Pet Hates/What annoys you about hotels?

[PLC]

Having late check-out to 4pm (as part of a promo) but having the cleaner knock on my door every half hour from noon asking when I was leaving. And having her look bewildered and hurt every time I tell her I'm leaving at 4pm, as though it was the first time she had heard it...each time. If she thought she was going to guilt me into leaving early, then she thought wrong! I admired her thick skin and persistence though, and it did make for a very un-relaxing last afternoon in BKK on that trip.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Oh yes, BKK...I nearly forgot.

I get annoyed when they try to charge for the robes they allege we've taken! One desk Johnny was very persistant that we had "souveniered" the robes (we don't even take the toiletries let alone robes) and he didn't back down until I instructed the driver to bring our cases back to the lobby, where I was going to empty them onto the floor in front of the counter for the jerk to see for himself! He suddenly became very apologetic and removed the charge! I wondered how many they try that trick on? Public embarrassment can be a strong motivator for one to open the wallet without due cause.

 

[LiamR]

Hotels that give out Elite status like it's a chocolate bar!

I'm looking at you, Accor hotels.

 

[Pushka]

Oh yes, BKK...I nearly forgot.

I get annoyed when they try to charge for the robes they allege we've taken! One desk Johnny was very persistant that we had "souveniered" the robes (we don't even take the toiletries let alone robes) and he didn't back down until I instructed the driver to bring our cases back to the lobby, where I was going to empty them onto the floor in front of the counter for the jerk to see for himself! He suddenly became very apologetic and removed the charge! I wondered how many they try that trick on? Public embarrassment can be a strong motivator for one to open the wallet without due cause.

Oh yeah, they do that in Bali too! They put these awful black and white check cloths on the end of the bed (for suitcase protection). In our kids room, the attendant decided it was too risky to leave it out, so he "put" it somewhere. We were leaving the hotel for one of those dreadful late night flights home, and they would not let us leave as they said we had stolen their awful black and white "dish cloth". Now, we were getting closer to our departure time, but they refused to let us go. Eventually one of them rang our attendant (poor bugger, late at night) and he told them what he had done with it. But by now we didnt have time to call and catch a taxi. The general manager of the hotel happened to walk by (not that we knew that) and realised what his staff had done, and told us to get into his car (mercedes) and he'd take us. At the end of the trip I asked him how much the fare was, and he explained he was the GM. Oh well, it was his staff's fault it had happened.

 

[Berlin]

Wow- seems I am not alone with my gripes! And yes, most of these issues are very First World Issues but as I always say on Tripadvisor: The hotels I complain about don't exactly offer third world rates either!

So here's my lengthy list, in no particular order and with heaps of issues mentioned by others already- based almost exclusively on 4 to 5 Star hotels, I'm usually more picky with my accommodation than with my airline:

