Sometimes I think it’s fun to talk about and compare our various travel habits and pet peeves. I recently wrote about some of my hotel habits, and in this post thought it would be fun to share some of my hotel pet peeves.
Some of these are major, some of them are minor, and this list is by no means comprehensive, but it’s many of the things that come to mind. I’ll share mine below (in no particular order), and then I’d love to hear how they compare to those of OMAAT readers.
In this post:
Bathrooms without privacy
I know some hotels like to be “hip,” but I just don’t get how that sometimes extends to bathroom design. All too often, we see bathrooms that are basically designed for peep shows. Sometimes there’s a glass shield between the bedroom and bathroom with no option to get full privacy, and other times the toilet is separated from the rest of the bathroom by a non-frosted glass shield.
Is a little privacy in the bathroom too much to ask for? And don’t even get me started on bathtubs in bedrooms…
Decorative pillows & other bedding
I’m a germaphobe, though I’m pretty good at being selective about it, or else I’d probably never enjoy staying at hotels again. While I can get over most things in hotel rooms, decorative pillows and blankets is one thing I struggle with.
They’re obviously not cleaned between each use, and I feel like most guests either use them or throw them on the floor. I find that kind of disgusting, and wish that I could simply request to not have these in rooms.
Showers with weak water pressure
I can appreciate how many hotels are trying to be more environmentally conscious (or cut costs, or both). However, I wish that water pressure wasn’t one of the areas where they’re looking to save. It ends up just taking me a lot longer to shower, and I’m not sure how that’s in anyone’s best interest.
Showers that are complicated, poorly designed
Separate from poor water pressure, there are a couple of other things that frustrate me about hotel showers.
For one, I feel like hotel showers have become increasingly complicated to use over the years, and it makes no sense to me. It should be possible to turn on the shower and control the temperature without getting wet first. Furthermore, it should be obvious which handles and buttons control the water flow, temperature, etc.
Along similar lines, I don’t like showers that aren’t fully enclosed, and/or where water easily splashes into the rest of the bathroom. You shouldn’t have to flood the whole bathroom in order to take a shower.
Gyms that aren’t 24/7
I like to go to the gym, and I also keep a very strange schedule, especially when traveling. Along those lines, I’m always frustrated when hotels have gyms that aren’t 24/7. Okay, I understand that at hotels that somehow use a third-party health complex for their guest.
But I’m also surprised by how sometimes hotels with standard gyms still have limited hours. If you’re not going to have a 24/7 gym, at least open it at a reasonable hour. For example, I recently stayed at a hotel where the gym only opened at 8AM, which I found to be incredibly late. Go figure there was then a mad rush to use the gym at that hour. 
A poor coffee setup
I probably care more about coffee than the average person. Of course I absolutely love when a hotel has a coffee shop and/or barista made coffee. However, that’s not something I expect from most non-luxury hotels. I’ll settle for just a decent in-room coffee machine, or coffee in the lobby in the early hours of the morning.
It irks me when a hotel doesn’t have a decent in-room coffee setup, and also doesn’t have a good opportunity to get coffee in the lobby in the early morning hours.
Destination, resort, and urban fees
I think this frustrates just about everyone, but destination and resort fees are obviously incredibly annoying. Hotels have historically had these in order to have drip pricing and to limit the amount of the room rate they have to pay a commission on to online travel agencies. But it’s also super annoying to be charged $10-100 per day for what ultimately amounts to very little.
Scripted, artificial customer service
There’s professional service, and then there’s cookie cutter, over the top, artificial service. I’m talking about when front desk agents seem like they’re reading off a script, and try to add your name to every sentence, to make it sound like they’re providing good service. Personally I far prefer genuine service with a smile. You don’t have to use my name or terms like “my privilege.”
Hotels trying to avoid providing elite perks
I think this is something that just about any elite member with a hotel loyalty program will agree with. We’re all loyal to hotel groups in exchange for certain perks, and it’s really frustrating when hotels go out of their way to be as stingy as possible.
