Hotel tips

The minibar trick that charges you before you even open it

Travel is full of surprises. Sometimes you meet people who end up staying in your life. Sometimes a place turns out to be even more beautiful than it looked in the photos. But not every surprise is a good one, especially when extra hotel charges show up in the bill and don’t seem to make sense at first. Here are 10 hotel rules that can catch travelers off guard and help them avoid unnecessary frustration.

Picture yourself on a summer vacation in Greece. The heat is stifling, and locals tell you that temperatures reach these high levels every year. When the hotel bill arrives, you find an extra air-conditioning fee you didn’t even know existed. In some places, certain hotels may charge extra for air conditioning, especially where energy costs are high.

The best way to avoid this is to check the policy before booking. "However, you're always better off booking directly through the official website. Confirm before booking; in the "amenities" section of travel booking sites, check if air conditioning is listed as included. If you can’t find it, it is probably an extra charge. Another option could be upgrading to a slightly more expensive room. Premium rooms usually include this service in the standard rate, which can be cheaper than the fee itself.

Hotel minibar items carry heavy markups with prices much higher than regular retail prices, because guests are paying for convenience, and that’s no surprise. However, in some hotels, newer technology has changed how these items are billed.

Many modern minibars use infrared or weight sensors to track inventory, so when you pick up an item to read the label or move it to make space for your own drinks, the system may charge you instantly. To avoid inconveniences, you should ask for an empty fridge at the reception desk, and be careful not to buy identical items to replace what’s in the minibar fridge, because staff are trained to track expiration dates and specific item codes.

This step is easy to miss, but it can be one of the most important ways to avoid hassle and unexpected costs. When you arrive at your hotel room, do a quick check: turn on the TV, test the lamps, water pressure, power outlets, air conditioning, toilet flushing, and contact maintenance right away if something isn’t working properly. This is the best way to avoid misunderstandings and unfair charges at the end of your stay.

Before checking out, always look under the bed, inside closets and drawers, on nightstands, and on the bathroom floor. Even if you think you have packed everything, you may still find something you missed, and it could be valuable enough to justify the cost of going back or having it shipped home.

Losing a passport can also become an expensive travel problem. If the wrong person gains access to your passport, the chances of identity theft or fraud increase. You may have to pay replacement or emergency-document fees, take new passport photos, travel to an embassy or consulate, and change flights or hotel reservations while waiting for the paperwork.

It is usually safer to carry a clear photocopy of your passport and keep the original in the room safe. Hotel staff may need to see the original to verify your identity or complete local registration requirements, but they should normally return it after recording the necessary details.

Bringing someone up to your room is not always as simple as it may seem. Some hotels have strict visitor policies for security and occupancy reasons, and sometimes because of local registration rules. A friend, relative, or guest may need to show ID at the front desk, be added to the room record, or leave before a certain hour.

These rules can surprise travelers who expect a hotel room to be as private as their own apartment. But hotels are responsible for everyone inside the building and may request each visitor’s information, even if the person only plans to stay briefly. Ignoring the policy could result in an extra guest fee, a penalty, or even the cancellation of the reservation.

Most hotels are required to register every person staying in the room, not just the person who made the reservation. Travelers who are used to checking in under one name and simply adding a second guest without much paperwork could find this unusual.

However, the front desk may ask for passports or official ID from everyone in the room, even family members or travel companions. If someone isn’t listed on the booking, the hotel may ask to update the reservation, charge an extra fee, or refuse access until the guest is properly registered.

The Local Tourist Tax is a mandatory, government-applied levy charged per person, per night. They are generally required to be paid in the local currency, and it is better to have some cash because small properties often don’t accept local taxes with cards. If you refuse to pay it, your accommodation has the right to refuse your check-in or withhold your keys.

Most hotels take nighttime quiet hours seriously. It often runs from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am, and guests are expected to keep volume levels to a minimum in rooms and corridors during this period. If you’re in your hotel room and the noise at night is disturbing, you can contact the front desk and let the night staff handle the situation. If the issue persists, you may ask for a room change, a later check-out, or compensation for the disturbance.

But if you are the guest causing the disruption, you could receive a fine or an extra charge added to your bill the following day. Repeated complaints may even lead the hotel to ask you to leave.

Hotel pool towels are their own separate issue. They should be kept separate from bath towels at all times, and bath towels shouldn’t be taken to the pool area either. Guests should check whether there is a designated spot in the pool area for used pool towels, so they don’t bring them back to the room. Some hotels may also charge guests who take more pool towels than their room allowance. Also, a common but often unspoken hotel rule is that you shouldn’t reserve a lounge chair with only your pool towel for more than an hour if no one is around.

