This contest is closed.
The hotel is one of the most critical, if not the most critical aspect to a trip. The hotel is where you spend the most time, lay your head down at 
night, and get ready to face the day. While an adequate hotel may do the job, a really great hotel truly feels like your home away from home. Home2 Suites by Hilton is a great hotel for business and leisure travelers alike.
The 22 properties across the US feature suites with kitchen facilities and work spaces, free wifi, and complimentary breakfast. There are also really lovely outdoor spaces, including a walking track. I really like that they keep sustainability in mind, with recycling centers (why don’t more hotels have these??) and Energy Star appliances. And for the animal lovers, they are pet friendly (yay!). There are currently 20 new Home2 Suites under construction, including one in Mexico.
Upcoming properties also include Austin, TX, Rahway, NJ, and Denver, CO.
In addition to having a great hotel, the people at Home2 Suites are super nice and giving away a three night stay for two to a lucky Road Warriorette reader. Woohoo! In order to enter, please leave a comment answering the following question: What is your best packing tip for a first time business traveler? The contest will be open through Monday, September 23, with the winner announced soon after. One entry per person.
To book your travel or for more information about Home2 Suites, visit www.home2suites.com, like Home2 Suites on Facebook, and follow @Home2Suites on Twitter.
Official legal stuff:
Legal description of prize is a three-night stay for two at a Home2 Suites by Hilton property of the winner’s choice. Restrictions may apply. Dates
are based on availability. Blackout dates apply and include but are not limited to major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Winner is responsible for transportation to and from the hotel including flights and airport transfers. To redeem, winner must contact the property they wish to stay at and make a reservation at least 30 days prior to the desired stay date.
Good luck!!!
Put a nylon bag (like a baggu) in your suitcase for the stuff that never fits in the suitcase on the way home.
Been to a trade show? Send your brochures and collateral back via USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box and you won’t weigh down your carryon.
unless you absolutely have to check a bag – carry on, carry on, carry on!
Don’t check luggage. Ever. Drop ship to your hotel if required.
Pack light, and dont forget your chargers!
Pack some wrinkle release spray! Very helpful!
Carry your essentials (Wallet, tickets, ID, medications, phone, chargers, reading materials, copies of travel arrangements, parka or pashmina to double as a blanket on cold flights ) in your purse or brief case that will fit under your seat in flight. Research weather in destination ahead of time. Pack accordingly, lightly, ALWAYS pack a carry on!
Don’t check a bag!
Make sure to choose a suitcase that easily fits in the overhead bin
Bring extra USB chargers!
Roll all your clothing.
Always leave room to be able to bring something back with you. Sometimes it will be souvenirs, sometimes it will be something that you realized that you needed.
dont bring too much, pack light
Make sure your laptop, phone, kindle, etc. are fully charged before you pack them.
Pack light and don’t worry about forgetting items… usually you will find you can easily make do without what you forget.
Always check the charger
If using TSA Pre-Check, confirm TSA ID number in airline itinerary file before printing Boarding Pass.
Put your rolled up socks into your running shoes. Put your running shoes in the either corner of the suitcase to ensure maximum use of space.
Notify family/friends of itinerary and hotel informtion.
Bring a bag for dirty laundry
Do not forget to pack all of your charge cords, and also to alert your business credit card companies where you will be traveling to in order to avoid problems with your card being accepted.
If you are checking in your case, carry on a small bag with a change of clothes and wear a business outfit.
Don’t pack your phone charger in your luggage, keep it with you.
Keep some basic toiletry items when you (ie. toothbrush, toothpaste) so you can be fresh where ever you are.
Double and triple check for a laptop charger and headphones.
Don’t check your bag!!! Invest in nice refillable bottles to fit into your quart ziploc bag.
If you think you might need it, take it.
Pack a smaller bag inside your main bag so that you’ll have room if, at the end of the trip, you have more stuff than you had at the beginning.
Prepare the clothes you wear in each day and bring only those, not more not less if you want pack efficiently.
Pack neutrals that can be made into several outfits. Make your accessories the visual interest. I like to pack a magazine or book in the outside pocket of my roll-a-board as a kind of kevlar vest.
Pack a power extension. Lots of rooms have the power outlet hidden behind the bed.
A Nalgene bottle for water on the go wherever your plans are.
I would definitely bring a charge
Pack outfits by each day you’re travelling. Packing cubes help me stay organized, especially when I’m moving around each day.
If you travel internationally make sure you have a pen in your carry-on.
Bonus: wherever you go, bring your favorite remedy for headaches.
Dont forget the perfume ! you will get some basic toiletries at some hotels.
A too small suitcase is better than a too large suitcase. And don’t iron your clothes before you pack them!
Take a small power strip! Chances are, you’ll have a lot of electronic devices if you’re a traveler, and plugs are not always plentiful at the airport or in all hotels.
When I travel for business, I have upwards of 2 laptops, 2 phones, a camera or two, etc.
Don’t take a suitcase.
If you have them, bring extra chargers and batteries!
Roll your clothes
Tide to go instant stain remover
Get noise-cancelling headphones. They’re awesome, even if you just want to sleep in “relative” silence.
Don’t pack your business clothes into your check-in luggage. You’re screwed if the airline lose your luggage (I speak from experience!)
Bring a quart size empty ziplock bag. So many uses (ice pack, cookie storage, place for excessive spare change instead of your purse).
Ziplock bags for all, grocery bags for the shoes. Check nothing, carry everything.
Packing cubes to keep organized!
Small, mesh “necessity bag” (3 x5″) – holds a few bandaids, antiseptic wipes, spot remover wipes, safety pins, small pencil wrapped with few inches of duct tape, blister packs of allergy meds, immodium – type medication and headache remedy, small pack of kleenex and a small (keychain sized) light – stays in “personal item and gets refilled after each use. I can fix just about any traveling mishap with this bag and have used it more times than I can count!
Avoid checking your luggage (unless it’s absolutely essential for you to bring your entire wardrobe). Place essentials on your personal item that go under the seat in front of you. It’s annoying whenever someone pulls out the entire contents of their carry-on from the overhead bin while looking for ‘misplaced’ items.
Don’t check-in your electronics if you don’t have to.