To be clear, I don’t expect every hotel to be overly generous, and I also recognize that there are a lot of elite members, and therefore there’s lots of competition for upgrades. But sometimes you’ll see hotels that go out of their way to not provide perks, whether it’s late check-out, a half decent breakfast, or any sort of a room upgrade.
You don’t want to feel like you have to fight to get what you should be entitled to.
In-room TVs automatically being turned on
This is minor, but you know how most hotels have the in-room TV turned on when you first enter the room, with some sort of music or advertisement? I always immediately turn that off. I guess these are largely ads promoting the loyalty program or something else, which is why they’re on, but I do find it to be unnecessary.
Room amenities that aren’t properly checked
While housekeeping for the most part does a good job with cleaning rooms, I can’t say the same about checking that room amenities are working correctly. It’s way too common to walk into a hotel room and find that not all the lights work, that the wireless phone doesn’t work, that the alarm clock is set for a wake-up call, etc. This should be (almost) as important as cleanliness.
Beds with square pillows
I’m a side sleeper, and when sleeping, I always like to “spoon” something. When traveling alone, that’s usually (well, always) a pillow. Unfortunately some hotels seem to have square (or nearly square) pillows, which I find to be less than ideal. So personally I appreciate pillows that are long, so that you can “cuddle” them pretty easily. I also just find the longer pillows to be more comfortable for my head, since I’ll sometimes turn around in the middle of the night.
Lack of power outlets by the bed
Regardless of the standard of hotel you’re staying at, you’d expect that nowadays you’ll have conveniently located outlets in just about all rooms. This includes multiple outlets by the bed, as well as multiple outlets by the desk. Despite that, even in 2024, I’m surprised by how often I find myself in hotel rooms with no conveniently located outlets.
Rooms without desks or desk-like setups
In recent years we’ve seen a trend whereby many hotels have eliminated traditional desks. I guess some older hotel executives have decided that young people don’t work, and don’t need a comfortable place from which to be productive.
Fortunately this is a trend that’s starting to lose some steam, in my experience. Regardless, I find it less than ideal when a hotel room doesn’t have a desk (or desk-like setup), and doesn’t have a comfortable chair as well. A hard chair or stool and a vanity of sorts isn’t a substitute for a workstation.
Bottom line
We’re all looking for different things from our hotel stays, so it’s understandable that not everyone has the same preferences. The above are some of my biggest hotel pet peeves. I’m sure there are plenty of others, but the above are the ones that first come to mind, including some pretty minor ones. I’m curious to see how these compare to what other people notice.
What are your top hotel peeves?
1. A CONSISTENT BRAND EXPERIENCE ACROSS ALL PROPERTIES WHETHER COMPANY OWNED OR FRANCHISED
2. A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE WITH AMENITIES MARKETED FOR ATTRACTING LOYALTY.... WORST OFFENDING BRAND IS MARRIOTT WHERE THEY PANDER TO THE FRANCHISEES RATHER THAN TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
3. A WORK DESK....
#15 Biggest Hotel Pet Peeve - when they don't have avacado toast on the restaurant's menu. :(
There should be a standardization of shower controls.
Just came back from Europe, nowadays it takes forever to pump out enough shower gel to clean yourself. It's another way hotels are tyring to reduce the usage of these liquids.
No access to HDMI port on the TV - a few have mentioned it.
1. Doors that slam super loudly. After all, main reason for a hotel is somewhere to sleep.
2. Master switches that don't switch everything off.
3. People in hallways talking at the top of their voices late. Worst experience of this is in the Middle East where kids stay up until all hours playing unsupervised.
4. No iron/board. I get that in some places this is not allowed due to fire regs....
1. Doors that slam super loudly. After all, main reason for a hotel is somewhere to sleep.
2. Master switches that don't switch everything off.
3. People in hallways talking at the top of their voices late. Worst experience of this is in the Middle East where kids stay up until all hours playing unsupervised.
4. No iron/board. I get that in some places this is not allowed due to fire regs. Some places now have a steamer which are fabulous.
5. Inadequate breakfast room capacity.
Agree completely with the shower pressure, and would add not having hot enough water. Would ruin a hotel stay no matter any another ammenty.