In many destinations, especially in Europe, booking a private room doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a private bathroom. In smaller hotels, guesthouses, and budget accommodations, rooms are often designed mainly as places to sleep, while several guests share bathrooms located in the hallway.

A private bathroom may cost extra or only be available with a larger, more expensive room. Before booking, check whether the listing says "private bathroom," "ensuite," or "shared bathroom." Otherwise, you may arrive expecting complete privacy and discover that the shower and toilet are shared with other guests.

Everything has a start

Was the Eiffel Tower supposed to be temporary? 10 landmarks’ odd origins

Many of the world’s most famous landmarks were never meant to become tourist attractions. Some started as military structures, others as advertisements, royal retreats, or industrial buildings. Over time, their original purposes faded while their fame grew worldwide. Today, millions visit these places without realizing what they were first designed to do. Did you know about any of these stories?

Before becoming a notorious federal prison, Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay served as a military site. In the 1850s, the U.S. Army fortified the island to help defend the harbor during California’s Gold Rush era and installed some of the West Coast’s earliest lighthouse equipment.

The island later became a military prison before reopening as the federal penitentiary in 1934. Famous inmates included Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. Today, Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most visited historic attractions.

The pyramids of Giza were built around 4,500 years ago as massive tombs for Egyptian pharaohs. The Great Pyramid was constructed for Pharaoh Khufu during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty and originally stood about 481 feet tall.

These structures were filled with burial chambers, treasures, and religious objects meant to prepare rulers for the afterlife. Today, the pyramids attract millions of visitors, but their original purpose was deeply spiritual rather than public.

Machu Picchu, high in Peru’s Andes Mountains, was likely built in the 15th century as a royal estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. Historians believe it functioned as a seasonal retreat for nobles and members of the royal court.

The site was not originally intended as a large public city. After the Spanish conquest, it was eventually abandoned and remained largely unknown to the outside world until American explorer Hiram Bingham brought international attention to it in 1911.

Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began in 1173 in Pisa, Italy. It was designed as the freestanding bell tower for the nearby cathedral complex, officially known as the Piazza del Duomo.

The tower’s famous lean began during construction because the soft ground beneath it could not properly support the heavy marble structure. Despite the unintended tilt, builders continued working on it for nearly two centuries until it became one of Italy’s most famous landmarks.

When the Hollywood sign was installed in Los Angeles in 1923, it actually read "Hollywoodland." The giant letters were created as an enormous advertisement for a local real estate development in the hills above the city.

The original sign included thousands of light bulbs and was only supposed to stand temporarily. Over time, however, it became closely linked to the American film industry. The final four letters were removed in 1949, creating today’s famous "Hollywood" sign.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the iron structure shocked many critics who considered it unattractive and unnecessary.

The tower was initially expected to stand for only about 20 years. However, its popularity and usefulness for scientific experiments and radio transmissions helped save it from demolition. Today, it is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.

Long before housing masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, the Louvre began as a medieval fortress in Paris during the late 12th century. King Philip II ordered its construction to help defend the city against possible invasions.

Over the centuries, the fortress gradually transformed into a royal palace. After the French Revolution, the building officially became a public museum in 1793. Visitors can still see remains of the original medieval fortress beneath the museum today.

New York City’s High Line first opened in 1933 as an elevated freight railway running through Manhattan’s West Side. Trains carried meat, dairy products, and industrial goods directly into warehouses and factories.

After freight traffic declined, the railway fell into disuse and faced possible demolition. Instead, the abandoned tracks were transformed into a public park that opened in stages beginning in 2009. Today, the High Line is one of New York’s most popular urban attractions.

London’s Tate Modern occupies the former Bankside Power Station along the River Thames. Designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the massive industrial building operated as an oil-fired power station during the mid-20th century.

The station closed in 1981 and stood mostly unused for years. Architects Herzog & de Meuron later converted it into a modern art museum, which opened in 2000. Its enormous turbine hall became one of the museum’s most distinctive spaces.

Rome’s Colosseum was originally built around 70-80 CE as a giant amphitheater for gladiator contests and public spectacles. Tens of thousands of spectators once gathered there to watch games, mock battles, and dramatic performances.

After the Roman Empire declined, the Colosseum took on completely different roles. Parts of it were used for housing, workshops, religious spaces, and even a fortress controlled by powerful Roman families. Stone from the structure was also reused in other buildings across Rome.