OK you are back at the hotel after a great day in the rain. What's the FIRST thing you need to do?
*Get some air going through all those shoes! They need to be ready for the next morning. Just like putting them under the refrigerator back home.
There are usually two types of A/C units in hotel:
1) Internal with large grate/air return - Find a sturdy "riser" to build a shoe pyramid on in front of the grate. A case of water, hard suitcase, or cooler works great. Start with largest shoes, lay them sideways about 5 inches away from grate, on their outside edge with heels together and opening facing the grate. Lay the next-size-down shoes on top, and so on. The entire stack/pyramid will naturally lean toward the grate and support itself. My personal best is six pairs high. Another, more sturdy, option is take hangars out of the closet and see if they will fit in the grates to hang. Then use shoe laces to attach to the hangars. Depending on size of the grate, you can do two or three rows of shoes.
2) Exterior/window unit:
Depending on the unit, you can usually pull the desk chairs over and they should be the perfect height. Lay the shoes upside down with toes on the chairs and openings directly over the fan vent.
Notes:
*If you don't want heat or AC in the room, switch the unit to "Fan Only" to keep the air moving.
*If kids' shoes are not brand new, wash them BEFORE your trip. If you know what I mean...
*A friend of mine brings a mesh over-the-door shoe holder to hang on the hotel door to keep all shoes organized and out of the way. That also works perfectly to hang in front of the grate, from a chair. Stuffs easily into luggage.