• Priority benefits not rewarded or "not available" when you need it - can also work the other way round if they are. In my experience very inconsistent even within the same chain and highly dependent on the country or even individual property
• Arriving late at night and getting assigned the worst possible room even if you're a higher priority tier only because some d+#@head complained and asked for a better room earlier that night. And this even though you are giving them the details of your credit card and mention the late arrival in your booking remarks. Has happened to me various times and it makes me :evil:
• It has been mentioned so often now but excessive internet fees, bad Wifi reception and/ or "High speed internet" being only a wired one are probably the most annoying. And strangely- it is often the dirt cheap tiny motel like chains in the US which all offer free (and usually decent) wifi reception why their much more expensive mother chain charges you through the roof!
• Speaking of it: In general many hotels seem to be stuck in the Dinosaur ages. Who needs an alarm clock or wake up service to begin with if you have an Iphone? Likewise, who still reads dead trees in the morning, especially if it's some weird local paper? And what's with those old wired internet connections and websites which never specifically state "WiFi" and rather tell you about their great internet connection which very well might be useless for Ipads etc, i.e. wired?
• Anything that makes light- e.g. bad curtains, alarm clocks, televisions, fire alarms (ideally flashing rather than at least constantly making light). How often I lay down after a long work or travel day only to then get up again and climb under some piece of furniture to finally unplug that TV is amazing.
• And then, the one thing you need is not there: An easy to reach electricity plug NEXT to your bed :evil:
• Silly early checkouts while the cleaning ladies hardly ever reach your room before 3 or 4 anyway. Late checkouts that get charged at something insane like one quarter of a full room night per extra hour (again, see above- especially if the room is just laying there for hours anyway until anyone comes to service it!). Priority benefit late check out that, sorry sorry, "just today we have a huge group arriving" and hence won't be awarded. You then spend half the afternoon by the pool waiting for your evening flight to leave and can tell from there that your old room has not been serviced by the time you finally head off because your empty wine bottle is still clearly visible from down there. Just sayin...
• Late checkouts generally being offered but then no one cares about it and you get called up at 5 past 11 on the dot by reception asking you in a rude tone that you should better bugger off and or have a cleaning maid tress passing into your room ignoring the do not disturb sign just shortly past 12. Or the damn room keys that don't get re-coded and you stand there after your mid day pool, dripping and anxiously trying to get the attention of anyone at the, of course during that time busy, front desk. W hotels are particularly bad with this, even in the really pricey ones, and of course- never an apology
• Never an apology after anything that the staff f...s up
• Not letting you check in earlier even if half the hotel is empty and then at the same time insisting on an on-time checkout to the minute. Strangely, some highly occupied hotels manage almost all of the time to check you in at, let's say, 10am if you arrive early. Seems to be more a matter of efficiency and procedures in place than a real big issue if the property/management cares
• Those annoying things you have to stick your key card in to activate the aircon/ light in the room. You can bet that those rooms are almost always stuffy and yuck when you arrive because, of course, the aircon is not running. And leaving the light on hile being away is a good idea just for security reason alone to not tell burglars/ staff thieves that you're not in. Hence- I usually use a Medicare card or similar and every third time come back home to Australia realizing that once again I have to report mine lost as I forgot it in there :evil:
• No talk about parking cost on the website and then only having Valet parking available. This happens mostly in the US (but can sneak up on you in places like the Hilton in Auckland as well) and the idea of "valet parking is beyond me in either case- you pay something like 30 bucks plus tips only to have some underpaid parking clerk to drive your precious rental into some corner? Or against one, which is always my biggest fear? :shock:
• Dirt. Any kind of not being clean in any shape or form unless it's some $59 on the Vegas strip or something similar. Particularly bad: Moldy corners in the bathrooms, hair (or worse: stains!) on the bed and-careful, careful, dirty chairs and sofas. Had one of the latter the other day in a 5* Intercontinental, you could see the dark greyish stain on the armrest of one of the sofas which obviously had been there for decades without cleaning!
• Those stupid signs/cards etc. giving you an endless blurb about saving the environment while everyone knows this is just in place to save the hotel money. I am paying 400 Dollars a night so yes, please, one of the perks are fresh towels and clean sheets every morning ad no, I don't want to have to remember every friggin day to put that stupid card onto my pillow, only to then come back and have that strange feeling that the sheets are in fact, still not new? My tip: Just don't bother with that stupid card and ensure a few good spills of coffee on every sheet/dona/pillow. Always works!
• That dirty annoying little overthrow on top of your bed and/or woolen blanket. Yikes!
• Wore even, the French style dirty blanket with a sheet wrapped around INSTEAD of a proper dona. You just know that at some point during the night, you will wake up with this thing in your face, right where it had someone else's feet (or worse even!) just the night before. Thank you- I better freeze to death and only sleep with the sheet!
• One of my worse bug bears: A "Whatever whenever", "Instant Service" or whatever "Magic" called button which never gets answered by anyone with a clue or always by the poor receptionist or worse even, just rings out. I am looking at you, Ws all over the world!
• The stupid fairy tale book called bible in the drawer. A hotel is not a place for brain washing and if you must, at least provide a good selection of different religions and something by Darwin as well :evil:
• All the other things previously been mentioned: All sorts of bad service or rip off. "King beds" which are in fact two singles or doubles (seems to be standard at most Hiltons I find). No proper bathroom amenities (no separate conditioner, no moisturizer or worse- those big all-mounted dispenser) or not re-stocking them regularly. Any type of bad smell, not cleaning the room properly (about 50% of hotel staff seem to totally ignore the balconies even if you have empty bottles out there).

I bet I still have missed a lot...

 

[Mgjdubs]

I absolutely hate it when, despite there being a DND sign on the door, the housekeeping/mini-bar staff let themselves into the room anyway.

 

[jetlagger]

I absolutely hate it when, despite there being a DND sign on the door, the housekeeping/mini-bar staff let themselves into the room anyway.

Yep.. Sure can relate to that. Happened several nights ago.. With a DND sign on my door. There was several knocks.. I was disgruntled when answering to find room service with a large tray of food.. I showed him the DND clearly displayed & asked the room number the order was directed to. Ah ha.. Wrong room. He apologised profusely, so was forgiven.
But, it is a common problem or issue in many hotels & accommodation houses.

 

[TonyHancock]

...for starters the internet not working when I get to the room.....looking at you Hilton Brisbane!!!!!!

Offering High speed internet and then actually providing 0.84 Mbps....looking at you Hilton Brisbane!!!

OK so the initial downtime was quickly sorted but the speed is appalling.

 

[irv]

Re: Pet hates in hotels

Pet friendly motels in the USA & Canada.

Who knows where your pet has been lying and has the room been changed properly.

 

[Pushka]

I thought of another one, seeing as someone mentioned Brisbane. No hot water on morning one. Difficult to shower and shave (husband) for work meeting. Reception advised it would be fixed. Next morning. No hot water. We ended up with a full refund but really we just needed the water to be hot.

