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How to improve a stay in a bad hotel
I stay in a lot of hotels. I mean, A LOT of hotels (my husband and I joke that our apartment is just a place to keep our stuff. We don't actually live there). And for the most part, my experiences are quite positive. But occasionally, I might stay in a room that looks -- and smells -- like a family of Sasquatch had stayed there before me. Or one that's so noisy, I've considered grabbing the blankets off the bed and dragging them underneath the nearest freeway, in order to get some relative peace and quiet.
Fortunately, if you find yourself in a room you aren't happy with, there are plenty of options to improve your stay that don't involve spending the night underneath an overpass or plugging up your nostrils. Just keep calm, take a few deep breaths, and check out our eight essential tips for making your next hotel stay a pleasant one, no matter how bad the circumstances.
1.) Let the staff know that you aren't happy -- immediately. If you have a bellhop with you, don't let him leave unless you're satisfied with the room. If, after a quick glace, you find there's a family of possums in the closet or raccoons have chewed through the electrical wiring, let someone know right away. The sooner you inform the staff that you need to switch rooms, the easier it will be on all of you (plus, it spares housekeeping the task of cleaning your room twice).
Gallery: Hotel Carter
2. ) Be flexible. If you're willing to accept a downgrade (e.g., no view or balcony) or trade in a king room for two queens, the hotel will more easily be able to accommodate your request to change rooms. If there are no other rooms available in your price range, ask them to upgrade you to a problem-free room at no extra charge. While most places won't offer this up on their own, they likely won't refuse when you suggest it, either.
3.) See if the problem can be fixed. If you can't switch rooms, ask the staff to remedy the situation: if the room is dirty, ask for another pass by housekeeping. If a sink is clogged, request a visit from maintenance. If you suspect there's a poltergeist in the bathroom ... well, you know who to call. If you're still unsatisfied with your accommodations and have exhausted all other options, let the staff know that you'd like to move into another room as soon as one is available.
Gallery: Top 15 hotel rooftop views
4.) Be reasonable -- not only of your requests of staff, but also in your expectations. They obviously can't control the cooing of the pigeons that are nesting just outside your room (seriously ... don't pigeons sleep?!), but they can ask your partying neighbors to keep it down. Try to rectify the things you can control, and remember that many of the annoyances that are out of your hands (like fluctuating water pressure and overly-poofy pillows) might actually fall under the category of "the joys of travel."
5.) Ask to speak to a manager. They usually can help with upgrades and changes that regular staff can't. Since they're the highest on the chain of command in a hotel, they can probably straighten things out for you. Just make sure you've been polite and reasonable to everyone you've talked to before then -- if you've already been labeled as "the crazy guest who's screaming in the lobby," it might be harder to make your case.
6.) Request a refund or discount. Most places won't give you money back unless you specifically request it. A few dollars knocked off each of your nights' stay can add up to a lot. If they aren't able to provide a substantial reduction on the your stay, then ask them what they can offer you (vouchers to a nearby spa, a comped dinner or breakfast in the hotel restaurant, etc).
7.) Plan ahead. If you've had an unpleasant stay, ask the staff how you can avoid a similar situation in the future (when booking your room, ask if it's noisy, above a busy street, near a stairwell, etc.). Not only will it help make your subsequent stay more pleasant, but it lets the staff know that you're a repeat customer -- and one who should be taken care of. You might even score TWO mints on your pillow next time.
8.) Switch hotels. If the staff is unable or unwilling to help you out, see if there are any vacancies at other nearby hotels. Nothing will get a hotel staff cracking than hearing, "We can simply check-out and go across the street." Thanks to the Internet (is there anything it can't do?), you should be able to find other accommodations, even during the busiest of seasons -- that meet your standards (e.g., no circus animals in the hallways, plumbing pipes that actually drain, etc.).
Have you ever had a nightmare hotel stay that you handled like a pro? If so, share your tips and tricks in the comments section!
[Photo: Flickr | Fly for fun]
5.) Ask to speak to a manager. They usually can help with upgrades and changes that regular staff can't. Since they're the highest on the chain of command in a hotel, they can probably straighten things out for you. Just make sure you've been polite and reasonable to everyone you've talked to before then -- if you've already been labeled as "the crazy guest who's screaming in the lobby," it might be harder to make your case.