Clogged shower drains.
Duvets. I live in Florida and travel to Panama frequently. Why do they have duvets on the bed when it's 90°+ outside? I have to turn the temp down to 67° to be comfortable and most hotels don't have cooler blankets available. How is that cost efficient? I finally convinced the JW Marriott I stay at in Panama City to keep a few blankets on hand and the manager told me he's putting placards in the rooms to let guests know that it is an option.
When guests leave their used breakfast room ser4vice trays in the hallway, filled with dirty dishes, food scraps etc. When you return from your day's excursion, the dirty trays are still there!
Lack of, spacing out, or making you pay for housekeeping.
Bathroom light/fan combo- unable to turn on light without loud fan.
Alarm clocks that were set prior and keep going off.
When housekeeping tries to repeatedly enter the room on day of checkout. Made worse when do not disturb placards are up.
Blinds that are controlled with buttons or a tablet…they never seem to work properly. I’ve stayed at a corner suite in a Hilton with floor to ceiling windows where the blinds would just automatically fully open at midnight every night.
1. Lack of Power outlet by the bedside.
2. Curtains that don't block out the light.
Lack of doors. Went to Kimpton. Worse hotel ever. Walk through the bathroom to enter the bedroom from the room entrance. No door at all connecting the bathroom to bedroom. Only a single SLIDING door between the toilet and the shower. Truly horrible.
4 rock hard king size pillows and a 'suite' without closet, or even a single hook to hang clothes. The only place to hang my sweat soaked shirt, was the TV.
A lack of hooks and convenient towel racks in the bathroom.
No face cloths.
Loose toilet seats—why don’t the housekeepers report them?!
TVs that won’t accept a streaming device hookup.
Keurig coffee.
My pet peeve is getting to the gym and finding all the water is gone because other guests confuse it for an executive lounge.
Surprised no one has mentioned it, but I hate the environmental saving power switch at the door (typically) requiring a room card to operate the lights and especially the AC. Leaving a hotel room shouldn't debilitate your ability to charge your devices or keep the room moderately cool. Nothing like coming back after a long day to a blazing hot room and dead devices, and having to wait 20 minutes for the room to cool...
Surprised no one has mentioned it, but I hate the environmental saving power switch at the door (typically) requiring a room card to operate the lights and especially the AC. Leaving a hotel room shouldn't debilitate your ability to charge your devices or keep the room moderately cool. Nothing like coming back after a long day to a blazing hot room and dead devices, and having to wait 20 minutes for the room to cool to a reasonable temperature, let alone what temperature you set it at and praying you have enough time to fully charge your devices before you have to leave. And many of those places don't want to give you additional keycards, so you can leave one in the switch at all times and still keep one with you to get access to the room. I keep a stack of old hotel keycards in my bag just to combat this lunacy. Even then, some hotels are requiring a valid room keycard to operate the switch in their never-ending war with the customer.
All hotel bathrooms should have hand-held shower wands in addition to, or even instead of, overhead showerheads. Ones that don't should at least provide shower caps.
I thought of another: room category gaslighting. So you get an upgrade from a Deluxe King to a Superior King, but they are identical and on the same floor with the same amenities. It's so obvious when you're upgraded on an airplane, or from a standard room to a suite, but everything in between is so nebulous and you just have to take their word for it. I asked for a Hilton Diamond upgrade for...
I thought of another: room category gaslighting. So you get an upgrade from a Deluxe King to a Superior King, but they are identical and on the same floor with the same amenities. It's so obvious when you're upgraded on an airplane, or from a standard room to a suite, but everything in between is so nebulous and you just have to take their word for it. I asked for a Hilton Diamond upgrade for a one night stay, only to be told they were totally booked and nothing was available. When I showed them that multiple room categories were showing available on my app, they begrudgingly gave me an upgrade to ... the same room with a different designation.
Lack of powerful A/C.
I don't care what you do for the environment, or how weak your electricity is, if I can't make the room cold at night, then your hotel is 100% useless to me. I cannot sleep warm.
