Hotel Packing List

Sharing the ultimate hotel packing list! The things you never thought to bring but will definitely need for your hotel stay!

After traveling so much over the years, I’ve got it down pat when it comes to hotel room packing and essentials. My hotel room packing list is usually separate from the rest of my travel list because it really includes the essentials needed to live in another space, whether a few days or a week plus. Below I’m sharing all of the things I travel with for every hotel stay!

Hand soap.

Don’t you hate it when hotel rooms only have tiny bars of soap to wash your hands with? Ugh, you guys…I despise it. The soap isn’t great, it barely lathers and then you’re left with an inevitable soapy soggy bottom once you set it down. I started bringing a hand soap pump on all of my trips, which makes it super easy to wash hands for adults and kids. Just ensure the pump is closed and packed in a ziptop plastic bag for traveling.

Dish soap and sponge.

Especially for an active trip where refillable water bottles are involved, dish soap and a sponge are a must. I like to set up a little station near the sink on a hand towel for dish washing things.

Plastic cups.

Another item on my hotel packing list for every trip. I bring these for lots of uses. In the bathroom, these are great for mouth rinsing or washing kids’ hair in the tub. They are perfect for wrangling change or jewelry. And, they are great to have on hand for drinking beverages!

Disposable utensils and plates.

Packing disposable paper goods for your hotel stay is always a good idea. If you bring food back to your room, or if you just feel snacky, having utensils, plates and napkins always seem to come in handy. Aren’t these Mickey plates the cutest?

Ziploc bags.

Honestly, these are great to have anywhere you go, but especially in your hotel room. They are great for packaging up snacks, housing souvenirs or small things to travel home with, and make a great cover for the hotel remote controls.

Pop-up hamper.

A hotel packing list is not complete without this essential. A pop-up hamper packs flat in your suitcase and wrangles all the dirty clothes, keeping them in one designated spot, instead of thrown all over the room or collecting in a corner pile. And, the pop-up hamper makes it super easy to cart to the hotel laundry room to do some laundry! (On a family vacation, laundry is a must for us). At the end of your trip? Just dump the dirty laundry into one suitcase and you’re good to go.

Travel steamer.

One of my all-time favorite travel items. Forget the questionable hotel iron. Instead, add a travel steamer to your hotel packing list to help remove all the wrinkles from your clothes. You’ll look amazing and put together and yep, you’ll thank me later.

Power strip.

This might be my favorite item for hotel packing. I don’t know about you, but I’m always searching for outlets to plug in all the things. There’s often not enough and when there are, they are scattered all over the room. With a simple power strip plugged in near the bedside table, I’m able to charge all of my devices and more.

Disinfecting wipes.

These will never go out of style and disinfecting wipes are especially great for your hotel stay. Use them to give an extra wipe down to various surfaces and use them on the go for your travel outings.

Last but certainly not least: Packing cubes.

This is a general travel essential, but I love that packing cubes are also useful once you’ve arrived for your hotel stay. They go straight from the suitcase to the drawer so everything stays organized and clothing doesn’t need to touch the insides of the drawers. It’s a win for organization and cleanliness - but in transit and at your destination.

There you have it. The full list of items that I always pack for my hotel room, especially when traveling with kids!

What would you add to this list?

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