..... Hotels....I dunno, make me nervous.
Can anyone chime in on this? Advice?
Sounds like you haven't had much experience with hotels. I have—a lot, mostly during legit business.
(I'm not trying to be funny—just trying to help you out explaining how it works to put you at ease)
Here is how hotels work: Strangers who need a place to stay go up to the front counter, tell the clerk their name and or confirmation #, show some ID, some sort of payment—usually a credit card. Clerk enters them into the system, gives them a key or key card and tells the customer that he/she hopes they enjoy their stay.
The check-in clerk
may or may not see the customer again (depending upon their shift) and other clerks have no clue as to whether you are a checked in customer, or just visiting a checked in customer for some sort of meeting. Some customers walking around may be dressed in business attire, perhaps with a brief/laptop case—or not, some in casual attire and some in sport attire perhaps going out for a walk/run or whatever — get it? Some people may be sitting on a couch or chair waiting for someone to meet them.
If not too busy checking someone in or out, the clerk may actually say "good morning" (or evening as appropriate ) when you,
as @bighard20in gave you all the instructions you need, "Just walk to the elevator and head for the room". If the clerk smiles at you, just smile back — after all
you belong there. If the hotel is big enough it may have separate wings so feel free to ask the clerk "I'm going to room 333, which elevator should I use?"
There may be a bowl of hard candy, fruit, cookies or some complimentary something to make the guests feel this is a nice friendly place to stay and please come back in the future. If hard candy take a piece to freshen up your breath if you like.
Hope this helps—and have fun.