My number 1 complaint is the thermostat lie. It can be freezing when I get in the bed (my preference), but in no time the room is hot and stuffy. The thermostat and thermometer will still say 68 but it's nowhere near that. I know there are overrides and that it's possible to reset it by moving around in your room at night, but seriously ... can we not just set it and forget it? My number 2 complaint is similar -- 37 layers of sheets and duvets.
Bedside clock bristling with buttons, none of which adjusts the time - and the alarm set to 6am by the previous guest
The unwanted wake-up call from housekeeping on the last day, "are you checking out today sir"
"This door will be locked at 7pm" (and you'll have to walk around the block to the opposite side of the building)
The "5-star" hotel with a half-hour line at check-in, Sofitel Heathrow for...
Bedside clock bristling with buttons, none of which adjusts the time - and the alarm set to 6am by the previous guest
The unwanted wake-up call from housekeeping on the last day, "are you checking out today sir"
"This door will be locked at 7pm" (and you'll have to walk around the block to the opposite side of the building)
The "5-star" hotel with a half-hour line at check-in, Sofitel Heathrow for example
The casino-hotel forcing you to walk through all the losers pouring money into the slots - as I go past I always shout "you worked hard for that money. Dont put it in there".
Decorative pillows are awful.
Big my biggest pet peave is inadequate soundproofing. Hearing snoring (or worse) from the room next to me, or every voice in the hallway, always makes for an unpleasant stay
@Ben, I share many of your pet peeves. I stayed at a hotel last year where the gym hours were 9am to 5pm. Apparently, people who go to the gym don't work?
And recently at a limited service marriott the TV popped on at 3am the first night with my welcome message. I told the front desk and they seemed like this had never happened before and the next night it popped on with a...
@Ben, I share many of your pet peeves. I stayed at a hotel last year where the gym hours were 9am to 5pm. Apparently, people who go to the gym don't work?
And recently at a limited service marriott the TV popped on at 3am the first night with my welcome message. I told the front desk and they seemed like this had never happened before and the next night it popped on with a welcome message for someone else!
And throw pillows on my bed - yuck!
I could go on, but I won't!
Not enough or any places to hang damp towels to dry esp in hotels that don’t automatically provide clean towels daily.
All the lights at night! AC, TV, alarm clocks, hallway light spill under the door, smoke alarm flashes, oh and a noisy fridge. Ear plugs and a good eye mask as well as switching off what I can.
Insufficient lighting
Especially poor reading lights in bed, ugh
My pet peeve is most welcome amenities. I don't mind some fruit but I don't have a sweet tooth so never eat cakes, cookies or whatever. It is such a waste the hotel giving them. Would be much better if they asked what you might appreciate, rather than just assumed you would want a whole cake or something and putting it in your room.
The slamming doors send me.
Kids running up and down the hallway all night. We aren’t talking a Motel 6 either.
The AC that shuts off at night because of no movement.
The gym hours. (Not for me but for my husband who travels a ton for work)
To add to my list, connecting rooms. Like, why. It just makes for more noise. It’s like every hotel has them now. No thank you.
Adults in the hallway yelling and making noise (we are talking middle of the night). Straight to jail.
People on speaker phone in the hallway. Get in your room.
Being able to hear the tv in the next room.
Here’s one… kids playing football, soccer, kickball,...
To add to my list, connecting rooms. Like, why. It just makes for more noise. It’s like every hotel has them now. No thank you.
Adults in the hallway yelling and making noise (we are talking middle of the night). Straight to jail.
People on speaker phone in the hallway. Get in your room.
Being able to hear the tv in the next room.
Here’s one… kids playing football, soccer, kickball, etc. in the hallway.
I cringe when I walk in a hotel and I see sports teams. (Sorry, parents, but do better and keep your kid(s) quiet when it’s late.)
Ben, you must be fortunate to not be bothered much by noise if none of your 14 top hotel peeves address that issue. ALL of my major hotel peeves are noise-related and all too common. I treasure it when I actually land in a hotel room that is quieter than most. My top noise issues are:
1.) Doors that slam by design and careless people who don't even try to close them gently
...
