We’ve all stayed in them! Noisy hotel rooms. So if you are traveling for business, leisure or a vacation. You will find below many tips and tricks that my partner and I have picked up through the years of staying in hotels.
How to sleep in a noisy hotel room? Read as many hotel reviews as you can. Identify what noises you really cannot sleep with, plenty of tips below. Even if you book online or a travel agency, telephone the hotel directly and tell them that you are a light sleeper and you want the quietest room available.
How to Sleep In A Noisy Hotel – Easy Tips For Success
Hotel Reviews
Possibly one of the best assets for travelers all over the world is the easy access to reviews on everything travel.
There are so many travel and review sites out there now that are independent of the hotel you may choose to stay in. So it is easy to find out the pros and cons of most hotels.
Especially if someone stayed in a noisy room. They will even disclose the room number which can be helpful to you when booking.
You will often pick up tips so you can avoid staying in that particular room.
Some may include:
- what days and times the trash is collected
- what time that restaurant or bar close by dumps their glass bottles into the trash, always after closing time as they don’t want to disturb their own guests
- days and times that the freight train may go by
- busy roads and intersections
- highways and interstates
What if I do not book my own Accommodation?
You may work somewhere that has its own accommodation booking office. Or you have booked through one of the many booking sites online and not directly with the hotel.
A tip that my partner uses. Once he receives his booking confirmation he telephones the hotel and advises that he is, in fact, a light sleeper. Then he requests a quiet room.
One trip he did the room they thought was quiet which was very co-operative of them. On that particular business trip, he finally got a quiet room after moving into three different rooms.
So he learned very quickly that the hotel booking office may not have the same understanding of quiet as he does.
He came up with his own checklist. (The checklist is laid out below, feel free to copy it and use it for yourself) More often than not he gets appointed to his hotel room of choice, the quiet one!
Another tip if you are a regular traveler whose company organizes your travel. You could personally contact the booking office and give them your hotel room checklist.
Just explain that you are a very light sleeper. Further, explain that you do travel extensively for business. And that their help to achieve the best hotel room which allows you to get the best sleep would be greatly appreciated.
Hotel Room – Booking Checklist
- ask if there are any large groups staying at the hotel. For example school groups, sporting groups, theatre-going groups, those on a stopover at the hotel while on a tour. You get the idea! Request a room far away from those who are in a group booking.
- room on the highest floor available
- an inside room or at the back of the hotel
- prefer not to have a ground floor room . Hotel may be on a busy road, near clubs, bars or restaurants.
- away from the car park if you are staying in a hotel with only a couple of floors
- do not get one near a guest elevator or a staff elevator
- not near ice machines and vending machines
- away from the guest laundry and any exits
- away from the pool and restaurants – any floor above level three should be okay
- not on a floor or the floors above or below that have event rooms or conference rooms. Large groups of people will be attending functions, meetings and parties in these rooms at all times of the day and night.
- not near the large air conditioning units that hotels run; sometimes they are located on the roof or in an outdoor building beside the hotel
- no interconnecting door, a solid wall is always better
- you do not want a room next to a family or with a baby
Noisy Hotel Guests
When people return from a night out and walk the hallway chatting and laughing they do not realize how loud they are. Unfortunately, it is unavoidable. Just grin and bear it and try to settle back down to sleep.
Different if you have noisy neighbors in joining rooms. This could include anything from loud music, television turned up too high, crying babies, screaming children (or parents), even just talking.
It depends on the hotel you are staying in. If the noise continues contacting the reception and having hotel management resolve any issues is always the best way to go.
Hotel Refrigerator
We have all had one of these. To combat the noise of the refrigerator check the cold setting inside to see if it is too high. Turn it down or off.
You will probably find that housekeeping has turned it up to get the freshly renewed minibar drinks cold. Or maybe set the ice.
If it is still making noise make sure that none of the glass bottles are rattling against each other.
Lastly, if you are not trying to keep any perishables and if it really that noisy turn the refrigerator off.
Fill in the Holes
You can use a blanket or pillows along the bottom of the hotel door to cut out any noise that may come through down there.
Ear Plugs
Earplugs really are an inexpensive way to start. You should look for a high-quality pair. Foam ones are available that can block out 60 decibels maybe more. Try these.
Noise Cancelling Headphones Or Earbuds
If you are a regular traveler you will not regret investing in a good quality pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds. They are beneficial not only for hotel stays but to use to grab a quick nap or rest while you are traveling.
Check out some noise-canceling headphones at Amazon by clicking here…
Check out the noise-canceling earbuds at Amazon by clicking here…
You will be surprised how often you will use noise-canceling earbuds or headphones once you have them. One instance is airplane travel check out my articles about sleeping on a plane and beating jet lag – both of these involve using a noise-canceling device.
White Noise
The hotel air-conditioner if not too noisy can be a good conductor of white noise. Same with a ceiling fan.
Using extra blankets if you are using these coolers it will also allow you to really snuggle down and have a night of cozy sleep.
White noise generators are extremely popular and quite compact go here to check out some great ones at Amazon you will be surprised at the great prices.
White noise apps are very popular and you can choose any sound that you can relax and sleep too.
The apps also include other features that may be helpful for a great sleep. As we are not, all the same, it is good to have other options.
- music to help you focus, relax then sleep
- relax with soothing nature sounds
- masterclasses taught by world-renowned experts
- breathing exercises to help you relax
- sleep stories to you help you fall asleep
- learn the life-changing skill of meditation
- mix sounds together
- record and loop your own sounds
- alarms that slowly fade in, waking you refreshed not (alarmed) – 🙂 sorry
UPDATE: This is the new white noise machine I purchased with a gift card from Amazon and I love it.
Eye Masks
Have a pair on hand just in case the room is not as dark as you would like. Not all hotels have blackout curtains. Even worse your room gets the morning sun. These are very good.
Comforts from Home
Apart from your earplugs, headphone, and eye mask. There are a couple of other things you can bring from home that will not take up a lot of room in your luggage.
Nothing beats sleeping with your own pillow. So make room for it. If that is not possible, try to bring one of your own pillowcases. If you have room why not bring your own sheets.
I know fellow travelers who will not leave home without their own waterproof lux mattress protector, their own sheets, cases, and pillows.
Some hotels do supply herbal teas but your favorite herbal tea from home will always be better.
Chamomile teas now come mixed with some other flavors such as honey, so they are very calming and soothing. Only a small cup though you don’t want to be woken for a bathroom call through the night!
Some hotel rooms come with their own disturbing scent, including cleaning product smell or even stale cigarette smell. Bring one of your favorite scents, if it has a little lavender oil in it all the better to help you sleep.
Final Thoughts – How To Sleep In A Noisy Hotel – Easy Tips For Success
If you have arrived at your hotel room fully prepared and still cannot sleep just try to relax. Do not be tempted to watch television or access another device. Get up walk around, sit quietly or sit and read a chapter from your book. Then try to settle down to sleep again.
If it is others that are keeping you awake contact hotel staff. Keep on them until the excess noise stops.
Don’t feel uncomfortable about it the other guests may not even be aware of the noise they are making. You have the same rights as others staying in the hotel and I guarantee if you can hear them so can other guests.
One last tip if you are regularly traveling to the same hotels and you find that great room you need to remember the room number.
The next time you book you can give the booking desk the room number you want and you will be halfway to a quiet sleep in a noisy hotel.
