How to improve hotel rooms

[Koogie]

1. Soundproofing
2. Soundproofing
3. Soundproofing


I'm there to get some sleep. Not hang out in the lobby you spent a billion dollars on. Take half a billion of that money instead and spend it on

SOUNDPROOFING

 

[Sunset]

+1 on this! Why would they not have fans? We find this more often at the upper scale hotels we stay at!

Some I've stayed at have a vent at the top without a fan, they are probably using a central rooftop fan to draw air from all the rooms via 1 fan.

I've noticed I can hear people through the ceiling vent as there is no fan noise to mask it out.

 

[Sunset]

Agree with the hooks and the charger issue.

I stayed at the Boston airport Hilton last year and they had a neat little hook near the door that folded up against the wall when not in use. Thought it was a great idea to hang a jacket coat or bag- very convenient.

As a tea drinker I hate places that give you a mr coffee type coffee pot and call it a coffee tea maker. Coffee has seeped into the plastic and coffee flavored hot water does NOT work for tea. Some kind of electric kettle please if there is not a microwave or stove top!

I wondered about this, have you run the coffee machine once or twice to clean it out first ? Would that work ?

 

[EarlyBirdly]

I lived in Hotels around the World for 15 days a Month, every Month, for 30 years.

I could write volumes on the subject. But, I won't.

Some of my biggest gripes have been mentioned : Windows that do not open, ambient noise, "wall-banger" A/C units, etc.

I will address one item - If you like your tea, travel with one of these:

 

[W2R]

I hope I never have to stay in another hotel/motel room in my life. But, life being as it is, probably I will have to do that again at some time.

1) What I would like is a decent shower. It's not THAT hard to realize that many people don't want a combination bath/shower and would prefer a walk-in shower. It should have grab bars, a shower massager or other showerhead on a long hose, and a built-in bench. That shouldn't cost much.

2) Another thing I would like is for them to get rid of "hotel room paintings", and put up art that most people would think is beautiful! It doesn't have to be expensive to be beautiful; it could just be a copy of a beautiful Renaissance painting or sculpture. Most hotel room paintings are no more interesting than wallpaper and they could improve on that so easily.

3) Although some hotel/motel rooms already have them, I do prefer and appreciate having a half sized refrigerator and microwave.

4) Finally, more soundproofing would be great, as Koogie and others pointed out above. Even in expensive hotel rooms, often the sounds of neighboring guests makes one's stay a bit miserable.

 

[CardsFan]

I always bring a couple of clothes pins. They are handy to clip the drapes to ensure they stay closed and don't have a gap in the middle.

And it might help with my biggest gripe: A/C-heating units located below the windows that end up blowing all the hot/cold air behind the curtains and not into the room.

 

[GrayHare]

Too many rooms need shower controls that can adjust the volume of water. I still find places with digital controls, the water is either off or full on, and full on is so much the drain can't keep up, leading to water at least ankle deep.

Sheets that fit the bed. Too often the sheets are short and don't reach the bottom, leaving the foot end of the mattress uncovered. This might be OK if the person sleeping is less than 5 feet tall, but not for the rest of us.

Electric outlets in the bathroom that are not so worn that plugs slide out.

 

[Ronstar]

Oh - another thing. Not really the rooms, but the "free" breakfasts that come with middle of the road hotel rooms.

Their food is horrible. It should be easy to improve the quality of food at minimal expense. We don't eat the free breakfasts anymore.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

The master power at the door by placing you key card in the slot is nice for "all off" when you leave, but see how that affects your charging while you're out.

I found this to be common in Japan. We learned to stuff a piece of cardboard in the slot so we could charge laptops over dinner. One hotel was a bit older than key cards and used actual, metal keys. There was a slot for the key by the door that was like turning the ignition, and there was no choice but to use the bona fide key.

As an engineer I worked on several hotel projects over the years. I did the fire protection and had no input on the features that really matter to people but I listened to the architects, interior designers, and owners discuss these things at length in meetings. I was most impressed by the guy in charge of the Navy's hotels; he knew every little detail that he wanted and why it mattered to the guests. OTOH, most projects come down to cost, cost, cost. Remember that every little nickel-and-dime item in a room is repeated hundreds of times.

But if I never see the inside of a hotel room it would be OK by me.

 

[aaronc879]

1. Soundproofing
2. Soundproofing
3. Soundproofing


I'm there to get some sleep. Not hang out in the lobby you spent a billion dollars on. Take half a billion of that money instead and spend it on

SOUNDPROOFING

Could not agree more. The only complaint I have about hotel rooms is the noise. Ear plugs only help a little. i still get woken up regularly when I stay in a hotel room, ear plugs or not.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

One compliant that I have seen pop up regularly in reviews is that the walls between rooms are too thin. Guests don't like to hear what's going on in the room next to them when they are trying to sleep or watch TV.

That's why I *love* the older Hilton/Marriott hotels that are near bigger airports. They are built with solid concrete and would probably survive a 9.0 earthquake...nice and quiet.

 

[cathy63]

I wondered about this, have you run the coffee machine once or twice to clean it out first ? Would that work ?