Ben, you must be fortunate to not be bothered much by noise if none of your 14 top hotel peeves address that issue. ALL of my major hotel peeves are noise-related and all too common. I treasure it when I actually land in a hotel room that is quieter than most. My top noise issues are:
1.) Doors that slam by design and careless people who don't even try to close them gently
2.) Housekeeping staff yelling in the hallway and banging stuff around with no attempt to be quiet, often starting from an early hour
3.) Guests who talk loudly, or even yell, in the hallway and those who let their kids run up and down the hall like it's a funhouse
4.) Connecting rooms - those doors that connect adjacent rooms aren't the least bit soundproof...why do they build hotels with so many connecting rooms?
If any of you are aware of hotel chains that pay more attention to peace and quiet than others, I'd be curious to hear about it, e.g. one with doors that will close gently if you just let them go.
As for the other items, I probably agree most on the coffee...and someone mentioned the decaf - there's always too much decaf!
YOUR LIST IS SPOT ON. (Well, maybe I care less about the 24hr gym...)
--Not enough towel racks in the bathroom
--loud a/c and a/c vents that directly face the bed - I want it cool but I don't want it blowing right on me!
As a fellow germaphobe, I am with you on the decorative pillows and blankets. Esp when they’re touching the pillows I’m meant to put my head on!
Another thing that grosses me out: comforter covers that are not completely closed - so the yellowish comforter comes peeking through and easily comes out when sleeping. Just had this happen at a Park Hyatt I stayed in last week!
Good points. You forgot to mention poor lighting, especially for reading in bed, but also in general (poorly lit areas). The totally un-user-friendly showers supplied are insane: controls that are indecipherable & difficult to turn, especially for older hands. (What's better than simple larger levers where left is hot & right is cold)? Or the shower nozzle directly over your head (what if I don't want to wash my hair or waterboard my face)?
Bathroom lights that automatically turn on when someone walks in there. Nothing like being blinded by LEDs at 2am when you have to pee.
Yes and would add:
- Lack of chromecast. Think this should be a default feature these days
- Spotty wifi in certain rooms (still happens even in 'good' hotels)
- AC that doesn't work properly (often too hot, too cold)
Chromecast is definitely something that is an annoyance, or even the ability to just use an HDMI cable to connect.
I always carry a 15ft HDMI cable when traveling.
If I cannot get to the HDMI port behind the TV, I will dismount the TV IF I feel I can safely remount it. Otherwise, I call the front desk to send "engineering" up to do it for me.
I once had a tiny lady arrive at my hotel room door in Singapore to dismount a 55" TV. No sweat haha.
Lack of proactive assistance at the door at ostensibly higher-end properties. If I'm staying at a a hotel with a door staff and a bell staff, I shouldn't have to open the front door or schlep my own luggage around by default.
1) Pillows that deflate into sheets. I cannot count how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night with zero support on my head and a sore neck because the pillow has deflated and collapsed. Certain hotels are much better than others (Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Thompson = great). And while I’m on the topic of pillows, I’d also add that I despise beds that are piled with so many pillows you...
1) Pillows that deflate into sheets. I cannot count how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night with zero support on my head and a sore neck because the pillow has deflated and collapsed. Certain hotels are much better than others (Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Thompson = great). And while I’m on the topic of pillows, I’d also add that I despise beds that are piled with so many pillows you could make an extra mattress out of them. The only usefulness I can see here is for travelers who have children who enjoy building pillow forts.
2) Technology that doesn’t work or that is so locked down that I can’t use it. I love the sleep timer function on virtually all TVs, but many hotels use custom remote controls where that function isn’t available or is hidden (along with other functions like the input change to access Chromecast). And while Chromecast is great, it stuns me that no hotel chain has worked anything out with Apple to allow for AirPlay or AppleTV in place of Chromecast.
3) Small/no bathtubs. When traveling, I walk. A lot. Or I’m working. A lot. I usually like to end the day (and relax) by soaking in a tub for a bit. Hard to do when the tub only allows for three inches of water…or there’s no tub at all. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue at hotels that have hot tubs along with their pool, but those are few and far between.
