I travel a LOT as a working engineer. I travel with a crescent wrench, a 1/4” drill bit and a t-hold handle. Every hotel room I stay in gets the restrictive plate removed. No more crappy showers on the road.
I’ve always been able to get them out with a pair of needle nose pliers. A dry wall screw works, too...that was actually a suggestion included as a note from the seller with a shower head I ordered online!