Hotel Sex: Crisp Sheets, No Dishes and Someone Else Washes the Towels

The door clicks shut behind you. The bed's enormous, the sheets are tight, and nobody in this building knows who you are. You drop your bag, they push you up against the wardrobe, and you think, we should have done this years ago. The best thing about a hotel room isn't the view. It's knowing the washing basket's 200 km away.

A night away lets you be lovers, not two people running a household. There's no dishwasher to unpack and no reason to be anywhere. And somebody else is going to wash those towels.

Start flirting before you get the key

Don't save all your attention for the moment the door shuts. Give them a proper compliment. Hold their hand in the car. Tell them what you've packed, and watch them stop listening to directions. Our guide to flirting with your long-term partner has more ideas.

Pack a little fun, not the whole drawer

One favourite toy's a lot easier to pack than five things you're determined to try before check-out. A little lipstick vibrator like the Loveline Diamond comes with a case and a chain, and it won't raise any eyebrows in your toiletries bag. Add lube, condoms if you use them, and somewhere separate to put a used toy for the trip home. Our guide to travelling with sex toys has the rest.

Wear something you want to be seen in

If you've been saving a favourite bit of lingerie, this is a very good occasion. Wear it under your clothes at dinner, and tell them about it after the entrees. They won't remember dessert. Our lingerie guide can help if you need something new.

Use the room

That big bathroom. That mirror on the wardrobe. That window, with the curtains closed, of course. That desk's a very good height. Hotel furniture's built to take a lot, though you should still check it's stable before you commit. And a hotel bed's generally far firmer than yours, which makes all sorts of things easier.

Want an excuse to try something different? Pack a couples game. Or leave the extras out and give each other your full attention. Keep the fun in private, though. Close the curtains, use the privacy sign and spare the hotel staff and other guests from taking part.

Don't make a sex schedule

If dinner leaves you sleepy, have a cuddle. If you've both got more in you, the bed's right there. Paying for a room doesn't mean you need to get your money's worth by midnight. Morning's great in hotels too, with no alarm and a late checkout.

You booked somewhere to enjoy each other, so spend the night kissing, shagging, laughing or ordering chips to the room. Enjoy the person you brought with you. Checkout will come soon enough, and so might you.