Leave your towels on the hook and we won't change them. Yes they will. Every time. Housekeeping didn't get that memo.
No access to HDMI port on the TV. Especially when travelling solo, it's really useful to plug in my Google TV
Desks.
OK I can understand desks at some midrange hotel that caters to poor souls who have to travel for work.
But an absolute waste of space and an eyesore in a luxury hotel or resort.
I am not a fan of the creepy sensor some hotels have put in their in-room snack and honor bars. At a recent check-out in an otherwise great hotel in San Diego, "Mr. Cesar, I see you have removed the jelly beans. Did you consume them?" Yes, I ate the jelly beans, and yes I will pay for them. Please don't turn my 5 AM check-out into an interrogation.
Another peeve, inflexibility on policies when...
I am not a fan of the creepy sensor some hotels have put in their in-room snack and honor bars. At a recent check-out in an otherwise great hotel in San Diego, "Mr. Cesar, I see you have removed the jelly beans. Did you consume them?" Yes, I ate the jelly beans, and yes I will pay for them. Please don't turn my 5 AM check-out into an interrogation.
Another peeve, inflexibility on policies when there are extraordinary extenuating circumstances.
Example 1, in January with the MAX-9 groundings, I had to cancel an IHG (I am Diamond) reservation the same day as my flight was hopelessly delayed. Typically, this would fall within the 24-hour no-refund space. I simply called the hotel and they understood and did not charge me. Gold star for IHG and I will be back there and spend money.
Example 2, yesterday, due to the IT disruption, yet again my same day flight was hopelessly delayed. I was booked into a Marriott (I am Platinum) and tried to call their desk directly. I got put on hold and after twenty minutes sent to a general reservations desk where a pretty darned rude agent said, "There's nothing I can do. They don't let us give away the farm." The "farm" in this case was $178, as I was within the 24 hour no-refund zone, despite my inability to arrive at the destination and a significant extenuating circumstance. Result? Their grab for $178 and inflexibility lost them 21 already-booked future nights and a 7-day house rental, for which I am well-within the no-hassle/no-pay periods.
I understand the same-day cancellation penalty is meant to discourage abuse of reserving hotel room stock that would go empty (and presumably unsold), due to a personal choice. This wasn't. Inflexibility and the inability to trust your agents to do the right thing are a peeve of mine.
IHG (and Hilton) for the wins.
I refuse to believe you and ford don’t have fun with the exposed bathrooms ;)
Regardless, he probably doesn't find it particularly fun when he's with his mother... Nor would you, I hope.
- destination or urban hotel fees. As far as I'm concerned that's fraud because the higher cost of one destination over another is precisely WHAT the room rate is supposed to reflect.
- Showers that splash water all over the bathroom.
For USA travel I bring a little "kit" that helps me remove the flow restrictor.
Much of the "planet SOS" it BS, seriously. We can have shower pressure again. Make shower pressure great again.
When there are no trash cans in obvious places in the room
Bingo. I find that IHG and Hilton do fairly well here. Try finding a trash can in an Element (Marriott). I dare you.
Lack of individual use sized shampoo
Can't say I understand this one, what's your reasoning? To me, shampoo is shampoo, big bottle or little bottle.
Is that round bathtub in the W Seoul, or is there another property that has copied that concept?
That's Sofitel Beijing (nee W Beijing)
I almost never use the hotel phone, but sometimes they call me or use it to call room service and in that case the cord is always wrapped around the phone and when I grab it I get in the head. Another is soaps that you cannot open. I once sent a soap back to the hotel General manager and asked him to try to open it without using a knife He could not and...
I almost never use the hotel phone, but sometimes they call me or use it to call room service and in that case the cord is always wrapped around the phone and when I grab it I get in the head. Another is soaps that you cannot open. I once sent a soap back to the hotel General manager and asked him to try to open it without using a knife He could not and wrote me back and apologized. Lastly duvets in destinations in Florida and South America. I end up cooking well done after using them.
