By Jennifer Bain | Published April 20, 2026

Bain There, Done That is Jennifer Bain’s bi-weekly column about travelling Canada in search of quirk.

Subscribe to the Modern Traveller Newsletter to get terrific travel articles like this one straight to your inbox!

**A retro hang tag from the Hotel Port Aux Basques in Channel-Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador/Jennifer Bain**

Have you ever stopped to analyze “do not disturb/please make up room” signs? As someone who spent 171 nights on the road last year, I certainly have.

Hotel hang tags range from retro to artsy, from elegant to ordinary. They’re usually something physical that hangs on door handles and are made of things like laminated paper, PVC plastic, wood or leather. But they can also be magnetic tags to slap on steel or metal doors, or might even be digital buttons.

The hanging ones are usually double sided and half the time they fall off the door handle. I’ve always wondered about that design flaw.

Anyway, here are 15 favourites I’ve come across in my mostly Canadian travels.

Jag Hotel, Newfoundland and Labrador

**The problem with having hang tags as desirable as the ones at the JAG Hotel in St. John’s is that guests will want to take them home/Jennifer Bain**

The music-themed JAG Hotel in downtown St. John’s has the hang tag I talk about the most.

One side shows an iconic photo of Keith Richards shot by Annie Leibovitz. “Shattered,” it says, referring to the Rolling Stones song. “Do not disturb.” The other side shows a photo of Bob Dylan and is a parody of his album The Times They Are A-Changin’. “The towels they need a-changin,” it cleverly says.

It’s exactly what you’d expect from a boutique hotel whose slogan is “let’s spend the night together.”

Lodge at Métis Crossing, Alberta

**The bilingual hang tags at the Lodge at Métis Crossing are in Michif and English and have gorgeous photos/Jennifer Bain**

Métis Crossing, northeast of Edmonton, is a cultural centre with a boutique lodge that celebrates the children of the fur trade.

I’ve taken its signature wildlife tour twice and been driven through paddocks to see bison (some white), elk and Percheron horses. So I love how the hotel’s custom hang tags feature a white bison and the Michif word poonihin plus the “do not disturb” translation.

The flip side says pihtikwe (come in) and shows horses.

Hew & Draw, Newfoundland and Labrador

**The Hew & Draw in Corner Brook has quietly stylish hang tags befitting a boutique hotel/Jennifer Bain**

The Hew & Draw, a boutique hotel in Corner Brook, celebrates Newfoundlanders who work on the water and in the forest. Its creative hang tags feature artsy photos.

“Out Adventuring,” says the one with a wicker basket. “Please service.”

“Tucked In,” says the one with work boots that have been taken off for the day. “Do not disturb.”

Hotel Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador

**I can’t even guess what decade these hang tags are from at the Hotel Port Aux Basques/Jennifer Bain**

Last summer I took the ferry from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Channel-Port Aux Basques in Newfoundland and Labrador and stayed overnight before adventuring across my favourite province.

That’s where I spotted the fabulously retro hang tags at Hotel Port Aux Basques. There was a sleeping crescent moon on the DND sign, and a smiley face on the one that says “Maid please make up this room” using outdated lingo for housekeeping.

Wickaninnish Inn, British Columbia

**At the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C., there are elegant wooden hang tags that reference the nearby Pacific Ocean/Jennifer Bain**

Over in Tofino on Vancouver Island, the Wickaninnish Inn is the place to go for storm watching and to walk Chesterman Beach and commune with the Pacific Ocean.

Suitable for the rustic elegant vibe are whimsical wooden hang tags.

“The tide is out and so am I,” they politely say. “Please make up my room.”

Muir, Nova Scotia

**Pretty white ribbons and the hotel’s logo are part of the Muir’s hang tags in Halifax/Jennifer Bain**

In Halifax, the upscale Muir takes a different approach with its hang tags.

There are two — one that says “Do Not Disturb” and one that says “Please Make Up My Room.” They’re small and circular and sport the hotel’s minimalist logo. They hang on tasteful white ribbons.