No! It's not possible to clean a coffee maker with water well enough to make decent tasting tea. You need vinegar. Even those little pod-based machines where you can take out the pod and its holder won't give you clean hot water once they've been soaked in coffee flavored steam for a while.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Decent mattresses and pillows. Curtains that close completely. No ambient lights from microwaves, alarm clocks etc. Soundproofing on all 6 sides. A full length mirror in the bedroom. Bathroom fan. 3 more towels and waahcloths than you think I want. Stealable high quality toiletries that I can donate to the women's shelter. I love those extended stay places like residence inn with a full tiny kitchen. An ironing board that doesn't look like a murder scene. A tea kettle and a keurig, yes both. Residence inn also gives you microwave popcorn so now that's on my list. I got frustrated at a Candlewood and they said "you look like you might want a snack. Here choose a candy bar" and now kitkats if check-in is a mess is on my list

 

[RunningBum]

Agree that soundproofing is #1. Sure the surroundings are very different, but the #1 difference between a hotel room and my home is that my home is quiet. No doors slamming, people yakking or kids running in halls, things being dropped on the floor above me, etc.

The best improvement in most new places is they actually have enough outlets in convenient places. USB ports would be nice but I'd never rely on them so I'll always bring a charger, multiport if needed.

Like someone mentioned, I'd rather have a shower to walk into than climbing over a tub wall onto what might be a slick floor. And yes to shelf space in there, and a bathroom fan that doesn't sound like a jet engine.

I'd like a ceiling fan, to better regulate the temperature and reduce stuffiness, especially since few have any operable windows.

Get rid of those loud window heat/AC units.

Bring back blankets! Many places now just have a sheet and a heavy comforter, with nothing in between. I suppose that's for hygiene, but it's hard to get the sleeping temp right that way.

 

[braumeister]

Add me to those who consider soundproofing the #1 priority.

And one of my pet peeves is the fiddly little wastebasket where you have to step on the tiny pedal to lift the lid. Why do I need a lid?

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Just from a simple improvement perspective, for me it's also the number and location of outlets. It's nice to have a set of outlets by the bed and by the desk. I'll typically bring a small power bar.

I also hate the configurations where you need to put the room key in the slot to enable power in the room which prevents charging of devices when you are out. I've tried using room keys from other hotel stays and it doesn't seem to act as a workaround.

 

[RunningBum]

I also hate the configurations where you need to put the room key in the slot to enable power in the room which prevents charging of devices when you are out. I've tried using room keys from other hotel stays and it doesn't seem to act as a workaround.

Get an extra room key from the front desk? I've only seen one room like this, and it was before the days when I traveled with devices that needed charging.

 

[aja8888]

Besides all of the above (I've stayed in thousands of hotel rooms over 30+ years of US and international travel);

Provide a decent desk chair that is height adjustable and comfortable.

I was sick and tired of trying to work at a hotel room desk where the chair was so low to the floor that it was impossible to type on a laptop.

 

[Kwirk]

We recently stayed in (an otherwise very nice) hotel that had recently renovated and installed motion sensors to turn off outlets when no motion was detected. This proved to be a problem while DW and I were sleeping and our CPAP machines would periodically shut down until one of us sat up and waved our arms.

Our most frequent complaint in post-stay surveys has been a lack of bedside power outlets or outlets that are so worn that they cannot maintain a connection.

 

[jollystomper]

The master power at the door by placing you key card in the slot is nice for "all off" when you leave, but see how that affects your charging while you're out.

At the hotels I have stayed at with this feature, it only affected the lights or the outlets that had lights plugged in. The other outlets and usb ports were not affected.

 

[pb4uski]

One compliant that I have seen pop up regularly in reviews is that the walls between rooms are too thin. Guests don't like to hear what's going on in the room next to them when they are trying to sleep or watch TV.

I guess that for me whether it is a complaint would depend on what is going on in that room next door.... it might be entertaining.

But I get your point.

 

[Jerry1]

Stayed at a hotel recently. I would agree with the sound proofing. The hotel did, however, have a nice shower. Basic, but nice. The took out the tub and put in a shower pan. Much better. As for the noisy air conditioners, I get the room either warmer or colder than I need it depending on the season and then I shut it off for the night. Those things are garbage. And yes, whoever designed them to be placed under a window so as to blow air behind the drapes needs some professional help.

Taking some clothes pins or binder clips is a great idea. I’ll add that to my packing list.

 

[Chuckanut]

Two waste baskets, one in the main room and one in the bathroom.

 

[Chuckanut]

I stayed in a modern hotel in Silicon Valley where the cable box was so low on the floor I had to bend over, making sure no furniture or luggage was blocking the line of sight, and hold the remote a few inches off the floor to get it to work. Really?

 

[Christine]

And one of my pet peeves is the fiddly little wastebasket where you have to step on the tiny pedal to lift the lid. Why do I need a lid?

And when you step on the pedal the basket is so light weight that it topples over.

In a hotel room right now. No hooks anywhere except in the bathroom.


When in bed - no master switch for killing all the lights. Have to get out of bed.



I understand that hotel rooms must be boring for interior designers but why make the mirror look like it's broken in several places? It's destroying it's function. Please be creative elsewhere.


Queen size beds are OK. But when you sit up against the head the bed should not sail out from the wall a foot or two. Glad I didn't fall in.


This hotel is far from beeing the cheapest in town btw.

Another night - another hotel. This time at half the price. So here I noticed lack of soundproofing! But my Sony noise cancelling headphones saved me again.


This time lots of hooks!


The design here is outdated but recently refurbished. So the tiny bathroom looks nice but there is no space for my toiletry bag.