A vast majority (99%) of my overnight accommodations are in hotels. I stay on average 60 nights with Starwood and another 20 or so nights with other hotel chains. I spend quite a bit of time in hotels and I’ve had some great stays and not so great stays. Here is a list of my top 10 hotel pet peeves:
- The water is not hot enough. This is a huge problem because I like to take hot showers in the morning.
- Slow Wi-Fi. Slow Wi-Fi is the bane of my existence since I rely on internet for work. Basically it comes down to this, slow Wi-Fi is basically no Wi-Fi. Slow Wi-Fi or no Wi-Fi basically ruins my hotel stay no matter how nice my hotel room is.
- No in-room bottled water. I like to have at least one bottle of water in the room to quench my thirst when I wake up. This should be a basic amenity and I get really annoyed when there is no bottled water in my room.
- Rude staff. Being nice should be a basic pre-requisite requirement to be hired in the hospitality industry. Some hotel front desk agents really do need training on how to treat hotel guests. Nowadays, I know that the customer is not always right, but there is always a nice way of saying something.
- Non-working hotel room keys. I really hate it when I go up to my hotel room and the key doesn’t work. Sometimes it takes a 5-10 minute trek to your hotel room and even longer (Las Vegas) and when your room door doesn’t accept your key, it’s frustrating to go back down and explain the situation. I always request two keys even if I am staying alone just in case one doesn’t work, but that doesn’t always work.
- Long hold times on the phone. When I forget a basic toiletry (toothpaste), I always call to request one. Now, sometimes you have to be transferred a few times before you get the right person. Face it, being on hold sucks.
- Elite Check-in. How many times have you seen the hotel elite check-in desk/line unmanned? This happens quite frequently and I don’t know why they even exist if they are consistent not being used.
- Hotels charging for local calls. This is the 21st century where pay phones are almost obsolete. A local call is always the cheapest method and most of the time it’s free. I really dislike it when a hotel charges for local calls when it should be complimentary.
- Resort fees. I understand resort fees cover Wi-Fi, access to the gym, pool, newspaper, local calls, boarding pass printing, use of the business center. What if you’re an elite guestand already entitled to free internet but you don’t use the gym, pool, read the newspaper, and make local calls? Well, you’re still charged. But we all know how to avoid resort fees by now, right?
- Hotel staff not respecting privacy sign. The first thing I do when I walk into the hotel room is plop down the “Do not disturb” sign on my door. I don’t want anyone to come into my room unannounced. Even if I’m staying for 5 nights, I don’t ever let housekeeping in my room (not even for turndown service). I really dislike it when a hotel staff member enters or tries to enter your room for some reason and it is really an invasion of privacy (even if I’m not there). My biggest concern is that I travel with a lot of expensive electronic equipment and I don’t want them mysteriously disappearing.
What’s your hotel pet peeve?