Trouser clips? A travel writer on how to make budget hotels feel luxe

It’s the sinking feeling we all know: when you step into your budget hotel room and realise that you will be spending your holiday in a room that is infinitely more dingy than it appeared online. Or more cramped. Or just… shabby.

Not every budget hotel is disappointing, of course, but plenty are. Fortunately, if you do find yourself in underwhelming accommodation, there are things you can do to make your stay feel a little more luxe – and no, we don’t mean packing your own bathrobe.

First things first: before you start trying to change the room, consider whether you need to change rooms. Even in a budget hotel, all rooms are not created equal. Before giving in to what-time-zone-am-I-in fatigue and crashing out on the bed, still fully dressed, it pays to take a few minutes to audit the space.

Credit: Greg Straight

Are you right next to the lifts? Does the air-conditioning work? What about the hot water? Does your mini-bar fridge periodically sound like it’s getting ready for lift-off? Any one of those things can ruin your stay. Identify the problem straight away and you have a better chance of being moved to a different room.

Even if you score the best room in the house, you are unlikely to find yourself in the sort of soundproofed cocoon that, to me, is, one of the greatest luxuries a hotel can offer. Instead, you may be dealing with wispy curtains that let in the light or single-glazed windows that let in every sound.

To be safe, pack an eye mask, some ear plugs and – if you are super-light-sensitive – a couple of foldback clips to pin together curtains that don’t quite meet. If you get there and don’t have any foldback clips, check if the coat hangers in the wardrobes have trouser clips – they will also do the trick.

No block-out blinds and sound-proofed walls? No problem.Credit: iStock

The white noise feature on iPhones is super-helpful when disruptive noise bleeds through the windows or walls. (Look under Settings/Accessibility/Audio & Visual.)

Some professional travellers pack their own pillows. I don’t go that far (too bulky!), but in my backpacking days I used to take an ultra-thin silk sleeping bag, picked up on the cheap somewhere in Asia, to save me from scratchy sheets.

Finally, since you don’t have a butler who will look after your every need, do the job yourself. A few little treats packed away in your suitcase will help change the tone of your stay. If you love a good cuppa in the morning, pack your favourite tea bags (or your favourite coffee beans and a grinder, if you must).

Fill some mini-bottles with your favourite shower gel and you won’t be reliant on what’s on offer. (Who wants to wash themselves with body products that smell exactly like dishwashing detergent?) If a spot of colour lifts your mood, pack a vivid scarf that you can drape across the bed or use as a tablecloth.

My own favourite investment: a small box of individually wrapped chocolates. Better a chocolate you have put on your own pillow than no chocolate at all.