively told the Mirror. "No one deserves to be treated with anything but dignity and compassion - it's so basic."

[William Hanson]

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William Hanson warned Brits about a 'common mistake' they could be making when arriving at a hotel(Image: Hotels.com)

He continued: "You don't need to have gone to an etiquette school just to know that everyone needs basic good manners. It's just being nice to each other, and if you don't think that's needed in a hotel environment, or in any environment, then that's quite sad."

Research from Hotels.com found that 40% of Brits believe their hotel manners are slipping, with 51% confessing to being rude to staff. Yet behaving in such a way can actually impact your stay.

In a warning to Brits, William said: "It starts from the moment you walk in, you have a first impression as a guest, we all have a first impression of a hotel, from walking in, but the service staff are also judging the guests.

"The service staff will have a first impression of the guests, from walking up to the front desk and within that minute, in terms of who they will upgrade or offer a welcome drink to. Some guests don't realise that you are being watched the moment you arrive."

[Couple checking into hotel]

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How you present yourself at a hotel can impact your stay, the expert warned(Image: Getty Images/Stock Image)

In further advice ahead of a hotel stay, William commented: "Just be conscious of a hotel. Obviously, you are paying for it, you are going to be looked after and sort of pampered to whatever level of hotel you're in, but it's not your own house.

"You might be fine having things all over the floor in your bedroom, but actually, that's going to make housekeeping service very difficult when they come in to service the room.

"You don't have to make the bed; that's their job, they're going to do that for you, that's part of the bargain. But they've got to be able to get to the bed, and there can't be clothes, items, and your entire life strewn over the bed.

"That is where it becomes difficult. So, just be conscious of where you put your worldly possessions in life."

Elsewhere in the Hotels.com research, they found that 25% of Brits said they left their hotel room excessively messy, while 23% confessed to washing their underwear in the hotel kettle. So in a bid to help guests shape up for their next hotel stay, William created a 'grand etiquette hotel guide'.

He explained: "At the heart of my guide with Hotels.com is the idea that small, thoughtful behaviours add up to big rewards: from a better nights sleep and improved service to savings on future trips."

[William Hanson]

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'Be conscious of where you put your worldly possessions in life,' William advised(Image: Hotels.com)

William Hanson's top tips

1. The art of engaging staff with dignity - Treat every member of staff, from the cleaner to the manager, with genuine respect and an open ear. This isn't just about being nice; it's about unlocking personalised service. Staff are far more likely to go the extra mile for a guest who treats them as valued individuals.
2. Halcyon hallways (and the virtue of silence) - Corridors are not thoroughfares for celebration, but shared spaces requiring a degree of restraint. One should move through them quietly, particularly in the later hours, keeping voices low and footsteps gentle.
3. Libationary lessons - A well-enjoyed drink need not become a public performance. Moderation is key, particularly in shared spaces where ones behaviour is on quiet display. By remaining composed, you retain dignity and control of your surroundings.
4. On burning embers and better judgment - Hotel rooms are designed for comfort, not combustion. Lighting a cigarette indoors undermines both the space and the experience for future guests and inevitably results in penalties that could have been easily avoided.
5. Housekeeping is not an archaeological activity - A hotel room is not ones private domain to abandon entirely. Keeping your space in reasonable order (not pristine, but certainly not chaotic) ensures that housekeeping can do their job efficiently.
6. Lavation gentility - The kettle, charmingly utilitarian as it is, exists for hot drinks only. Incredulously, some people attempt to use it for laundry, and they deserve to be cut off from society. Repurposing it for this is a step too far.
7. Borrowing, ownership, and other dangerous assumptions - Hotels provide generously, but not without limits. Slippers and toiletries may accompany you home; larger items most certainly may not. Understanding this quiet distinction spares one both awkwardness and unnecessary charges.
8. Marshalling ones morning repast - The breakfast buffet is not a free-for-all, but a civilised ritual governed by the simple act of queuing. Waiting ones turn may feel distinctly British, but it ensures order and ease for all.
9. The folly of flagplanting by towel - Placing a towel on a sun lounger at dawn and vanishing until mid-afternoon is a practice best left unadopted. A lounger is not secured by textile alone, but by presence.
10. Loyalty, and why it gets one further - A surprising number of travellers overlook the simple advantage of loyalty programmes. By consolidating bookings and collecting rewards, one quietly accumulates tangible benefits, like Hotels.com Rewards earn 100 in Hotels.com cash after 10 eligible nights.

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