Holiday Inn Sydney Waterfront, Nova Scotia

**It doesn’t take much to add your spin on a hotel hang tag, as the Holiday Inn realizes/Jennifer Bain**

Kudos for the big chain hotels for showing some personality.

“Come back after me time,” says the hang tag at the Holiday Inn Sydney Waterfront. “Privacy please.”

Hôtel Le Germain Montréal, Québec

**I haven’t seen a lot of digital Do Not Disturb signs in Canada/Jennifer Bain**

I haven’t come across many digital Do Not Disturb options in Canada, except at Hôtel Le Germain Montréal.

There’s a red warning icon of a stick figure catching some ZZZs with the bilingual message: “Ne Pas Déranger. Do Not Disturb.”

Then there’s a purple vacuum with the message: “Nettoyage Demandé. Make Up Room.”

Metterra Hotel on Whyte, Alberta

**Do people actually make a mess in their hotel rooms? I don’t/Jennifer Bain**

This one disturbs me.

“Please do not disturb,” says the hang tag for the Metterra Hotel on Whyte in Edmonton. “Making a mess.”

But I never make a mess in a hotel room. And if I do, I tidy it up before leaving.

Hotel Vischio Osaka, Japan

**The Hotel Vischio Osaka is the only hotel I’ve found with three options for magnetic hang tags/Jennifer Bain**

They seem to have more magnetic doors in Japan than here in Canada. On my last trip, all my hotels had magnetic DND tags.

My favourites were from Hotel Vischio Osaka and came in five languages.

“Please Do Not Disturb” was red and showed a hand. “Please clean up the room” was blue and showed a broom. “No Clean Up Today” showed a broom with a line through it and the extra sentence “I care about the environment.” Naturally it was green.

Windstar Cruises

**On my recent Windstar Cruise from Rome to Venice via Croatia, I made good use of the magnetic Do Not Disturb tag/Jennifer Bain**

I’m just back from a Windstar off-season cruise through Italy and Croatia. Cruise lines often have magnetic tags and mine said “We’re going on an adventure. Please Make Up Room.”

Magnetic tags are so much easier to use than hang tags.

Wymara Resort + Villas, Turks & Caicos Islands

**On Provo in Turks & Caicos Islands, I loved these cute hanging bags that served as Do Not Disturb tags at Wymara Resort + Villas/Jennifer Bain**

This was a first. On Providenciales in Turks & Caicos Islands, the hang tags at Wymara Resort + Villas were tiny white cloth bags with black stitching.

“Do Not Disturb” said one with black lettering.

“Please Service Room” said the other with vaguely sea-coloured stitching.

Geejam Hotel, Jamaica

**Geejam Hotel in Jamaica works with words and font instead of photos for its subtle hang tags/Jennifer Bain**

Geejam Hotel in northeastern Jamaica was co-founded by former music industry executives and has a recording studio and separate villas. It’s a creative, laidback space with minimalist and photo-free hang tags that let words and font send the appropriate messages.

“YES please we would like room service” says the white side with black lettering.

“NO thanks sleeping in [partied hard]” says the burgundy side with white lettering.

Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro, Spain

**Mindful of the array of tourists that pass through León, Spain, the Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro has multilingual hang tags/Jennifer Bain**

In León, Spain, the hang tag at Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro managed to say “Please Do Not Disturb” in six languages — Spanish, French, English, German, Italian and Portuguese.

It was cluttered but got the job done.

InterContinental Amman, Jordan

**There were wordsmiths at work on the custom hang tags for G Adventures’ 2025 birthday party in Jordan/Jennifer Bain**

These ones don’t really count but last year when I went to GX — the annual globetrotting birthday party for G Adventures — the Toronto-based small group travel adventure company had fun making clever custom tags for every hotel we stayed at across Jordan.

“Come in — Amman an epic adventure,” said the one at my room at the InterContinental Amman (Jordan).

At the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa, another said: “Don’t come in. I’m in here living my rest life.”

Bain There, Done That: 15 Clever Hotel Do Not Disturb Signs