Traveller reveals genius loophole for free water in hotels

"This is so stupidly good. How did I never think of this!" A clever way of scoring free water in hotels is blowing travellers' minds, and you'll definitely be trying it on your next trip.

Call me precious, but I struggle to drink out of hotel bathroom taps.

Whether it's because I grew up with English parents who warned the lead in bathroom pipes in the UK could send you mad, whether I can't reconcile drinking in close proximity to a toilet, or whether it's because it always - maddenly - seems to come out lukewarm, I just can't do it. 

This leaves me with a dilemma every time I stay in a hotel. Either I have to take out a small mortgage to drink bottled water from the mini bar, or I have to dehydrate myself every night, greedily making up for my lack of H20 every morning at the breakfast buffet.

Drinking water can be an expensive exercise in hotels if you're not a fan of tap water.

There is a solution, however. A way to score free filtered water, from most hotels: going to the hotel gym.

This game-changing life hack was recently shared on Reddit, with a traveller bequeathing the following gem: "If you need filtered/drinking water at a hotel and don’t want to pay for it, go to the gym."

"The gym usually has at least a cold water dispenser. Some even stock bottled in the gym. This may be only a US thing, but it has worked for me at most of the hotels I’ve been to."

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Dozens of globe-trotters heralded the life hack as superb. One wrote: "How have I never thought about this. My biggest gripe with hotels!"

Head to the gym for your free water.

Another said: "This is so stupidly good. How did I never think of this!"

Yet another added: "Did this is Vegas at the Palms a few weeks ago. Filled up my gym bag then used them all day. Started each day with a workout and getting more water."

The conversation then moved to related life hacks like: "If you're in a crappy motel room with no fridge, use the air conditioner to keep your drinks cold... put them on the vents where the cold air comes out" and "I’ve also found that some hotels have water stations on the conference floors... Just act like you’re attending a meeting and fill up your bottle."

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There you have it. You learn something every day. Now go forth and refresh yourself with cold, filtered Adam's ale. 

Originally published as Traveller reveals genius loophole for free water in hotels