No respect for the Do Not Disturb Sign
Slamming doors
Small Bath Towels and not enough
A phone in the room that works
Carpet near or in the bathroom
AC that shuts off at night bc it's set to movement
Not enough or efficient enough elevators
The inane way of accessing and using WiFi. Entering name, room number, do you want regular or premium, having to re-do this each day of your stay, sometimes it take a while for the login page to come up. It should be so much easier now that we’re almost 25 years into the Wi-Fi era. Even many luxury hotels make you go through many hoops (Four Seasons is probably the easiest).
I just mentioned the AC but wanted to add.
Not only AC that shuts off at night is annoying but AC that doesn't get cold enough. I know this varies by person but I like it cold and want that option.
Main article and other comments covered my thoughts as well.
For reference...I get about 120 nights per year. 100 or so at Marriott Bonvoy, 10-15 at Hilton, handful of others. Lots of 1-2 night stays, rarely more than 6 nights.
I would like the bathrooms to have some kind of nightlight. You can either stumble through the dark and hope to find the target, or turn all the lights on and be instantly shocked into being awake.
I finally started bringing my own nightlight. If there is a lighted makeup mirror you can usually leave that on and turn it around to face the wall.
Bad lighting
Bathrooms that lack privacy also mean I have to spend any time in my room looking at the bathroom. I want to close the door and not see it when I’m not using it, even if it’s just me in the room.
Also, I hate when hotels don’t have a mirror outside the bathroom. When sharing a room with a friend or my mom, it’s very helpful for getting ready in the morning so that while one is in the bathroom, the other can still do her hair, put on makeup, etc.
I work at a hotel and your comments are nice to know about. We use them to make your visits better. Most good hotel staff take pride in their work. But we have pet peeves also. Don't treat us as trash. Do be rude or condescending to our staff people. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. We all have feelings. We are all very alike. But we would like guests...
I work at a hotel and your comments are nice to know about. We use them to make your visits better. Most good hotel staff take pride in their work. But we have pet peeves also. Don't treat us as trash. Do be rude or condescending to our staff people. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. We all have feelings. We are all very alike. But we would like guests to watch your kids. Don't allow them to play tag around the lounge or run down the halls. No screaming child or adults should be going on anywhere in the hotel. Inside or out. No smoking or vaping, or huffing of anywhere inside or outside, on the hotel property. People need to clean up their animal scat every time it happens. People need to stop stealing towels, and other linens. And we are extremely appreciative to guest who come to tell us about the a/c that stops at 2am. Or guests speaking loud in the hallways. Or coffee pot running out of coffee. We want to make our guests happy. Just tell us what you'd like or how we can make things better.
Since I seem to be traveling 4-7 days a week I really appreciate having an onsite DECENT guest laundry. One that accepts credit cards is preferrable.
The thing I hate most is technology. I recently stayed at a Radidson Red and the light turned itself on multiple times in the night. The helpful desk-agent removed the fuse for me so I could get some sleep but things like this do annoy me a lot.
In other cases it is complicated lightswitches, motion detectors, TVs that switch automatically on each day or just transistors clicking at night.
This. A thousand times.
- lack of soundproofing.
- connecting doors (refers to the above)
I can have all the luxury in the room, it does not help me sleep if I can hear all the noise from the neighbouring rooms.
Agreed some of the worst offending properties are often 4 star and higher. I can turn on white noise on my phone but some sounds (like people having sex next door) even the white noise can't drown out.
No liquid hand wash in the room bathrooms.
I hate using a cake of soap to wash my hands, especially as there often isn't a place at the sink to sit it where it won't get a disgusting slimy bottom.
Conversely, I hate when only liquid soap is provided in the bathroom, especially in the shower. A bar of soap is much more efficient for me.
I agree with your list, but add
1) Empty soap dispensers, drives me crazy
2) Sinks designed to splash all over the place
3) Sofas / couches/ carpets with visible stains
4) Things left over from previous guests under the bed
5) Breakfast buffets without section for special dietary needs and allergies
6) Looking for a receptionist to check out in the morning, and not finding one
Room service: service fee plus auto gratuity plus a big empty line for another tip.
Door slammers.
They should be beaten.
Agreed. With their heads inside the door jamb and the door repeatedly applied to offender's head.
