Oh, the other thing I want to do more often is to chat with hotel staff. Sure, they’re a captive conversation partner, so you don’t want to be annoying, but they surely have something interesting to say about the place you are staying. Rather than trying to become best friends, you could just sort of “touch base” and get a little information about the environs and hotel itself, and go on your way. Then, later, you can say hello to that person. What a nice thing. For me, this would cure the awkwardness I feel when staff kindly say greetings when I come and go, causing me to sort of look away shyly for whatever anxious reason. The key is probably to treat everyone like a valuable and interesting human, as with so many other settings.