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You might not realise it, but most people have a routine when they walk into a hotel room for the first time. You might go straight to the mini bar. Maybe you check out the shampoo and conditioner; maybe it's the pillows. Either way, entering a hotel room is a moment where you can leave whatever has happened in the day behind you. But part of acclimatising yourself to your new surrounds means having a bit of a sticky beak.

Even if you've never thought of it before, here are the most common ‘initial investigative' actions:

• Open all the cupboards: If you've found yourself doing this, you'll realise you don't know what you're searching for but at least looking inside each empty space gives you a sense that it's your area for the duration of your stay. Maybe you're just after the complimentary slippers or the comfy robe!

• Look for the mini bar: Whether or not you plan on eating or drinking anything from the mini bar it's nice to know you've got ‘options'.
• Open the curtain and look out the window: Being a ‘rip open the curtains and let the light shine in type of person' could say something about your personality and attitude towards life. But without reading too far into it, peering out the window to see what lies beyond is a subtle reminder that even from the haven of your hotel, life ticks on.

• Flop on the bed and stay there: Sleeping in a hotel bed is a treat. We're talking hotel sheets, no making of bed in the morning and more pillows that you can usually poke a stick at. If you're an initial flop on the bed investigator you'll probably soon find yourself sinking back into a sea of pillows, never wanting to move.

• Leave the room and explore the rest of the hotel: If opening the windows suggests something about your attitude to life then leaving immediately to see what the hotel has to offer beyond the room is the sign of a true adventurer. Where's the pool? Is there a sauna? Can I work out in the gym? While it might take some a good few hours, days or never at all, you've got your cossie on and it all sussed within minutes. To take that to a new level, you might also leave the room directly to explore the surrounding area. If you're staying in a cool part of town, this could be one of the best options yet. While the CBD is close and convenient for anything business related, staying a stone's throw from the action has its rewards. Still an easy distance from the bustle, there are great hotels in Sydney that offer good alternative hotel location options like Paddington, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. Hotels in these areas will give you access to a more cultured experience of the city.