This topic came to me today while out on a short ride near my home.  So the thing is, I always try to represent cycling and cyclists in a positive manner while on tour.  I hope that folks I interact with leave feeling positive about us cyclists, and especially so about us cycle tourists - maybe they will be a bit more polite the next time they are slowed down a few seconds while waiting to pass the loaded touring cyclist ahead. 

I think that most of us try to represent cycling in a good way, but I have noticed that some cyclists aren't always very thoughtful when it comes to hotels.  I'll note a few points, you can probably think of others;

1.)  Booking a room and failing to mention that you are traveling by bicycle.  When you show up and discover that you are booked in a 3rd floor room, then ask for a 1st floor room because you want to easily wheel the bike into the room - it makes for problems for you and the hotel.  When you book the room, always mention that you are traveling by bicycle and request a 1st-floor room.   That way the hotel can best accommodate you, and if they have any "issues" with you bringing the bike into the room you can discuss it upfront.   I've ridden coast-to-coast twice now, and have had almost zero issues with my bicycle in hotels.  Usually the hotel allows the bike to be in the room, and when they don't they offer alternate storage.  But it's best to get all that discussion out of the way when you book the room so there's no surprises. 

2.)  Rolling your bike directly into the hotel.   I'll caveat this one a bit; I usually park my bike outside the hotel lobby and walk inside and check in.  Depending on where my room is, I often roll the bike around to a side door to enter.  A loaded touring bike with panniers front and rear can be a bit awkward to park inside a hotel lobby - rather than try to roll it inside and maneuver around furniture and other folks and find a place to park it while checking in, just walk in like any guest would do and take care of the bike after you check in.   Hotel management will appreciate you being considerate of others.  

The exception to this is the rare situation when you don't think your bike will be secure for the few minutes it takes to check in.  In that case, I would roll my bike into the hotel lobby, or perhaps park it "between the doors" in hotels that have the dual doors.   The point is to try and be as unobtrusive as possible and cause the least interference with others while getting your bike to your room. 

3.) Rolling a wet bike into the hotel. If you tour, you will sometimes ride in the rain and you will show up at the hotel with a dripping wet bike and panniers.  I've seen cyclists roll wet dripping bikes directly into a hotel lobby - this certainly doesn't make the hotel want to cater to cyclists.  I park my bike outside first (see #2 above), then check in and take the bike inside after checking in.  If the bike is wet, I go to my room and get a towel, dry the bike and panniers best I can (keep the towel away from the oily chain, of course), and then roll the bike inside from the outside entrance nearest to my room so that if the bike drips a little water there won't be a long trail.  

4.) Careful with the chain inside your room.  Be aware of the chain when you park your bike inside your room.  Obviously (one would hope so), don't park the bike chain against a bed.  The oily chain is really the only concern you have - just park the bike such that the chain can't touch anything - that's not hard to do. 

Some hotel owners love us cyclists.  When checking into a Holiday Inn Express in Missouri in 2015, the clerk told me that they loved cyclists.  I asked why, and the answer was that we aren't rowdy and we leave early in the mornings which lets the maids start cleaning our rooms early.   I really like being able to keep my bike safe and secure in the hotel room with me, and I try to be considerate so the hotel has a positive view of us cycle tourists - hopefully you do too.  

And another one.  Don’t lean your bike against a painted wall, or one that can’t be wiped clean easily.  Put a towel or jacket in between the contact points to protect the surface.

On the subject of towels.  I ask the desk if they have some towels no longer suitable for guest room use, rather than using the good ones in the room for bike wipe down duty.  I will even offer in advance to pay for a towel if I know it will be ruined.

"When you show up and discover that you are booked in a 3rd floor room, then ask for a 1st floor room"... ah the international language trap.

I booked a room at street level in an American hotel and got there tired and jet-lagged and dragging a bike in a box.

"We've put you on the first floor as you asked, sir."

I was too tired to remember the difference.

"But I won't get the box in an elevator" I groaned (at least I remembered to say elevator).

And then both of us realised we were dealing with a foreigner. And we grinned foolishly and all was well.

One country in Europe uses the same floor numbering  as the USA.  I've toured in 32 European countries and I only remember one. I think it is Romania,  but I'm have to check way too many web pages to be sure. Perhaps someone else at CycleBlaze remembers?

Surely I'm not the only bike tourist who always requests a room on the top floor of a multi-story hotel?

I don't care if there's no elevator, and I have to lug the fully-loaded bike up multiple flights of stairs (something I've done several times) - I've learned the hard way that people create a lot of noise stomping on the floor above you. Several times it led to sleepless nights for me. So I always go for the top floor.

George on tours where we have relied on hotels, and motels I almost always ask reception if there is a safe place we can store our bikes under cover and out of sight. 

Almost always they offer a storeroom, or some other good alternative to the room. This was particularly useful in Japan and in Taiwan. In Japan especially, hotel rooms can be so small even our bagged, folding bikes would be impractical to share a room with. 

On-site storage has ranged from backsheds, beer gardens, underground car park, hotel verandahs and luggage storerooms. That said, I always carry a small U-bolt lock and light cable to secure the bikes wherever they are stored. 

Jeff, you're not the only one who prefers the top floor.  I don't often make reservations, so as a walk-in guest I have no right to be choosey.   I accept whatever room I'm assigned when I check in.  But when given a choice, I always go for the highest room available.  I enjoy the challenge of carrying my bike up the stairs, but more than that, I like the view better from up there.

There is logic in both systems, though more in the US system. Here in France we use the "British" system, although the first (to me)  second (to you) floor is referred to as à l'étage. I've toured in most European countries and lived in a few and all that I remember - I have a dull life but I've never studied floor numbering - have 0 as the button for the ground (rdc in French, for ground-level, and local variations elsewhere), 1 for the floor above, and so on.

"I don't care if there's no elevator, and I have to lug the fully-loaded bike up multiple flights of stairs (something I've done several times) - I've learned the hard way that people create a lot of noise stomping on the floor above you. Several times it led to sleepless nights for me. So I always go for the top floor."

I'm with you, Jeff!  I do that too, carry my bike and bags up as many floors as it takes so I am at the top.  Though when I am touring I will choose a single story hotel if given a choice.  I can roll my bike in and no one is stomping around above me.