Tips for Keeping Room Neat?

[missypie]

I posted on the Resorts board about how I didn't know if I could enjoy a vacation in one room - even in a Deluxe - with my family of 5. The room seems to get so crowded and messy.

Any tips on keeping a hotel room neat and pleasant (other than leaving your kids at home)? I've already read about collapsable hampers and an over the door shoe rack for bathroom stuff. Any other ideas?

We tend to bring lots of snacks. How do you organize that stuff?

 

[enchantedpixiedust]

This doesn't really help the snack stuff, but I found the very best thing for me to do when I get there is to unpack and put everything in its spot for the week. No living out of messy suitcases, toiletry bags, etc. Otherwise I'd have shoes & clothes everywhere.

 

[missypie]

Yes, I'm an "unpacker." I even put things in drawers when we are at a hotel for one night.

I was thinking of bringing a few shallow baskets/trays for 1) DH's keys, sunglasses, cell phone (the stuff from his pockets), 2) kids' gameboys, etc. Can't quite think of what to use...sounds like I need a trip to the Container Store.

 

[vacationwoman]

We take 2 coolers with us (both on wheels w/handle)

One looks like a 20" piece of luggage and the snacks get packed in there and that's where they stay in the room.

The second one is a large square cooler(wheels w/handle also) but it is collapsable. This gets packed and is used as our "fridge" in the room. For the trip home both are empty and used for our souveniers on the way back.

Have a great time

 

[RUDisney]

My problem isn't the clothes that are put away, or the snacks... its the clothes that are dirty. You'd think that I'm the only person in my family who doesn't like clothes all over the floor.

I'm a little obsessive. I keep all of the snacks in one place. The kitchenette in the DVC studio works nicely for this. All of the shoes must stay in the closet. Dirty clothes are placed into a suitcase that acts as a hamper. They have to be folded so they pack better. All of the clean clothes are either in the drawers or hanging in the closet.

We'll be using this theory of organization next week in Maine and in October at BWV. The hotel in Maine doesn't have a kitchenette, but at least it has a refrigerator and a microwave.

BTW, we live out of our toiletry kits so that we stay organized by the bathroom sink.

 

[turnlisa]

I am also an unpacker! This drives my DH nuts but I don't feel fully settled in until everything is nice and tidy in a drawer and the suitcases are hidden away. I also set everything out by the sink but will be purchasing one of those over-the-door shoe holders this year. That is a great idea!

As for the dirty clothes, I am also one of those terrible people that puts everything into a collapsible hamper and when it gets full, I wash it on vacation. Clean clothes are so much easier to pack going home and with 2 kids (DSs age 7 and 2), the extra clothes come in handy.

 

[bobcat]

I have collapsable containers to go with my hamper. I fill these with food on the way down since we srive but once we get there the food gets it's own drawer and the top of the dresser so I use the containers for shoes by the door and to coral other little items.

I also bring my own hangers. I have a package or wire hangers I keep in the front pocket of my suitcase. They take up no room but I can hang all of my items up and give the drawers to the kids. I also take plastic clothespins. I can use them to hang pants on my wire hangers, hang wet items over the tub, keep snacks closed, keep curtains closed for the afternoon rest, etc.

 

[Blueberry]

We upack as soon as we get into our hotel room. Clothes go in closet or the drawers, bathroom items get put by the tub and next to the sink and shoes in the bottom of the closet.

I use one drawer at the hotel as a catch all, generally the night stand between the two beds..I put all stuff we brought that we might use in there, such as flashlights, extra discs for the camera, cell phone chargers etc...We take out what we need when we need it and then stash the rest back in that drawer. Nothing really valuable of course, I never leave anything unsecured in the room anywhere...

I bring garbage bags for dirty laundry, carry the laundry in it to the washer and dryer, trash it, then use a clean bag to bring clean laundry back to room...The bag used for the clean laundry then becomes the dirty laundry bag, so it is a nice circle of reuse.

If we unpack as soon as we get there we can head out and be settled as soon as we get back when we first venture out...

 

[SkylarKD]

Great tips! I'll definitely have to remember to bring some garbage bags and hangers - I hate those hotel hangers.

Hmmm... question: do hotel staff ever mistake a garbage bag of laundry as actual garbage? I'd hate for them to turf all of our dirty clothes!

 

[DeDixie]

We have a hanging toiletry kit and I bought a dog collar at the dollar store, I use that to hang the kit from the towel bar or the clothes bar to keep it from dropping.

