[pengaru]

The orientation section doesn't seem incredibly inconvenient nor costly. It's basically just establishing situational awareness in an unfamiliar place. What are you getting kept from by doing it? A dozen extra minutes of terrible hotel TV?

On the topic of flash floods esp. when traveling; I make a conscious effort to not park/stay anywhere liable to flash-flood, and that requires some situational awareness in the sense of at least knowing your surroundings and the area's geography/climate/seasonal weather patterns. We recently narrowly avoided getting caught in [0], and that was with us making a conscious effort to not spend too much time in any of the low-lying areas, not even for a day hike - we'd always park somewhere relatively high and simply avoided hiking any of the low regions. That storm happened just one day after we were there passing through that exact spot. The tourists staying at that popular hotel probably didn't think about how they're staying on the floor of an enormous desert valley in a monsoon-y time of year. By failing to prepare you're preparing to fail...

[0] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-05/unpreced...

[nextlevelwizard]

>What are you getting kept from by doing it? A dozen extra minutes of terrible hotel TV?

I don't go to a hotel to be in my room. If I am traveling there is a reason to do so.

All in all I think this paranoid fear of hotels and travel is something specific to US. I've never had issues with security in a hotel or even given it a a thought. In normal world you don't need to worry about this kind of stuff.

My biggest worry in hotel rooms these days is how to rig the A/C to stay on while I'm out.

[Scoundreller]

> My biggest worry in hotel rooms these days is how to rig the A/C to stay on while I'm out.

Heated blanket on the thermostat? Or do they have timed-shutoffs or door-key based systems that cuts off the electricity when you leave? What do you do then?

[nextlevelwizard]

Most of them just have a slot for your room key to turn on the electricity and/or A/C, but many times it is a physical which i.e. it doesn't care what gets stuffed into the hole and often there is some kind of brochure that can be folded/ripped into card shape to trip the switch.

[talliedthoughts]

Ask for a second key and leave it in the slot?

[kingofpandora]

Those slots don't require a specific key. Put your library card in there and it'll work fine.

[Scoundreller]

They get suspicious when I pay for X occupancy but request X+Y keys.

[ghaff]

Hotels routinely give me two cards when I check in--and certainly will if I ask. I usually stick one in my wallet and one in my bag or whatever so I'm less likely to accidentally leave the card in the room.

[sawmurai]

Usually you can stick anything that has the correct form into that slot. Even thin cardboard :)