How to Spend a Night Solo in a Hotel

Best Western Pluse Icicle Inn, Leavenworth, Washington

If you ever travel solo, whether it’s for work or play, chances are you’ve spent a night all alone in a hotel room, wondering just what to do with all that space and unadulterated privacy.

It’s rather luxurious, in this introvert’s opinion, to not have to share your space with anyone else while you travel. Perhaps it could get lonely if I were always traveling this way, but every now and again it’s just what the doctor ordered.

There are a few important steps to take to ensure maximum enjoyment of your solo night in a hotel–and, because I know what you’re all thinking, let’s just get this out of the way up front–none of these steps involve porn.

I recently had the pleasure of enjoying a night to myself at the Icicle Inn, a full-service resort hotel in Leavenworth Bavarian Village, and it was anything but lonely. Here are a few of the ways I made this solo hotel stay utterly delightful that I encourage you to utilize on your next trip.

1. Get Comfortable

The first and perhaps most important thing you can do upon arrival at your hotel is: Take off your pants!  You don’t have all this private space just to mope around being uncomfortable, so shed those confining leg prisons the moment you walk in the door.  If hanging out in the nude isn’t your thing, throw on your pajamas, a bathrobe if the hotel provides one, or whatever you feel most comfortable lounging around in.  You’re in a judgment-free zone with no one to impress, so you should dress as you damn well please.

Best Western Pluse Icicle Inn, Leavenworth, Washington
Since this is a porn-free post, here’s a photo of my comfy room at the Icicle Inn Leavenworth

2. Brag a Little

Your friends definitely want to know just how awesome your spacious digs are, so don’t be shy.  Blow them up on social media–that’s exactly what Facebrag Facebook was created for, right?  Show off your room, your view, even take a few obnoxious selfies.  If the place is great, your traveler friends especially will want to know about it.

Best Western Pluse Icicle Inn, Leavenworth, Washington
Just checked into my hotel in Leavenworth, feeling spoiled! #bragging

3. Get Your Money’s Worth

There’s nothing I love more than when a hotel provides travel sized toiletries.  Even if I don’t use them during my stay I’ll make sure to take them with me when I go.  They’re the perfect size to pack in your carry-on for future trips, and they usually smell amazing.  And you all know by now that I’m a major caffeine addict so maybe this goes without saying, but I’d never leave a hotel room without making the coffee provided.  I love to wake up in the morning and enjoy a freshly brewed cup right there in my bed.

4. Don’t Even THINK About Leaving

There’s a reason hotels have all that stuff on-site.  Grab a beer from the bar at happy hour.  Eat a meal in the restaurant.  Even better yet, order food to your room so you don’t even have to put your pants back on for a second. Then, snuggle up in one of your two beds (or push them together to make one super bed) and use your free time to be productive.  And by productive I obviously mean binge-watch your favorite TV series until the warmth of your burrito-like state lulls you into a deep, restful sleep.  In the morning, make full use of the amenities like the pool, jacuzzi, and gym, and eat to your heart’s content at the breakfast buffet.

JJ Hills Restaurant at Leavenworth's Icicle Inn
JJ Hills Restaurant at Leavenworth’s Icicle Inn

By following these simple steps, I guarantee you’ll enjoy your solo hotel stay even if you’re not used to all that alone time.  There’s beauty in solitude in small doses, and a relaxing night in a hotel is the perfect way to enjoy it, in my opinion.

Have you ever stayed by yourself in a hotel room?  Did you enjoy it as much as I did?

Pin It!How to spend a night solo in a hotel.


This post was written in collaboration with the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce

18 comments

  • Emily

    This is heaven! Especially for just one night stays, I’m all about not leaving the hotel premises and just enjoying the ease with which to entertain myself. I’m a big fan of no-pants-parties and would probably wear a robe the entire time, especially if I chose to get a drink during happy hour!
    Emily recently posted…The “who really needs another guide?” Guide to San FranciscoMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      The No Pants Party rules. I would have gone to happy hour, but I had a bottle of wine from my winery tour, so that was a perfect little nightcap to enjoy in my room in the comfort of my giant bed. 🙂

  • Rachel

    ALWAYS take pants off upon entering a hotel room, always! (I do this at home too).

    Especially after a long day of activities, there’s nothing better than rolling around in fresh, clean sheets of a bed you don’t have to make. Ohh man, and if there are robes…
    Rachel recently posted…Snapshots of Beaufort, North Carolina: Before the SummerMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Hahaha yes, I do the same at home too! Sometimes, I even do it in hostel dorms. Life is just better without pants if you ask me. And not having to make the bed is a definite plus!

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Yes!! Traveling with a companion is great, but I feel like a queen when I’m all by myself!

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Yeah haha same for me, Justine. This doesn’t happen often, but that’s why I have to make the most of it when it does!

  • Eric / Travel Babbo

    Great post! Except that I haven’t taken toiletries from hotel rooms in at least ten years. I realized that they were piling up at home and that photos made for better memories than seeing a hotel’s name on a mini-shampoo. Plus I would rather save room in my luggage for souvenirs. Having said that, though, I was in Easter Island last year with crap toiletries and wishing that I had brought the really nice ones from the hotel in Santiago with me.
    Eric / Travel Babbo recently posted…Belize with Kids – Staying at Francis Ford Coppola’s Resorts with a Four-Year-OldMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      I’ve recently had to toss some excess toiletries, just from my recent stay in Costa Brava during and after TBEX. I keep the nicest ones, of course, because if and when I run out of conditioner/lotion/body wash at least I won’t have to make a mad dash to the store because I’ll know I’ve got some reserves 🙂

  • Rashaad

    I actually stayed in a nice hotel by myself when I visited Hiroshima in April 2004 (Unfortunately, I don’t remember which hotel I stayed at). As it was 2004, social media was very much in its infancy (actually, the words “social media” didn’t exist in my vocabulary then) so I obviously wasn’t bragging about my hotel room. But I’m almost certain I slept naked, which I usually do.
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    • La Mochilera (author)

      Haha sleeping naked is always part of my solo hotel stay strategy! 😉

  • Julie

    I make a point to do this at least once a year. Usually I’m traveling with my hubby, but we both fully subscribe to the idea of never leaving a hotel. Seriously. After a few long travel days, or if the weather is crummy, forget it. I’m staying put and trying out all of the things the hotel has to offer. It is so much fun every single time!
    Julie recently posted…Football is LifeMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Yes! Especially if you’re in a place that has all these great amenities, why not take full advantage of them??

  • Alex

    You crack me up, girl. That is all 🙂

    • La Mochilera (author)

      I mean, I’ve learned from the best! 😉

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