Hotel Laundry Can Cost More Than You Expect

Photo source: Flickr

A few days into a holiday, the contents of your suitcase can start looking considerably less impressive. You have worn through your favourite shirts, used the last clean pair of socks, and are beginning to wonder whether that hotel laundry bag is the answer.

It certainly is convenient. Leave your clothes in the bag, fill out the form, and they come back clean and neatly folded. The catch is that hotel laundry can be surprisingly expensive, particularly when each item is charged separately.

Before handing everything over, look at the laundry price list. A shirt, pair of trousers or dress may each have an individual charge, and some hotels add separate fees for express service. Once you multiply the prices across an entire suitcase, the total can be much higher than expected.

For longer trips, look at your alternatives. Some hotels have self-service laundry facilities, while a nearby laundrette may charge by the load rather than by individual item. Your accommodation’s reception staff may also know of a local service that travellers regularly use.

You can also pack with washing in mind. A small amount of travel laundry detergent can be useful for washing underwear, socks, or lightweight clothing in your room, provided the accommodation allows it and you have somewhere appropriate to dry things. Quick-drying fabrics can make this much easier.

There is another reason to think about laundry before you travel: your itinerary. If you are staying in one place for several nights, doing a wash there is much easier than trying to manage it during a one-night stop between destinations.

Do not forget to check whether your accommodation has restrictions on washing clothes in the room. Some properties specifically ask guests not to hang wet clothing from balconies or furniture, so use the facilities provided where possible.

None of this means hotel laundry is a bad idea. Sometimes paying for the convenience is exactly what you want, particularly after a long flight or when you are travelling without much time to spare. The useful part is knowing the price before you hand over the entire contents of your suitcase.

A holiday is supposed to make life easier, and sometimes that means paying someone else to do the washing. Just make sure you know whether you are paying for convenience or accidentally paying a small fortune for a week’s worth of socks.