A resort hotel with a beautiful pool and plenty of activities and amenities is a great place to spend a vacation, especially during the summer months. But it's not just you and your family relaxing by the pool at the hotel – you'll be surrounded by other guests and staff members. In a situation where so many strangers are spending time so close together, it's important to observe the social etiquette rules that keep situations from becoming tense. Do you know what the etiquette rules are at a hotel pool?
Get The Go-Ahead Before Inviting Guests
Maybe you're staying out of town at a hotel while you're visiting family or friends in the area, or maybe you're enjoying a staycation at a resort in your own local area. Either way, sharing the poolside experience with friends or family who aren't staying in the hotel can be a lot of fun.
Most hotels are fine with their guests inviting their own visitors to share the pool and other amenities. They know that your visitors are likely to spend money at the tiki bar or the hotel's restaurant, they welcome those boosts to their food and drink receipts. But it's important to clear it with the hotel before you invite visitors.
The hotel may require that your visitors wear an armband or stamp identifying them distinguishing them from the hotel's guests, and some may require nonguests to buy a day pass to access some or all of the amenities. If the hotel is particularly crowded, there may be a limit to how many visitors you're allowed to invite – they don't want visitors who aren't paying for a room crowding their paying guests out of the pool. Stick to reasonable amounts of visitors and clear it with the hotel ahead of time, and everyone will have a more pleasant experience.
Don't Contribute To The Pool Chair Shortage
A lack of pool chairs is a very common complaint among resort goers. Chances are that you'd be annoyed to show up to the pool to discover that all the seats are taken and there's nowhere for you to go. Avoid causing other guests the same kind of headache.
If you want to go to the pool in the late afternoon, don't stop by in the morning to put towels or other items on chairs to claim them. Saving seats that you won't use for hours is a surefire way to inconvenience other guests. Leave them open for guests who want to enjoy the pool in the morning. Keep in mind that some resorts are starting to crack down on the practice of saving seats and will remove your items if you leave a seat unattended for too long. Generally, if everyone just uses the pools chairs only when they need them, there will be enough for everyone – you may not always get the prime spot you wanted, but everyone will have a place to sit.
If you have special needs that require you to get seats in a more accessible area of the pool deck, just let the hotel staff know, and they'll make sure that you have seats when and where you need them.
Don't Forget to Tip
At a good resort, the staff will work hard to make sure that you have a satisfying experience. Show your gratitude with a tip. Even at the pool, there are situations where tipping is customary. You don't have to tip the attendant that hands out towels if that's all that they do. But when an attendant goes out of their way to bring you an umbrella or drinks, sets up or moves your pool chairs for you, or blows up your inflatable raft for you, a two to five-dollar tip is appropriate.
Of course, tipping is always at the discretion of the guests, and you're not required to tip pool attendants. But it's a nice thing to do, and what's more, it can make your stay better – the attendants will remember the guests who tipped and be more willing to go above and beyond for you during the rest of your stay.
You'll find that hotel pool etiquette is easy – it boils down to being courteous to the other guests and staff members. It will make the people around you happier, and that will make your vacation much more enjoyable.
