It seems many of us are traveling more these days with business trips and conventions across America and the world. Many times we are interested in how others can make our stays a little nicer. But when I was in a hotel recently, I began thinking of all the things that I could do for others as I work toward being more polite when staying on the road.

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Check-In

Now that you're confident you can get to your files at the hotel, it's time to start things off on the right foot. Checking in with the correct frame of mind will go a long way. People have been queuing up for thousands of years and will continue to do so long into the future. Having a bad attitude about it just makes the situation uncomfortable for everyone else. Politely waiting in line takes a little more effort than getting hot under the collar, but patience will get your stay off to a good start.  And maybe you'll be able to thwart someone else's attempts to bring everyone else down.

The clerks at the check-in desk might have just dealt with the worst guest of all time so a pleasant attitude is the last thing they might expect. Even if the hotel has lost your reservation, calmly explaining your situation and conveniently producing your travel information will usually encourage things to fall into place more quickly than raising a fuss.

If the clerk becomes adamant, you should politely ask for a manager. I'm not saying be a pushover. I just know that tempering your comments can benefit your situation in the long run, so always be courteous and kind.

Porters

Many upscale hotels will have someone who is designated to take your bags to your room for you. That person is there to make your stay more comfortable. If you are in a hurry and can manage your bags, it's completely appropriate to take your bags to your room yourself. However, if you're lugging lots of luggage and might become a nuisance in the lobby or elevator, please let someone assist you. At some point the bell hop might ask to take your bags without you accompanying him or her. If that is the case, make sure to get a receipt of the transaction for your security.

Community

A hotel is a mini-community. We don't usually seek out those around us (that might be a little creepy), but they are still there. Remember that excessive noise in the hallway and the room can usually be heard through the walls and will probably be disturbing to other guests, especially late at night. Also, children don't usually understand this concept so it's our job to let them know they need to control their volume as much as possible. Even moderately loud television volume or conversation might be audible in the next room. Listen around you when you get to your room to see what kind precautions you might take to improve the quality of someone else's stay.

And if someone else is being loud, you might knock on their door and let them know. "Hi," you might say. "I think the walls are very thin here, and I wanted to let you know I can hear much of your conversation.  Please feel free to step next door and let me know if I'm being too loud."

Kindness in that situation usually throws people off guard since the usual response is passive-aggressive loudness or an old-fashioned shouting match.

Room Sweet Room

Remember that a hotel room is not your private home and is usually expected to be used by someone else in the near future. Taking care with coffee makers, linens, and the furniture doesn't take a lot of effort and will cut down on the work the staff must do to prepare for the next guest. Also, many in-room trash cans do not have trash bags. In those cases, dental floss and other personal items should be sufficiently wrapped in toilet paper before going into the bin.  It's not really expected of us to make things easier on the staff like this, but simple things like this can brighten someone's day. That's important even if you're not around to see it. After all, manners are the way we show others they matter.

It's Not Easy Being Green

More and more lately we see reminders in hotel rooms of the toll washing all those towels has on our environment. By all means, make yourself comfortable during your hotel stay, but I would encourage you to follow the requests the hotel management makes regarding the use and re-use of towels.

The Take-Away

What can we take away from this? Just about anything. Go ahead. Take the little shampoos. Take the shower caps and sewing kits. Take the newspaper provided at your door. They'll charge you for the robe, but you shouldn't feel any guilt about rounding up the toiletries to supplement your supply at home. A side note here is that many charity groups accept donations of these kinds of things to help people as they get back on their feet. Even if you're not going to use the little shampoo and conditioner set yourself, you might take it with you and find a charity in your area who would love to have those items.

Homeward Bound

I remember staying in hotels with my family on vacation. When we would pack up our things to leave, my father would begin straightening the room. That's just what he did. We would give him a hard time, but he insisted on cleaning up every time. His argument was that the person coming in to clean the room would be surprised at how little work was to be done and have a better day. He was and still is always interested in making others feel important. And that's what being polite is all about.

Leaving the towels in a pile, putting trash in the bin and generally putting things back where they belong is helpful to the cleaning service, but it also can ensure that you don't forget something on your way out.

Yes, my dad also cleans up after himself at a restaurant. And, yes, I now do the same thing.

The last little thing here would be the keycard. I'm not sure if there are many hotels in operation now that are not using the keycards. It's perfectly within hotel policy for you to throw away the keycard, but I always get a nice smile and "thank you" when I return mine to the front desk.

Administrative

And Thank YOU for listening to the Modern Manners Guy's Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Polite Life.  I would be honored if you would take the time to visit podcastawards.com [and nominate our show]. It will help us spread the word about this podcast and wouldn't it be nice if we had more folks interested in a more polite life? 

Transcripts of this show can be found online at manners.quickanddirtytips.com, where you can also get the GoToMyPC.com/podcast link for your free 30-day trial.

Send your question and comments to manners@quickanddirtytips.com Or leave a voicemail at 206-666-4MrM. The Modern Manners Guy is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips Network, which has released its first book--Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Order it now anywhere books are sold.