JillFlorio

DAN WRITES: It’s fun to look around and see the free baskets of STUFF a hotel provides. The schwag, if you will.

In the bathroom - My last hotel made a pretty basket with origami washcloth art, a shampoo, a conditioner, lotion, a shower cap, and a tiny packet with an emery board, four Q-tips, needle, a button and thread.

Did I use any of that? Well, nooooo. But I grabbed it all for my wife anyway, who lives for free things (whether she needs them is another question).

On the Desk - Packet of coffee, packet of decaf coffee, black tea bag, herbal tea bags of various flavors, packet of sugar/creamer/stirrer, napkins and paper cups. I used several of those things and debated whether to bring home the rest of them for Jill. Decided against it.

On the TV - Card explaining the free cable and the pay-per-view options. Card explaining the nearby bar and grill happy hour specials. Bound Book with hotel rules, safety precuations, explanation of phone use and local tourist deals. I didn’t touch any of those. They aren’t technically freebies anyway.

What about other shwag, known as Things Not Nailed Down? Towels, bedding, toilet paper, the radio? Um…taking those things would be stealing. I guess I could take the toilet paper and facial tissues if I wanted, but it’s hardly necessary. They probably charge you for them in the end. And, frankly, I prefer the towels I have at home.

I want to hear about more hotel free stuff - Read about my Top Ten Hotel Freebies.

DAN WRITES: I almost always use hotel fitness centers, unless I am totally exhausted from travel or working, or from both. A gym of sorts is a must-have hotel amenity, for me.

Exercise machines I want in a hotel fitness center…

What do I like in the fitness center? I usually use a pull-down bar, lats press, leg press and butterfly machine. So a nautilus-type gym with multiple options is great for me.

A handful of free weights is a plus, too.

I also use a treadmill or elliptical trainer, preferably. Lacking those I will use a stair stepper or cycle, but those can be really tough on your knees.

What else? I like a mat to stretch on, a water cooler for bottle refills…and most of all, a TV. I will even plan my workouts around watching the game.

What game? Football or basketball, please. And I live for the Lakers. Go Wildcats! Yeah, Cowboys!

…Okay, don’t get me started…

DAN WRITES: I am so cool with my huge widescreen monitor. But it’s a bit big for those little cafe bistro tables…

I love working in coffeeshops, drinking vanilla lattes and looking cool. My Dell Inspiron 17-inch widescreen monitor always attracts attention. Yeah, I enjoy the notoriety, and I get to tell people I’m being paid for my time, too.

It’s a super cool laptop, but it’s also a table hog. Those little bistro tables are totally dwarfed and my wife can’t see me from behind the screen. She says it’s like playing “You Sunk my Battleship!” with me, but far less social.

In spite of this point, I do get a lot of work done. I try to follow my own Dan’s Rules of CoffeeShop Laptop Etiquette, and to not to take over the free-spirited coffeeshop ambience with my technological terror of a work machine.

DAN WRITES: You can easily eat healthy hotel morning meals that won’t encrust your arteries, with a bit of care. Yoga and exercise while traveling certainly won’t hurt either!

After writing about hotels and the low carb diet, I have been asked to discuss low fat eating tips for business traveling. You can easily eat healthy hotel morning meals that won’t encrust your arteries, with a bit of care. This article describes common low fat hotel food options.

I also wanted to add that it doesn’t take much exercise to keep your heart tuned up - 20 minutes of even mild walking is helpful. I like to take a walk after a meal, if I can take the time. I do try to get out there, whether at home or on the road.

Yoga and simple stretching is another tip to keep your heart happy and healthy. Business travelers can become pretty Type A after a while. Travel is actually stressful! Yogic breathing and gentle stretching movements keep me both mentally and physically limber.