How to improve hotel rooms

[Shardo]

1) Get rid of the nasty bed covers. I know they are never washed, so the first thing I do is try to find a place to put it out of the way.

2) Offer a choice of pillows. Not everyone likes a fat foam pillow that acts like a Pogo stick under your head.

3) Pay your employees. I should not have to tip a person that I have never and will never meet.

AMEN about the tipping thing!!

 

[jollystomper]

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.

Honestly, I consider this an interesting feature, perhaps because I can fall asleep regardless of the noise level. The sounds and conversations have been fascinating and many times more entertaining than watching TV. The only conversation type I have not heard was a stock or fund tip that I might have tried to make money off of.

 

[PawPrint53]

I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned more. Those darned duvet covers. Besides the cleanliness issues, who in the world sleeps under 4” of “stuff”. Every time I check in, I immediately rip that thing off the bed and pray there is a blanket in the closet. I have written Hilton over and over about it.

I'm with you on the duvets. I love a hotel that has an extra blanket in the closet. We take the stuffing out and use the blanket, we just use the duvet cover.

AC units that turn off and on all night are a pet peeve, too.

Recently stayed at the Hampton Inn Airport in Boston and loved their AC unit plus they had a blanket in the closet so we could get rid of the duvet. Good breakfast and their shuttle dropped us off at Mario's Restaurant, which had great food. Plan to stay there every time we fly out of Logan.

 

[omni550]

Some of my pet peeves:

The last post reminded me of high-end hotels that either don't offer complimentary van service to/from the airport, or they charge you for it.

I like places with free parking. Paying $40 or more per day for parking, when you are already paying considerable for a room, is ridiculous (unless you are in the heart of NYC).

And I really dislike places that tack on a gratuitous "resort fee" whether or not you use anything besides your room.

omni

 

[Nick12]

Watch out for the hidden charges called " safety deposit charge". A few hotels along I-95 in the Southern US I have stayed at have tried to add on this daily fee usually $5 per day. I decline it the front desk employee takes it off my bill.

 

[brett]

When we travel our preference is for small family run boutique hotels or B&B's. We tend to stay away from the familiar hotel chains where all the rooms are the same. We have stayed in some very quirky and very enjoyable places. The exception would be in some large cities in SE Asia where 5 star hotel rooms are relatively inexpensive compared to North America.

Our experience in hotel parking is that we can usually find a spot for a 1/3 or less within a block of the hotel either by circling the block ourselves or asking the door person to recommend a spot.

 

[Chuckanut]

If you're wondering why more and more hotels have those half length shower doors that don't keep the water from splashing onto the bathroom floor, here's one take on that matter:

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-slow-disappearance-of-the-hotel-shower-door

Half doors (or no doors) serve a handful of practical purchases as well. Chief among them? They save space. “A lot of it comes down to people trying to design hotel rooms with limited space,” Parker says. “It’s about the swing of the shower door, because it has to open outward for safety reasons, like [if] someone falls in the shower. You have to figure out where the door swing’s going to go, make sure it’s not [hitting] the main door. It’s just about clearances.”

 

[Rianne]

Absolute cleanliness. Corners, caulk and bed sheets smelling fresh. Did they really change the sheets?
A place to sit and relax other than the bed.
Good coffee with the breakfast. Watered down coffee is the worst.
Pleasant front desk staff'
Our hotel/resort for the past 3.5 weeks in South Padre Island was a bit dated...but housekeeping and cleanliness (excellent), staff very friendly and helpful, 350+ sq. ft. room with nice sitting area and a fantastic breakfast with made to order omelettes and tacos included in room price. And the pool, I swear it was 90 degrees, felt like a therapy pool. The beach access, perfect. We felt welcome and saw license plates from North Dakota, Canada, WI, and even Florida haha.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Absolute cleanliness. Corners, caulk and bed sheets smelling fresh. Did they really change the sheets?
A place to sit and relax other than the bed.
Good coffee with the breakfast. Watered down coffee is the worst.
Pleasant front desk staff'
Our hotel/resort for the past 3.5 weeks in South Padre Island was a bit dated...but housekeeping and cleanliness (excellent), staff very friendly and helpful, 350+ sq. ft. room with nice sitting area and a fantastic breakfast with made to order omelettes and tacos included in room price. And the pool, I swear it was 90 degrees, felt like a therapy pool. The beach access, perfect. We felt welcome and saw license plates from North Dakota, Canada, WI, and even Florida haha.

Will you share the name of this hotel please?

 

[Rianne]

Will you share the name of this hotel please?

Sure, La Copa Hotel/Resort. Many guests stay 2 months there (Jan-Feb, this is considered out of season). I suggest reading TripAdvisor or an independent review site.

 

[ivinsfan]

Absolute cleanliness. Corners, caulk and bed sheets smelling fresh. Did they really change the sheets?
A place to sit and relax other than the bed.
Good coffee with the breakfast. Watered down coffee is the worst.
Pleasant front desk staff'
Our hotel/resort for the past 3.5 weeks in South Padre Island was a bit dated...but housekeeping and cleanliness (excellent), staff very friendly and helpful, 350+ sq. ft. room with nice sitting area and a fantastic breakfast with made to order omelettes and tacos included in room price. And the pool, I swear it was 90 degrees, felt like a therapy pool. The beach access, perfect. We felt welcome and saw license plates from North Dakota, Canada, WI, and even Florida haha.

How was the weather, since this would be off season.

 

[Rianne]

How was the weather, since this would be off season.

Mixed temps from low 80's to mid 60's. Even cloudy, cooler days were nice and with the very warm pool...the nice thing about SPD, there's stuff to do other than beach or shop. I really enjoyed the remote, natural beaches, even on a cooler day. Turtle, Inc., the Bird Sanctuary, many restaurants (loved The Painted Marlin). We made reservations for a full month next year. And, if you stay more than 30 days, no tax on the room. That will save us $450.

 

[Amethyst]

This is getting increasingly common in large/touristy cities. D.C. and Miami being two we are familiar with.

They don't even have to have any amenities. They just charge extra because they can. You won't come back? Fine, others will, don't let the door hit you!

(Might change if we have another recession).

And I really dislike places that tack on a gratuitous "resort fee" whether or not you use anything besides your room.

omni