All shoes have to stay in closet on floor.

Dirty clothes in suitcase or bottom drawer.

set of four stackable baskets that I put by the front door to keep sunglasses, wallet, camera, hat, etc that need to go with us to parks -- I move a small table over near front door (we stay in DVC so the room is set up differently)

Each person takes a 1 gallon ziplock bag and fills it with snacks at home, put a name on it and eat from their bag once at hotel.

We also take one drawer for umbrellas, film, ponchos, etc.

Good thread!

 

[Amirah95]

I'm an "Unpacker" as well. It's the other two (DH and DD) who make the mess. That is why we don't do hotel rooms anymore. If we have a setup at the resort like we do at home then everything has it's place and it makes things easier to handle.

Last time, the place was such a mess (plus I felt bad) that I helped the room maid clean up before we left the resort.

 

[missypie]

I always leave a hotel room so neat that the maid has to do very little (it's just stressful riding herd on everyone to get it that neat).

Great ideas everyone. Keep them coming.

The one thing that did bug me about the Hyatt Hill Country (an almost perfect resort) is that there was one TINY trash can in the bathroom and another TINY trash can by the desk, and that was all. We are talking maybe 6 inches by 8 inches....you throw away a newspaper (folded tightly) and the trash can is full. A normal sized trash can would be helpful!

 

[MELSMICE]

We are a family of 5 also. We belong to DVC & have always had a 2BR, but we also stay in the deluxes at the beginning or end of a trip. Here are a few things we do to keep the resort room neater:

--the over the door shoe holder for toilettries

--I bring a sweater "hanger" that goes over the closet for my clothes because there never seems to be enough drawer space & I can't stand crammed/cramped drawers

--Put a suitcase or collapsible hamper either under the bathroom sink if there is room or in the closet for dirty clothes

--Purchase some of those cardboard storage boxes from the Dollar Store for the food items. This keeps them neat & in one place - either on the dresser or table. Before you leave just throw them away

--We hang all hats & fanny packs on closet hangers. It really irritates me to see them laying around the room!!!

If I think of anymore I'll post again!

 

[madge62]

Wow, great tips, I'll plan using some of them for sure!

I also love to unpack and keep everything neat and tidy. There are only 3 of us but it can get messy fast. I always have a snack/food drawer that I designate for all the junk food, snacks, cereal, bowls, spoons, whatever. If anyone is hungry they know just where to go.

 

[flipturngirl]

get into a habbit when u get there like get dressed in the broom and no where else then bring/put suit case in same place all time. keep everything together. and then put things u do not want on ground so maid will pic it up!

 

[CathyC]

We unpack as soon as we get our room too. In the past we have stayed at ASMo and space was a premium. Here is how we stayed organized.
Each person got a drawer for their clothes.

We have a hanging bag for toiletries, so that goes on the back of bathroom door, or in closet next to sink.

We have a HUGE duffle bag that goes on the floor in the back of the closet for dirty clothes.

The suitcases go under the bed, as do the strollers (umbrella) when we are in the room.

The snacks end up om the shelves of the closet so the kids can't help themselves. (They are only 1 and 3) But it keeps the food in a central location and out of the way.

Our next trip is our first as DVC members and we can't wait to stay in our 2 bedroom villa! All that space!

Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Jen D]

I unpack everything, clothes in drawers and closets, shoes in closets, dirty clothes in empty suitcase. Snacks either have their own drawer, or, if there are no drawers to spare, they are stacked neatly in the armoire near the tv. Usually the drawer in the nightstand is for keys, wallets, sunglasses, all those highly losable objects.

Make your room as homey as possible-- arranging animals and souvinier-- and somehow it is easier to keep it neater.

 

[pumpkinfish]

With all this unpacking, I can't believe nobody mentioned making sure you remember to pack up everything. A ghastly sight would be to return to UK to find you had forgotten some important medicine or something else important. Always check those night-table drawers. I almost forgot my meds one year, that's why I mention this!

 

[Strings]

I have used many of these tips on our trip. My suggestion is actually about sendind DH and the kids out to the pool while you unpack. DD and DH are happily occupied while I take care of this. The best part is I don't hear whining.

 

[Amirah95]

^5 to Strings! But you know what...they open the door, fall in, jump into their swimming trunks and run out. I get to have about an hour or two alone to get things situated. Good tip!