Mine is that a hotel room with separate light switches with no master turn on/off feature or does have semi-master switch board but has complicated or overlapping turn on/off buttoms.
Yep. When you have to spend ten minutes trying to work out which switch turns off which light. Some of them do nothing. And there's always a floor lamp that you need to turn off using its own switch which is behind it on the floor.
And as much as I love an amazing suite upgrade, hotels see the need to turn on every light in them before you arrive. I have spent upwards of 10 minutes searching for and turning off light switches, especially when there are lots of lamps, in a larger suite. Now, I'm not going to turn down that suite, but it's an adventure!
Pretty much everything you said. Hotel brands, developers and owners should read this. Instead they will hire Mckinsey to tell them the same and for which they will do nothing.
I will add another one. Entering a room in the U.S. and the temperature is set to 62 degrees. And has probably been empty at that temperature for days. I am freezing to start. The hotel paid to have an empty room cooled to...
Pretty much everything you said. Hotel brands, developers and owners should read this. Instead they will hire Mckinsey to tell them the same and for which they will do nothing.
I will add another one. Entering a room in the U.S. and the temperature is set to 62 degrees. And has probably been empty at that temperature for days. I am freezing to start. The hotel paid to have an empty room cooled to this temperature for how long? Finally, the energy consumption and waste that contributes to a number of factors.
especially when the hotel tops it by having a sign that asks you to conserve energy!
Great list. I'd add optional 5% service charges on the final bill (unclear who gets this).
On hotel websites, lack of enough pictures (or a floorplan) so you can judge the size of the room (square feet/meters measurements are too inconsistent).
My number one pet peeve is when they don't have a way to buy a soda or snack 24hrs a day. This is more prevalent the nicer the hotel. How hard is it to have a vending machine or snack cubby somewhere. Others are when there isn't a guide or channel list for the TV. And when they do have power available, but the outlets are so worn nothing will stay plugged in. Blinking lights...
My number one pet peeve is when they don't have a way to buy a soda or snack 24hrs a day. This is more prevalent the nicer the hotel. How hard is it to have a vending machine or snack cubby somewhere. Others are when there isn't a guide or channel list for the TV. And when they do have power available, but the outlets are so worn nothing will stay plugged in. Blinking lights in the room like a smoke detector or other devices. Air conditioners that have a recurring bang or other noise. And agree with others, large refill soap/shampoo dispensers at nice hotels.
And yes, since i travel with my daughter often, those non-private bathrooms are just ridicules. It is why I never even look at a W hotel anymore.
It’s so annoying! You stay at a Hampton Inn in nowhereville, Kansas and they have drinks and snacks for sale 24/7 in the lobby. I stayed at a “nice” resort last weekend and everything was shuttered by 10pm - room service, the coffee shop, even the bar!
When people leave room service trays on the floor in the hallway, loaded with dirty dishes and scraps of food and the staff doesn’t pick it up for who knows how long. And I’m talking about some five star hotels too
I'm with you on most of these. Regarding coffee setup, when all the pods in the room are decaf. Power outlets should be on BOTH sides of the bed. Too hip to have ANY storage (I'm looking at you MOXY). "Do Not Disturb" hangers that fall off when you close the door. Too many pillows.
I would add these annoying new green “night” lights at the door way that seem to be popping up more and more and also those new smoke detectors with over bright red flashing lights.
Yes chipping away at gym hours and also breakfast hours: "on Sunday our breakfast service begins at 9 AM." No.
Black out curtains that are not hung correctly so you have a huge gap to let the light through.
Plus a flashing light on the ceiling for the smoke alarms.
And I miss the days of a little notepad by the phone you could keep as a souvenir. But then since I can barely use a pen anymore I understand why they are gone now...
Great list! I would add slow or interrupting wifi is a major one for me.
Yeah. A gym consisting of some weights and a few random machines which is physically locked until 7 am while breakfast starts at 6:30. Who does sh*t like that?
How can you forget reusable bottles for shower body wash and shampoo. Absurd in top luxury properties
Lack of soundproofing
Lack of blackout shades