You’ve probably figured out by now that there are pretty limited options as to what can be done in a hotel room. But you’d be surprised. By building a daily schedule (and giving your smartphone the workout of its life), you can make it through this quarantine!
Here are our top suggestions for hotel room quarantine activities, including hour by hour scheduling guidelines!
Exercise
1 hour
You knew this one was coming! There’s no better time to start getting fit than right now, while you have nothing else to do and not many excuses not to. Your fitness level doesn’t matter - as long as you’re getting in at least one hour of daily movement while you can’t walk around outside. Assuming you have a smartphone, jump onto the app store and browse the free apps in the Health & Fitness section. Nike Training is a great one to start with. Pick a routine that suits your fitness level and get cracking!
Yoga and meditation
1 hour
Whether this comes right after your workout or in the evening before bed, yoga and meditation will be highly beneficial for your mind and body at this time. Try using a smartphone to check out yoga tutorials on YouTube, or download a meditation app like Calm or Headspace. Hotel carpet is usually nice and comfy - use it to ground yourself and stretch those woes away.
Cleaning
1 hour
You might be in a hotel room, but there won’t be any housekeeping staff to make your bed and drape your towels perfectly over the railings. Keeping your space in ship-shape can help with building a sense of accomplishment and efficiency each morning. Clean spaces are also better for your mental health than messy ones. Make the bed every morning - for a fun (or infuriating) challenge, you could try to make the bed as perfectly as a hotel housekeeper would and come out of quarantine as a champion bed-maker. Fold or hang your clothes using the wardrobes provided, clean your bathroom and set everything straight. Feel better?
Creativity
2 hours
Once the hard stuff is out of the way, you could spend a few hours getting creative. If you’re able to request art supplies or instruments you usually play, definitely do so. However, it’s worth noting that guidelines appear to differ between hotels, and some guests in quarantine have not been allowed to have personal items delivered. If that’s the case, don’t fret - we turn once again to the humble smartphone! Some creativity apps allow you to make music, create animations, draw, paint or colour-in digitally. The opportunities are pretty much endless here.
TV time
2 hours
Remember the hotel TV you thought you would live off before you started reading this brilliant article about better ways to use your time? Well, the good news is you can still use it! Everyone needs couch potato time, even in quarantine. Spend a few hours flipping channels on the hotel TV, or make use of that smartphone again to download a streaming service. For instant access to almost anything you want to watch, sign up for a free trial on a streaming service and cancel it later… we won’t tell anyone.
Life admin
1 hour
Even in limbo, life goes on. The bills add up, finances need taking care of and insurance needs organising. What can you organise in this time that will make your life easier later on? Have you been meaning to get on the phone to your health insurer for the last six months? Have you neglected that budgeting app? Have you been meaning to set a 20-year trajectory of your personal finances and plan the perfect investment strategy? Now is the time! Spend an hour each day nailing all those annoying little tasks so it’s all taken care of when you get home.
Online learning
2 hours
Another way to stay productive indoors is to learn something you’ve always wanted to know. The opportunities for online learning are pretty much infinite - you’ve got Duolingo or Babbel for languages, LinkedIn Learning for career progression, good old YouTube for just about anything else. Learn to cook, learn to sing, learn to dance (with the hotel room curtains closed, probably). You’ve got nothing but time!
Social time
2 hours
Don’t forget to socialise! It’s up to you when you spread this time out, but make sure to spend a few hours each day on the phone to friends and family. Video conferencing can work wonders in helping you feel more connected to your community. See if you can set up a time each day to video call a different person - it could also be a great time to reconnect with old friends you’ve been meaning to reach out too. They might not be quarantined in a hotel room, but they’re still probably stuck indoors!
Reading time
2 hours
Did you ever think you would have time to read again? If you’ve returned from travelling or working abroad, you've probably been way too busy to be turning pages. See if your hotel will allow you to have books delivered (whether by post or from friends and family). If not, you can easily access free E-books using smartphone apps or download Audible. There are also free audiobooks on YouTube, Spotify and most podcast apps. If you get really, really bored, check the drawers of your bedside table… you might find a Bible!
