Flight attendant shares best hotel travel hacks in viral TikTok

Katherine Kamalani is a flight attendant from Salt Lake City, Utah. She's also a recent viral TikTok star. In one video that went insanely viral, Katherine shares the things she does every single time she checks into a hotel to make sure her stay is safe and happy.

The video has nearly six million views, 1.2 million likes, and more than 3,300 comments. Some of these tips and tricks are more obvious than others, but they are all a good idea to keep in mind when you are traveling and staying in hotels.

She says them pretttty fast, so let's go through these tips one by one. The first one might be something you've never even thought about before.

Never say your room number out loud.

This is a big one! You don't want to advertise where you're staying to a bunch of strangers. I hate to say it, but this is especially true if you are a female-presenting person who is traveling alone. Tip number two is similar...

Make sure there's no one behind you in the hallway when you're entering your room.

Just make sure you're aware of your surroundings at all times, and make sure there's no one sneaking up behind you when you enter your room. This makes me think that something has happened to Katherine before, or that maybe she's heard some horror stories...

Check behind the curtains and in all closets to make sure you're truly alone.

I suppose it's a thing that sometimes people hide in hotel rooms that aren't theirs. When you get into your room, do a thorough sweep to make sure you are really alone. You don't want any middle-of-the-night visitors.

Always lock the top lock.

Don't rely on the key lock when you're in your hotel room, especially at night. Always make sure to lock the top lock, which is usually a deadbolt of some kind, for that extra layer of security.

Check the mattress for bed bugs.

I know it's gross, but it's a good idea to check the mattress for bed bugs before you set anything down in the room. You have to lift up the sheets and get under the folds on the corners to see what's going on, but believe me, it's worth it. You do not want to bring bed bugs with you back home.

Take any decorative pillows or blankets off of the bed.

"They never wash those," Katherine says, matter-of-factly. Ew. Stick to the regular sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. 

Never put your bag on the bed.

Katherine makes a good point here. That thing has been rolling through an airport, lifted onto an airplane, maybe even manhandled by several people in the cargo section of the plane. Your bag is disgusting. Don't put it on the hotel bed.

Use the ice bucket to chill food if there's no refrigerator.

Last but not least, Katherine says that if you don't have a refrigerator in your room, you can always fill up the ice bucket and chill your food that way. She's been in the business for a long time so she knows exactly how to optimize hotel travel. If I were you, I'd heed her advice.

Editor's Note: The article was originally published in September 2020.