Luxury Hotels, Listen Up: One Guest's Five Hotel Pet Peeves

September 17, 2009 at 2:12 PM | by DanSuslavich | Comments (4)

Every so often we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? Send it in.

Today we have a special post from regular HotelChatter reader and frequent hotel guest, Dan Suslavich who is giving us a different sort of Reader Review by rounding up his Five Hotel Pet Peeves.

I was a hospitality major in college, and I am the last person to be picky when it comes to hotels or their staff, but, there are just some things that you come to expect when staying in a 4 or 5-star hotel, and when these aren't provided, they become pet peeves, so here are five of mine that come to mind.

1. Burnt Out Lights Yes, I know. Things break, but, when the main light to the room is burnt out the second you walk in, that is just bad. Is is that hard to have the housekeeping staff check the lights to a room before they sign off on the cleaning report?

2. Not Providing Basic Toiletries I forgot my toothpaste and a toothbrush, so I called down to Housekeeping at the Flamingo to have a set sent up, only to be informed that they no longer provide them, but, I could happily go downstairs and buy one in the gift shop! I was fine with that, until I was whacked $6.86 (inc. tax) for the toothbrush and toothpaste!!! If you are going to make your guests buy basic toiletries, please don't insult us in the process, considering most 1-star hotels will happy give them away for free.

3. Musty or Smoke Smells in a Non-Smoking Room This is another no brainer that the housekeeping should easily be able to check, before signing off on a room. I don't have an ultra sensitive nose, but, more than once, I have had to change rooms due to a smoky smell in a non-smoking room, or just a stale, the room needs fresh air, smell.

4. Not Giving Late Check-Outs This one is relatively minor on the scale of things, and I realize that some hotels may have a ton of rooms to recycle on a given day, but sometimes, when I have a 4 or 5pm flight, I'd just like to keep the room for a couple hours past 11am, and I am more than willing to pay a fee for that. However, I can't tell you how many times I've called the front desk, and have gotten the �We aren't honoring late requests today�, and I usually suspect they never �honor� them.

When this happens, I'll hunt down the cleaning staff on the floor and slip her a tip to clean me last. This system usually buys me a couple extra hours and hasn't failed me yet. Hotel managers, you'd be surprised at how many guests would probably be willing to pay extra for a couple extra hours. Use this to your advantage!

5. Resort Fees at a Non-Existent Resort I don't mind paying a fee if it was at an actual resort with things to do, but, I get really insulted (Ahem, Trump Las Vegas) when I get charged a $15 resort fee for the two 10 ounce water bottles provided in my room, a newspaper, and parking privileges which I am not using, and then another $22 on top of that to use the gym. Not cool!

This was a quick list of some of my peeves, what are some of yours? Let us know! Provide them in the comments below.

For more of Dan's hotel stays and travel tips, check out his site at FollowDan.com.

Comments (4)

Return to » Luxury Hotels, Listen Up: One Guest's Five Hotel Pet Peeves

Early check-in for customers who arrive on a red-eye.

A lighted makeup mirror that doubles as a night light.

Free wi-fi in guest rooms. (Why do only the ritzy hotels charge for this??)

An Apple computer that also has the Windows OS loaded in the business center.

Bathroom fixtures that don't require an engineer to figure out how to turn on a faucet.

Thank you, 2 out of 5 is not bad. You have a couple of valid points, but are still a little bit off. I have 15 minutes to kill, so allow me to respond:

A typical hotel room has a dozen light bulbs, so imagine how many bulbs are in a medium-sized luxury building. Unless a hotel uses all CFLs - which are ugly - bulbs will always be burning out. So as long as the staff promptly replaces bulbs when notified, and you don't happen to find several bulbs burnt out at once, please don't complain.
Freebies are great, especially in a luxury hotel, but remember nothing is really "free", it's always built into the price of the room. I am a responsible traveler, I remember to bring my deodorant and razors. I would rather pay $300/night and pony up when I forget something than pay $306.86/night and come home with a cheap toothbrush and a small tube of that gross-flavored plain Crest.
Stinky hotel rooms make very bad service. I agree that there is no excuse for this in a luxury hotel. If you book a non-smoking room, you should get a non-smoking room. Luxury hotels should all implement strong non-smoking policies and enforce them, or be prepared to give all guests non-smoking rooms if they request them.
I hate when people gripe about late check outs. Guests should never complain about this, and I know they do it only because they don't really understand how a hotel works. It;s really simple, so here you go: You reserved and paid for the room from 3pm to 12 noon only. We have to clean and repair the room after you check out. Somebody else reserved it after you, and they will not be happy if its not ready by 3pm. Sometimes that person who reserved it after you even shows up at 5AM on a red-eye and wants to get into it asap. If you need to stay in the room later (or want to check in early due to a red-eye flight), just reserve and pay for the room another night. You're staying in a luxury hotel, you can afford it. You're also aware that your flight arrives at 5AM and your room is not guaranteed until 3PM. Call me ahead of time, I'll be happy to arrange for your room to be ready at 5AM. Any good hotel manager should sell out as many nights as possible, and when this happens, don't expect an early check in, and no, you can't have a late check out!
I agree that resort fees are stupid and any hotel charging them is making a big mistake. They are weasely and make about as much sense as an oxygen fee. If a fee is not optional it should be included in the room rate. Also, if you have a gym or a pool, don't charge your guests extra to use them - guests just feel nickeled-and-dimed. Wifi fees are toeing the line too in my opinion.

I have never had issues checking in early, even as early as 7am at the W in Minneapolis recently, or 10am at the Palazzo in Vegas. What a freakin' godsend.

On the flip side, I have almost always been granted atleast 1 hour, but up to 3 free hours for a late check out when I have been in need. (hang over? late flight? just luxuriating?)

I have no idea if this due to luck, politeness, or asking for the right thing as I used to work at a hotel. Whatever it is, I think people are just using selective memory when they think they arent' get things like this, or are staying at the wrong hotels.

Also: wi fi should be just as common as cable tv these days, if you ask me. I used to laugh when I drove past old school small town motels with "free tv" on their marquee. Free wifi has become such a luxury that hotels can toot their horn about it, but I think it should be just as common as "tee vees" are nowadays.

Everyone needs to remember that a hotel is a business. Good service doesn't mean that they should give everything away. In fact, all that they owe you is a room that you book and pay for.

You wouldn't go into Macy's and expect a free belt with your pants, so why should you expect a hotel to do the same? If you don't like, you don't buy! It is a hotel people! You check-in for a couple of days then leave. Its not like you are spending eternity there. Stop complaining about silly $#!t and realize that no one there really cares about your issues. See a shrink!

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