If you’re anything like us, when you travel and get to your hotel, the first thing you want to do is check out the room. The second thing you do is unpack your bags and start putting some of those travel accessories to work. It’s at this point that, at least for us, things have a tendency of scattering to the four corners of the room. Bathroom stuff to the bathroom, clothes to the closet/wardrobe, shoes by the door, bags in the corner, computers on the desk, and odds and ends on the nightstands. That’s all fine and well…until we start looking for those little things and forget where we’ve put them. You, too? Read on, friends.
The Valet
We should probably clarify that we’re not talking about the kind of valet you might be thinking about. In bygone eras and higher tax brackets, valets were male attendants for the highest-ranking male members of a household. Sometimes referred to as a gentleman’s gentleman (similar to a lady’s maid for the womenfolk), these right-hand men took care of grooming, clothing, dressing, shaving, and sometimes other household duties to keep everyone looking their best.
While we think it’d be great to travel with a personal attendant (except for the shaving bit…we can take care of that ourselves), we opt to travel with a different kind of valet, one that’s much easier to pack and doesn’t require its own seat on the plane.
The Packable Kind
Our version of the valet isn’t complicated, fancy, or even human, though we still think they’re pretty great. These handy travel accessories lie flat and are very light, which makes them super easy to toss in a suitcase or even a backpack, taking up almost no room. When you get to your hotel (or wherever), the little snaps at the corners allow you to snap the corner pieces together, forming something like an upside-down lid or, a tray. Jason’s valet is made of leather on the outside and a heavy cotton fabric on the inside (and monogrammed because he’s fancy); Tasha’s valet is a little more utilitarian but has an extra pocket on the inside where she can hide small jewelry to keep it out of sight.
We use these in different places. Sometimes they go into the bathroom to corral Tasha’s jewelry and smaller toiletry items. Sometimes they’re on the nightstand so Jason can toss in his keys, wallet, watch, and whatever else he has in his pockets. Want to use them for something else? You do you, friend. Your valet is happy to oblige you (doesn’t that sound fancy?!).
And then, when you’re ready to head home or to your next destination, just press firmly on the corners to break the snaps apart and it’s back to its flat-laying self, ready to go back in your bag until you need it again.
You can find valets in tons of different places, made of all kinds of materials, and in various sizes. Some, like Tasha’s, are a bit more reserved and might cost you $10-$15. Others, like Jason’s, are made of rich leathers and colorful plaid fabrics, easily costing more than $60. And you can get even crazier if your checkbook allows. Whichever route you go, we’d encourage you to give them a try. It’s the thing we never knew we needed until we had them. Now we’ll never travel without our valets!
