It's Just a Place to Sleep. Is it?
“It doesn’t matter what my room looks like, it’s just a place to sleep.” As a travel agent, I hear this all the time from clients—especially when it comes to cruise vacations and Walt Disney World vacations. I get it, kind of. Our clients are trying to cut costs in the only place possible—room type. But just a place to sleep? That’s where I disagree.
Your room is your home base, place to re-center and recharge from your day at the theme parks or from your day at the beach or up on deck. If you have a hotel room or stateroom, big or small, deluxe or value priced—I think it’s more than just a place to sleep. I personally think that it’s hard to relax and recharge if your room ends up becoming a chaotic mess due to lack of space or organization.
If you chose a hotel that’s really cramped for your family or a small stateroom type, what can you do to keep things peaceful and organized in your room while on vacation? How can you keep your room a place to actually relax and recharge? I’ve found over the years of traveling with my family that a few organizational items that I pack with me means the difference between a peaceful, clean room and a room that turns into chaos. I have found 3 critical items for hotel/stateroom organization that will keep your room organized and for me means the difference between chaos and calm. Packing these things means makes the hotel room more than just a place to sleep—a place to relax.
1. Laundry hampers. A laundry hamper will keep your dirty clothes in a confined place. Look for a laundry hamper that folds flat and doesn’t take up any room in your suit case. When you check-in to your hotel, unfold and put it in the closet! This is the type I have and bring with us everywhere we go.
2. Tooth brush holders. Buy a cheap dollar store tooth brush holder that can keep your sink space organized. Many value hotels have a single sink space. If you’re in a small room that holds 4 or 5 people, that sink can become complete chaos.
3. Hanging Shoe Rack. I use a hanging shoe rack to hold shoes (duh) but I also use it to hold other items like lotions, sunscreen, and make up when I’m in a small hotel room or stateroom. Just a word of caution, you cannot use over the door shoe racks on most cruise ships. Look for ones that attach to a coat hanger or you can attach it to a coat hanger yourself with zip ties.
For me, preplanning a little room organization really leads to a more enjoyable vacation. You work hard for these vacations—enjoy the relaxation side too!
I’m happy to help you plan and get organized for you trip!
Cara Hatcher Blair
Travel Planner
cara@bluepineappletravel.com
