HotelChatter

1. Deep Soaking Tubs: When we take a bath in a hotel room, we mean business. Nothing irks us more than getting into a tub only to find we don't fit because the tub is either too short or too shallow. That's why we prefer deep soaking tubs like the ones at the Le Meurice in Paris or the free-standing ones in the Splash suites at the Andaz Fifth Avenue. And of course, we don't mind the ones with a view.

2. Swivel-Mount TVs: Back in the old days of 2004, we were wishing that hotels would make the switch from chunky box TVs to flat-screens. Well, now that they have, it's clear hotels with swivel-mount TVs have an edge. That's because they allow guests to watch TV from the bed, the desk, the sitting area and sometimes even, the toilet. Ooo la la! Some of our favorite swivel-mount TVs have been found at the Affinia Chicago, Huntley Santa Monica and the Mondrian West Hollywood.

3. Hardwood Floors: Not only do we imagine that hardwood floors in hotel rooms are much more sanitary than wall-to-wall carpeting, there is just something very cozy about them especially if they are placed in rooms as pretty as the new Hotel Indigo Shanghai which looks more like an apartment than a hotel. Plus, haven't we seen enough fugly hotel carpeting already?

4. Bathroom Night Lights: It's not always easy sleeping in a strange hotel bed. Nor is it easy to get to sleep after a long flight from the other side of the world. Which means you're probably going to be getting up a lot to pee...er...just move about. That's why we like a room with bathroom night lights, but not the kind you used to have when you were a kid. There are more adult lighting options out there like at The Encore Las Vegas which has soft lights under the sink.

5. Plug Panels: We're so in love with plug panels we should probably hold a commitment ceremony with them. But not only do we love plug panels that pop-up on the desks in hotel rooms, we're also loving plug panels that pop-up in the public spaces of hotel lobbies like the ones we recently saw at the Element Times Square. Thanks to these cute little things, not only is our laptop fully charged, but we've got fewer bumps on our head as well. (That's because we're not crawling under the desk to find an outlet.)

6. Control Panels: Some folks love the control panels that hotels have been placing in their rooms these days which control everything from the lighting to the TV, the drapes and the temperature while others would rather do everything manually. But when you have an easy-to-understand control panel that lets you get comfortable at the touch of a button, like the ones we've seen at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, you will never want to pull those blackout shades yourself again.

7. Window Seats: Way back in the 80s we used to spend our winter days lounging in a bay window in our parents' house reading all the "Babysitter's Club" books over and over so whenever we see a hotel room with a window seat we get a little nostalgic. Then we want to grab our iPad and watch the world go by below us. And with the window seats at some W Hotels, we can even spend the night there!

8. Accessible Mirrors: Have you ever left your hotel room only to catch a glimpse of yourself in the lobby mirror and see that you've applied about ten pounds of makeup? Or perhaps you've got a rather narsty case of razor burn? That's probably because the bathroom mirror is four feet away from the edge of the sink with crap lighting that makes it hard to see what your face really looks like. And don't get us started on hotels without full-length mirrors. Is it too much to ask that we don't have to stand on the toilet seat just to see what our bottom half looks like? Hotels with full-length mirrors and magnifying mirrors are the fairest of them all.

9. Outlets Near The Bed: Alright, you got us! We are obsessed with outlets. We can't help it though as we are regularly traveling these days with a cellphone, iPad and laptop. Oh and don't forget the camera charger. Which is why we sighed a huge sigh of relief in our teeny, tiny room at the Tune Hotel Westminster when we saw outlets in the wall next to the bed. Extra bonus points to the Encore for including outlets in their nightlamps!

10. Functional Nightstands: Speaking of things close to the bed, we're nightstand people. We like our tissues, chapstick, cellphone and a glass of water close to us when we're sleeping. That's why we like nightstands that have substantial girth to fit all these items. While we appreciate the thinking-out-of-the-box with tree stumps, tiny ledges, delicate glass tables and even a stack of books, they just aren't going to cut it for us.

Apparently, Westin Hotels understands us. Next year, they are going to unveil a new "accent table"/nightstand with an extension that pulls out to fit a laptop or room service tray. So we can eat and work from bed. Yay!

That wraps up our favorite things for this year. Now YOU tell US what you love about hotel rooms! You can drop your best hotel designs, amenities, furnishings and more in comments below.