Do you travel a lot for business or pleasure? A lot of people seem to leave their manners at home when they go away, which is why I decided to share some essential hotel etiquette guidelines. Be a good guest!

Keep the noise down. Be considerate of your neighbors by keeping the TV volume low and not raising your voice in your room or in the hallway. Don’t slam your door, either—it could easily wake someone up.

Leave a tip for housekeeping. I always try to leave a few dollars behind for the housekeeping crew that has kept my room nice and tidy over my stay. They’ve earned it!

Reduce your energy usage. Just because you aren’t paying the energy bills doesn’t mean you should leave the room with the air conditioner blasting or the lights left on. Do a quick check before you head out to make sure everything is turned off.

Don’t leave a room service mess. I hate seeing unsightly trays of picked-over food sitting for hours outside a hotel room. I’ve also seen people leave out empty pizza boxes, and some even leave their tray in front of another guest’s room. It’s unsanitary and inconsiderate to others. Instead, once you’ve finished your meal, try placing a call down to room service or housekeeping to politely notify them that your tray is ready for removal, so it gets taken care of right away.

Report problems that could affect others. An acquaintance of mine recently stayed in a major hotel chain and woke up with several bug bites. She suspected bed bugs, and wanted to report it to the front desk to prevent an outbreak, but her husband told her she was probably overreacting. They left without saying anything. Later her husband noticed that he too had bug bites, and they’ve since confirmed it was due to bed bugs. If she had reported the issue right away, she could have prevented future guests from being exposed … and possibly gotten some sort of compensation from the hotel.

Don’t steal. A hotel toiletries are fair game, but leave those plush bathrobes and blankets where they belong.