How Messy Should You Leave Your Hotel Room? We Asked Etiquette Experts

One of the best parts of staying in a hotel? The daily housekeeping, of course. Although it’s nice to have a dedicated team on hand to make your bed and take out your trash, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re off the hook when it comes to cleaning. Diane Gottsman, etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, tells Travel + Leisure that while “housekeeping is happy to clean your room,” it’s important to be courteous and mindful of etiquette and cleaning standards.

In short, while you don’t have to go all out by meticulously making the bed or folding the towels—though props if you do—there are a few steps you can take to keep the space tidy and avoid creating extra work for the hotel staff. If you’re wondering exactly how messy is too messy to leave your hotel room, you’re not alone. We consulted etiquette experts to weigh in on the highly debated topic. Here are their dos and don’ts. 

Do designate space for different belongings. 

Gottsman advises guests to leave their rooms tidy so that hotel staff can clean thoroughly without having to “filter through personal items on the floor or dresser.” As such, she recommends designating spaces for belongings like “dirty towels in one corner, shoes put together in a corner, [and] clothes in your suitcase, not left on the bed,” so that housekeeping does not have to move anything around to clean efficiently. 

Don’t make the bed.

While you should certainly strive to keep your room as clean as possible as a courtesy to the housekeeping staff, there’s absolutely no need for you to make the bed before checking out. Don’t believe us? Just take it from modern etiquette expert Myka Meier, who tells T+L, “The bed will be immediately stripped, so you don’t have to worry about making it.” 

Do pick up after your pet.

It goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning anyway. Accidents can happen, and the best pet-friendly hotels will undoubtedly understand this. Nevertheless, be sure to bring along enough bags to pick up pet waste. Of course, you’ll also want to dispose of it properly—meaning don’t flush the waste bag down the toilet and cause it to clog. 

Don’t use a bathrobe as a tissue.

Please don’t wipe your nose—or anything, for that matter—on the hotel-supplied bathrobes. That also goes for makeup. “Even though they can be washed,” Gottsman says, “it’s difficult to remove heavy stains.”

Do pick up your trash.

Would you leave your garbage around when staying at a friend’s house? If the answer is no—and it should be—then you shouldn’t leave trash lying around in your hotel room either. Instead, Meier advises tossing your trash in the correct cans provided. Also, be diligent about recycling if there are bins provided.

Don’t leave wet towels on the furniture.

“Never leave wet towels on the carpet or furniture, as it could damage wood or fabric and leave wet stains (or cause mildew) on carpet that may not dry in time for the next guest,” Meier says. She recommends hanging used towels or leaving them “neatly piled in the bathroom.”

Do clean up anything that breaks.

“If you break a glass or bottle, make sure to pick up the shards and splintered pieces to the best of your ability,” Gottsman says. It’s just polite to clean up after your mess, and this way, nobody—neither you nor the housekeeping staff—gets hurt. 

Don’t leave dirty dishes in the hall.

Next time you order room service, “don’t leave dirty trays out in the hallway,” says Meier. Not only is this impolite, but it can also be a tripping hazard and leave an unpleasant odor. Instead, call housekeeping or room service to pick up the dishes directly from your room.

Do leave furniture how you found it.

If you rearrange your hotel room furniture—perhaps for baby-proofing purposes or simply to make the space more comfortable—make an effort to move everything back to the way it was originally before you check out. The same advice holds true for small but essential items such as the phone or television remote. Lastly, if you unplug something, like a lamp or alarm clock, remember to plug it back in before you go. 

The Bottom Line 

In short, explains Meier, “It’s important to leave your hotel room in a tidy and respectful manner, similar to the condition you found it.” While these actions may seem trivial or unnecessary, they can make a big difference for the housekeeping staff so that they can “easily clean and prepare for the next guest.”