 

[Muzfly]

All of the above and more, but a couple of stand-outs that seem to be creeping slowing in to regular use:---

1) Insisting on taking a $100-00 deposit on the c/c even though they've swiped it, and you've pre-paid the room anyway.
2) C/C surcharge!! For goodness sake has anyone tried to pay cash at a hotel? Just add 2% to the rate and it wont be so dam annoying.
3) The latest craze seems to be coffee machines in the rooms (paying attention Realm Canberra?). Who has the time to read a 30 page instruction book in order to make a dam cup of coffee?
4) Too much technology in rooms (still paying attention Realm Canberra?). i-This and i-That everywhere. I use i-Phones, Pods, Pads etc but really they've gone right over the top.....

 

[simongr]

My gripes are:

- Water pressure in the shower
- Plugs that don't keep water in the sink
- French Fries that are actually fat chips - French fries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Lighting - I am not a bat, I do not sonar to find my way around the room - god let there be light!
- Power points - please don't hide them under the bed or in the wardrobe - I will find them but be annoyed about it
- TVs that I can't hack to get my ipad connected
- Noisy Exec Lounges (HOTP is so much better in this respect than HSW)

 

[significance]

* Rooms that smell bad, whether because they are either insufficiently aired or someone has smoked in them or because they've used an air "freshener" scent spray.
* Asking me to have short showers "to save water" while not even bothing to provide a $10 water-efficient shower-head.
* No accessible power points near the bed (so I can charge my phone overnight and use it as my alarm).
* Inadequate lighting.
* Only one breakfast option -- the $30 buffet -- when all I want is a slice of toast and a cup of tea. Which means I go without entirely, or find someone else to eat.
* Bottled water put beside the bed to give the impression that it's free, with the fee hidden away on the mini-bar charge sheet.

A few people have mentioned irons that don't use steam, but in some cities (Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide), that's a good idea. If the water quality isn't all that good, steam irons need deionised water: use tap water, and they will soon start to spew brown gunk over your clothes.

 

[flyingsal]

When travelling with family:
-Not getting an extra towel, despite the fact that they've put an extra bed in the room for my 3 year old. He gets somewhere to sleep, but not to have a shower?
-Ringing and asking for an extra towel. And waiting and waiting and waiting for it to come.
-And having to do the same thing every night! You'd think that with housekeeping tripping over the extra bed, they could maybe see that we might need an extra towel?
-And what's with the staff directly offering the kid ice-cream for dessert? Sure, just so long as they turn up around 10pm to read him 42 stories and sing a dozen songs to get him to sleep. Don't think so!

 

[Pushka]

*
* Only one breakfast option -- the $30 buffet -- when all I want is a slice of toast and a cup of tea. Which means I go without entirely, or find someone else to eat.

This is the bane of my partner. Last thing you need before a day of appointments is a full on breakfast but like you say, $30 for tea and toast!

He usually packs weet bix or muesli bars. He likes dry cereal!

 

[cmon0005]

Since I've travelled a lot around the world (especially Asia and sub-continent) and stayed in lots of hotels my pet hates are:

- I hate to say it and feel slightly embarrassed for overseas visitors but Australian hotels in general, they charge the earth but generally provide run down old shanty rooms, poor restaurants, poor breakfasts, un-interested service, low staffing levels. Having said that I've stayed at Marriott Brisbane before in an executive room, was really good and international standard.
- Blocking of $x (amount seems to vary) on your credit card at checkin then the block doesn't come off or other funky happenings.
- Rubber mats in the bath tub and bath tubs/showers in one.
- Bad ventilation in the bathroom.
- $5 to wash a pair of socks.
- Those water saving signs on the bed, If I am staying at a 5 star hotel paying lots of $$ I want fresh towels every day, we are not in drought any more, most states dams are full and a few states have desal plants running at minimum capacity!
- Dirty carpet.
- Noisy/hot air con.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

current pet peeve is the slow erosion of check-out times! It used to be 12 midday. Now hotels are offering 'weekend packages' with 11 am check-out so you can 'laze the morning away unhurried' and their regular check-out time is something like 10am.

Their marketing is aimed at getting people to accept 10am as a normal check out time when 12 used to be the norm

 

[TonyHancock]

TVs that I can't hack to get my ipad connected

Did you hack the TV's at HSW....I completely failed tonight.

 

[Mal]

current pet peeve is the slow erosion of check-out times! It used to be 12 midday. Now hotels are offering 'weekend packages' with 11 am check-out so you can 'laze the morning away unhurried' and their regular check-out time is something like 10am.

That's so they can employ less cleaning staff and pass on the savings *

* To the companies bottom line - not the patrons.

 

[Ansett]

That's so they can employ less cleaning staff and pass on the savings *

* To the companies bottom line - not the patrons.

Slightly off topic but is that like supermarkets filling aisles with stock carts to refill the shelves during the busiest part of the day and blocking aisles and causing havoc so as to save paying penalty rates to shelf stackers who worked lat at night or early morning to reduce impact on customers of said restocking activities????

It seems priority with most companies is about driving cost to increase bottom line whilst forgetting about the people ie customers that support the business in the first place.

rant Over and sorry for going OT