Hello! I saw some old posts on this but didn’t want to resurrect something from 2017. I am looking into charging stations by the beds and was wondering if anyone has used these three below - for better or worse on commentary - or had other recommendations. I am not familiar with these brands (or many of the brands on Amazon for that matter). Thanks in advance!
I have a couple of these I like them.
RR
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The ones at the top of the image look very similar to the ones we have. We’ve had them for a long time and I don’t think I’ve ever had comments about them at all - good or bad. But I do think that they are an essential amenity.
When we travel, we usually have 3 or 4 phones, two laptops, an iPad and a Kindle so we really need to be able to charge them all.
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We have two of these in each guest room. They work like a charm.
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I have one from Trond on amazon that looks a lot like the first two pictured. The difference is that mine screws to the wall. I put it in my personal bedroom up high next to the bed, above the night stand. That way I don’t spill my water on it and it doesn’t take table top space. It would also make it slightly harder to walk out with a dishonest guest because they would have to rip it off the wall, pry it off or use a screwdriver.
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Also, if you get one with an on off switch be careful what you plug into it. I used to have a Bose clock radio plugged in next to the bed and when guest would turn off the switched surge protector I have installed on the outlet I’d have to reset the clock frequently.
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An essential amenity? My guests arrive with one phone or Ipad, at most they might have a phone and a laptop. They have with their own chargers.
Maybe you just meant it’s an essential amenity for you when you travel. I certainly don’t see it as an essential amenity for all hosts to provide, although I can see it would be appreciated by guests and prevent guests from unplugging other things, if you have a place that is large enough for families and other groups.
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I don’t consider it essential like the way I do TP or a towel but I do provide them. Cables and adpaters get left behind, at home or at the last Airbnb and when hosts have extras it’s really nice.
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a table lamp with an outlet in the base is also a good option. Maybe less cluttered look.
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I am actually in the process of upgrading some outlets to include two USB outlets as well as the usual 2 US 3 prong receptacles. They actually can be bought for less money. Although you do then have to replace the current one. And of course this does not help any when the original is in a difficult to reach or inconvenient spot.
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I have the top ones (in white) on every nightstand and guests have commented about how practical they are. A definite must as far as I’m concerned otherwise they will be crawling under the beds looking for an outlet.
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I consider it important, when I go to a hotel I expect a USB charger by the bed and am disappointed if there is not one. For $20 you can provide something that guests really appreciate.
RR
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The one I have looks like the top example above. Before I had it, I didn’t have any complaints, but - anecdotally - I’ve gotten more “you’ve thought of everything!” since I put them in.
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I would kip the alarm clock charger, my alarm clock keeps getting unplugged and often put in the drawer. I think people suspect there is a hidden camera in it. I am not putting it back out, it is in the drawer if anyone asks for one.
RR
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I unplug alarm clocks. I don’t like the light in the bedroom.
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Clearly you are not the only one! I am not going to put one in my new cabin, I am sure people are suspicious of them and everybody has a phone with an alarm function.
RR
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Yes, that’s why I gave a run down of the items we usually have with us when we travel.
Our apartments both sleep two people. That means two phones at least. (We both have two each - a work phone and a personal phone). I don’t know what else people travel with because I don’t have x-ray eyes to see into their luggage but whenever I’ve done a mid-stay clean, there has usually been at least one laptop or iPad.
Most people want to charge their phones overnight and want to do so in the bedroom as they a) want a phone nearby for emergencies or b) use the phone as an alarm. If they want to charge their other devices at night (as many people seem to) then they need more outlets elsewhere - there might not be room on our small nightstands once the guests have their book, their specs, a glass of water etc.
I can tell by the fact that they’ve been moved that the power strips are used by almost every guest. So yes, as they’re a cheap enough item, I do see them as an essential amenity for a thoughtful host to offer.
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Weirdly one of the few things I have been explictly told would be nice to have was a clock in the room. Even weirder, there was a clock in the room. LOL. Anyway, since I moved it from next to the bed to across the room facing the bed it’s only been unplugged once. Prior to that it was always getting turned off because it was plugged into a surge suppressor outlet expander with an on off switch on top. So I guess people used that to switch off the lamp.
Since my clock is also an AM/FM radio with an AUX input I supply a cable so people can use it as a speaker with their own devices and I can tell from the sound that quite a few people use it. It’s not swanky like a new bluetooth one would be but it’s also paid for and perfectly functional.
A lot of people still like clocks and despite the proliferation of phones I’m going to continue to supply one.
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We’ve had two or three guests who didn’t have a cell phone. Both of our rooms have clocks. If people don’t want the light, they can turn down the display. Or they lay the clock on its face.
I know they use the clock, too, because people from other time zones have asked if the clock in their room is right. It is.
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MIne is still in the drawer after about the 3rd time it was put there and the countless times it was unplugged. If someone wants it they likely will find it, I am pretty sure most people open drawers and snoop around!
Maybe I will try and find a really small one that the LED lights are dim or dimmable, maybe it is the light that bothers people.
RR
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