Guide to American Style Hotel/Motel Rooms – Video Tour

If you have never stayed in an American hotel room then this video is for you. I intended this video to be a tour of a fairly typical business class hotel (this hotel was the Intercontinental in Boston, MA) for people who have yet to visit the U.S. As I show you around the room I talk about how this hotel room is like most other rooms and how it is different.

Surprisingly what you would find in a budget hotel room (Motel 6 or Travelodge) is not as different as you might think from what you would find in a business class hotel (Marriott, Hyatt, or Hilton). The difference will often be the quality not the specific items. For instance, a low priced hotel / motel will have thin towels. An expensive hotel will have plush towels (and often a bathrobe). The hangers in a motel are more likely to be attached to the closet than those of an expensive hotel. The ice bucket might be plastic or stainless steal. The glasses might be glass or plastic.

The kinds of things you would expect to find in a typical American hotel room more often than not:

• two double beds (or one larger queen or king size bed)
• color TV with cable channels
• remote control
• free shampoo and soap
• 4 bath towels, 4 hand towels, 4 wash cloths (half that for a room with a king size bed)
• the list prices on the back of the door (and if you paid this much you are doing it wrong)
• emergency instructions also on the back of the door
• shower / bathtub combination
• telephone
• guide to the hotel services
• iron and ironing board
• internet connection
• desk
• do not disturb sign
• deadbolt or some other extra lock on the door
• hangers
• glasses or plastic drinking cups
• ice bucket
• clock radio
• a bible placed there by the Gideons (not the hotel)

Things that you may or may not find in the hotel room:

• room service menu
• small refrigerator
• stocked mini-bar for those really desperate for food (it’s expensive)
• wi-fi internet connection
• free internet (the more expensive the hotel the less likely the internet will be free… go figure)
• bathrobe
• coffeemaker
• hairdryer
• bag for laundry service
• shower cap
• hotel stationery

What did I miss?