BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

USA Today columnist Barbara De Lollis was curious how people make hotel rooms more accommodating.  This has been something I’ve done without giving much thought to for the past 30 years.

Barbara recently interviewed me and a number of other “re-arrangers” to come up with a most interesting list and additional comments:

• Two people she spoke to move furniture around to access electrical plug-ins.
• One person moves hotels beds for a better “feng shui” orientation, while another moves beds for child safety.
• One commenter said they move furnishings when necessary to hide stains while another person rearranges to have space for yoga. That’s something I’ve done too.
• Another individual said they move furnishings when necessary to maximize their view. I completely concur with that.

Here are other things I do, which I neglected to mention to Barbara:

1.  Electrical.  I carry two light-weight extension cords and a 3-way adapter.  For international trips this includes a converter and at least two additional adapter plugs for the country I go to (sometimes you need only the adapter) so you can plug things in more conveniently.

2.  Lighting.  I bring one or multiples of the following:  bright light bulbs, battery operated book light or a lightweight, headboard mounting reading lamp.

3.  Kitchen supplies.  We wrote about how to save money and eat better using portable kitchen supplies.

4.  Decor.  For me, adding decor to a hotel room is as de regeur as unpacking the suitcase. The photo above shows a straw mat and brass plates I purchased to enhance the room.

What do you do to make your hotel stay more accommodating?  I welcome your comments.

Photo:  My room at  Honolulu’s Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki with added features.