This used to be hotel etiquette: Hotel manners that seem forgotten today

Good old hotel ways

This used to be hotel etiquette: Hotel manners that seem forgotten today

There was a time when checking into a hotel felt like walking into a movie. Bellhops in polished uniforms greeting you at the door, big room keys clinking against brass tags, and a small chocolate waiting on your pillow at night. Whatever happened to these hotel customs? Some fancy or particularly nostalgic venues might still stick to some of them, but we believe most of these 11 traditions are extinct today. Do you agree?

Writing in the guestbook by hand

Image: furkanfdemir

Long before online reviews and star ratings, hotels relied on physical guestbooks. Remember? They usually sat near the front desk, a hefty ledger with thick paper and very visible handwriting. Guests added their names, hometowns, dates of stay, and often a sentence or two about their experience.

Many historic hotels still preserve their old guestbooks in archives, and some contain famous signatures, beautiful lines about travel, doodles from bored children, and occasional dramatic rants.

Leaving your room key with the front desk when you go out

Image: Amy Vosters

When keys were physical, oversized, brass, decorated things, you were not expected to carry them with you on your tourist activities. Instead, whenever you stepped out, you handed it back to the front desk.

The practice prevented keys from being lost, but also helped staff keep track of who was in or out, and reinforced the idea that the hotel was actively watching over its guests. We don’t get this feeling anymore with the reusable plastic cards, do we?

Formal dress codes in hotel dining rooms

Image: Valeria Boltneva

Dining rooms were the social center, really. Eveningwear that included jackets, ties, gloves, or hats was once normal. The dining rules also extended to time, and the restaurants had pretty strict service hours.

Formal tea time in the lounge

Image: cottonbro studio

In many hotels, there was also the ceremony of tea time. It was typically served in a grand lounge between mid-afternoon hours. Fine china, tiered trays of sandwiches and pastries, silver teapots, and perfectly folded linens. Of course, all of this survives today as a novelty experience, but there was a time when it was a daily tradition for guests.

Full bellhop uniforms

Image: Anatolii Hrytsenko

Bellhops were once part of the hotel’s visual identity. Since they would probably be the first person to greet you upon your arrival, their look was carefully designed, complete with structured jackets, polished brass buttons, caps, and sometimes gloves.

Greeting a guest was a performance way beyond carrying bags. Their goal was to make guests feel important, even glamorous, the moment they stepped inside.

Personal butlers or full butler service included

Image: cottonbro studio

In the early days of luxury travel, especially at elite hotels like the Ritz or the Plaza, true service meant having a dedicated butler. This person was assigned to your stay and handled tasks most modern guests would never expect from a hotel.

Butlers ran errands, delivered private meals, managed correspondence, and acted as discreet problem solvers. Need theater tickets, a last-minute tailor, or a forgotten item replaced quietly? That was the butler’s domain.

Leaving chocolates on pillows

Image: cottonbro studio

For decades, many hotels followed the custom of leaving a small chocolate on the pillow during turndown service. It was a simple gesture, but it signaled that your room had been sweetly cared for.

Sadly, over time, rising costs and quicker housekeeping turnarounds pushed this tradition aside. Still, some nostalgic hotels might still surprise you with a tiny wrapped chocolate sometime during your stay!

Handwritten thank you notes for staff at checkout

Image: Álvaro Serrano

Attention went both ways: Guests often left handwritten notes for housekeeping, porters, or the concierge, sometimes tucked neatly on the desk or handed directly to the front desk at checkout. A short and sincere "thank you" sufficed, and sometimes hotel staff kept these notes pinned in staff rooms or saved as mementos of good service.

Guest wardrobes stocked with full hangers and accessories

Image: Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer

Remember when closets came stocked with sturdy wooden hangers? They also had shoe horns, garment brushes, and even spare hangers.

The assumption was that you were traveling with real luggage and planned to dress well. Nowadays, some hotel wardrobes feel like a temporary downgrade from the comforts of your home!

Classic letter writing and message delivery services

Image: Suzy Hazelwood

It makes less sense nowadays, since we have instant communication. But there was a time when hotels helped as communication hubs. Guests wrote letters or postcards in their rooms or at lobby desks, handed them to the front desk, and trusted the hotel to handle delivery.

It later evolved to available computers to send emails from, remember? Nowadays, while post service still exists, most guests must be content with asking for the wifi password.

Chatting during your in-person checkout

Image: Quang Nguyen Vinh

Today, leaving is so… uneventful. These days, it is silent and automated, as simple as dropping your key in a box or tapping some screen. But it used to be a whole ritual.

Guests approached the front desk, returned their key, settled their bill, and almost always exchanged a few words with the staff. "How was your stay? Did everything meet your expectations? Safe travels home!" This brief goodbye mattered, and it made travelers feel seen and esteemed!