traveler24

I have read in travel magazines about sending baggage ahead to your hotel. I have some temporary shoulder weakness problems --dragging even a wheeled suitcase is painful and I usually travel solo.
Cutting contents to bare essentials still requires the "carry-on " size suitcase--which I still have to check because I cannot lift it into the overhead...
I know it would not be cheap but maybe worth it for one trip..
Any experience with this problem

thurstonbb

In these terrorist days hotels may be hesitant to accept your package. There have been scams regarding sent items to bed & breakfasts, then asking they reforward the packages.... As a b&b owner I would not accept anything like that unless from one of my regular known guests.

schmerl

There was a thread here a while ago which named the companies that will ship your luggage. I believe that Fed. Express even does this.
I just did a Google search by putting in Shipping luggage and got quite a few companies.

curiousgeo

My family and I traveled on Amtrak from Washington DC to Boston, with a weekend stop in NYC several years ago. We had several large suitcases and Amtrak didn't have luggage cars on that NE corridor.

We shipped the suitcases using DHL. Pick up was at the hotel on our last evening in Washington with delivery scheduled the day we arrived in Boston. For Amtrak and the NYC weekend we each had a hand carry. Our bags arrived at our Boston hotel about and hour after we did

Everything worked out fine, although I wouldn't have used DHL if it had been easier to accommodate our luggage on the train. So it is possible, but I am not sure what the cost would be for you since you are flying and have a shorter travel window.

smartcookie

I do this all the time with packages for work, even really big ones. However, this is only through major hotel chains, not sure about smaller hotels. Also, many do charge a "receiving fee" of $5-10 per piece.

Leburta

If you have trouble lifting luggage, I'm sure that that airline personnel will assist you if you let them know ahead of time. You can get skycap assistance a the airport, and even TSA assistance through security for check in. On boarding the plane, you can board with those needing "special assistance" and the flight attendants will assist you to put your "carry on" luggage. Even better, I would ask for a wheelchair. Then you can get assistance from check in to the plane and again from the plane to baggage claim and get a porter there.

xkenx

American Airlines was running a promo. for their mileage card holders for free shipping of one suitcase (<30 or 35 lb) per person once a year. We did so twice, using Fedex. You could also pay Fedex on your own. Fedex was prompt, they stick on a big tag, they give you a tracking number, and you can follow it as they travel. Excellent service, and just let the destination hotel know when to expect it.

nytraveler

Any sizeable hotel will do this. (We send dozens of boxes of materials ahead for meetings - for storage for a week or more - and I often send personal packages too.)

we just use Fed Ex - but since it's business the only issue is reliability- not cost.

Agree to google choices - and be aware that you may be charged by size as well as by weight.

Also - be very sure you contact the hotel in advance to arrange this - and have the name of a specific person it will be sent to - who will be responsible for getting it to you when you arrive.

Don't take the excuse - Concierge or Bell Captain - get a specific name in writing - and be sure that person will be on duty when you arrive in the hotel. (I tell you this after having spent hours - on 2 different occasions tracking down meeting materials the hotel had misplaced (how can you forget 37 cartons?).

Annabel

We travel often and have been shipping our luggage FedEx ever since the "3 oz rule". We have never ever had a problem (16 trips)...our luggage is usually waiting in our room for us. If not it is waiting at the bell captains area and waiting to be brought up upon arrival. Keep in mind that Fed Ex has 2 different services...express and ground, the packages are also handles very differently...always choose express. You have to go to Fed Ex and get the special luggage tags. Also note on the tag for the hotel, your last name arrival date and confirmation number. When you ship Fed Ex, make sure the package has to be sighed for. I have our luggage shipped so it arrives a day before we do. We have never had a problem, but I always insure our luggage for 999.00 per bag....hey you never know. I am so spoiled by shipping luggage now. It is such a pleasure, it makes everything so much easier.

cfntmpn

I ship things to hotels prior to my arrival quite frequently. Please note that hotels have HUGE shipping/receiving departments and I cannot tell you how many times I have had a copy of the signed form showing that the hotel had received the items shipped, but no one can find them!

To avoid this from happening to you I might offer some advice.

Be sure you have a copy of the tracking number/sending label.

Go online to the whoever shipped the item (fedex, dhl, ups, etcc). Enter the traking number to find out if the item was RECEIVED. Once it is received by the hotel note WHO signed for the items. Have this information with you when you check into the hotel - it will make your life much easier!

When you address the items include the following info:

Name of Hotel
HOLD FOR GUESTS ARRIVAL (DATE)
YOUR NAME HERE (I put my last name first, then my 1st name initial since I am female and traveling alone)
Address of hotel

Good Luck!

maryann

I have 1 question - Do you ship these as a piece of luggage or do you put the luggage in a box ?

Thanks for the tip of the shipping & recieving depts.losing things - makes me nervous now.

traveler24

I really appreciate the feedback.
Staff and other passengers have always been very helpful. I almost always check my one suitcase and usually ask someone to pull it off the belt..
I quess I was just loking for some magical way to travel with only a tote bag...
As I get older I look for less stressful ways to travel-but in my case I would worry all the way if my bag
was going to end up the same place I did...
Thanks again ...