Gallery: Top Ten Strangest Hotel Guest Requests
6.) Request a refund or discount. Most places won't give you money back unless you specifically request it. A few dollars knocked off each of your nights' stay can add up to a lot. If they aren't able to provide a substantial reduction on the your stay, then ask them what they can offer you (vouchers to a nearby spa, a comped dinner or breakfast in the hotel restaurant, etc).
7.) Plan ahead. If you've had an unpleasant stay, ask the staff how you can avoid a similar situation in the future (when booking your room, ask if it's noisy, above a busy street, near a stairwell, etc.). Not only will it help make your subsequent stay more pleasant, but it lets the staff know that you're a repeat customer -- and one who should be taken care of. You might even score TWO mints on your pillow next time.
8.) Switch hotels. If the staff is unable or unwilling to help you out, see if there are any vacancies at other nearby hotels. Nothing will get a hotel staff cracking than hearing, "We can simply check-out and go across the street." Thanks to the Internet (is there anything it can't do?), you should be able to find other accommodations, even during the busiest of seasons -- that meet your standards (e.g., no circus animals in the hallways, plumbing pipes that actually drain, etc.).
Gallery: Top 10 Luxury Hotels in the United States
Have you ever had a nightmare hotel stay that you handled like a pro? If so, share your tips and tricks in the comments section!
[Photo: Flickr | Fly for fun]
Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
jason dickerson Oct 5th 2010 3:11PM
the first time i visited cinque terre i reserved a "large" room w/ a queen bed at a supposed 3 star in la spezia. when my fiance and i arrived we discovered that it was a hostel and our room was in fact large... 5 connected rooms large. our queen bed was 10 bunk beds! unacceptable! we complained immediatly but were only given a 10% discount. "hell no" we said and walked across the street to a four star happily ready to get reemed outta our cash. as it turned out we got a room with a queen bed and for the same price as the other dump!!!
Rob Oct 5th 2010 5:47PM
I few months ago my company booked me into a hotel, specifically asking for a non-smoking room. As a non-smoker there is nothing worse than sleeping in a room which smells of tobacco.
Upon arriving, I was told the hotel was fully booked and unfortunately they only had one smoking room left. It was late, there were no other hotels near, so I took the room, thinking I could open a window to let some fresh air in.
When I got to the room, I opened the window, only to find it was above the extractor vent from the kitchen. The smell of fried food was overwhelming. Awful experience. I stayed one night, checking out the following day and have told the company to not book anyone into the hotel again.
Lisa Oct 5th 2010 9:10PM
Our travel agent booked us into a room at a top-tier. grand, world-renowned hotel in Greece. It was beautiful, until we got to our room. It felt as if we were in a coffin! The room was about 10x10, and completely panelled in very dark wood, no room to move, no way to see the sun.
We started to unpack but then thought better of it. We went down to the front desk and spoke to a manager, politely but firmly telling him that this room is unacceptable.
They promised to switch our room, but advised that it would take about l/2 a day to arrange for it. We were quite annoyed since we had scheduled a tour and that meant we had to hang around, repack what we had already unpacked, keep a watchful eye that all of our stuff made it to the new room, and also approve the room.
They assured us we could leave on our tour and they would take care of everything, including repacking our stuff and overseeing the move. We were quite hesitant, but not wanting to waste one of the few days on our trip, reluctantly agreed.
It turns out they gave us a terrific, very large room with a separate dressing area, tons of closet space, and a beautiful balcony overlooking the Palace. We could stand outside and watch the changing of the Palace guards--quite a show!
It was well worth the inconvenience at the end.
Kristina Oct 5th 2010 10:07PM
I am the General Manager of a hotel in NY. The fastest way to get what you want is ABSOLUTELY to be nice. If you are nasty when you arrive, you can bet on the fact that we will put a note on your reservation, on the housekeeping notes and in what we call the "log book". If you start out your stay nasty, we absolutely will do anything possible to NOT help you. A few rules :
1. NEVER book using an internet site. Always call the hotel directly. Sites purchase rooms from us at a discounted rate, which yes, helps us fill rooms. What they don't tell you is that your room is guaranteed for only two people (unless specified otherwise), that your smoking preference is not necessarily guaranteed and that you will be the FIRST person to be moved out of your chosen room type if we are overbooked. We also will move people who pay the most to the suites if we are overbooked on standard room types. You should first and foremost look on the internet for pricing, using sites such as Kayak.com. Then you need to go to our website, THEN you need to call the hotel. If you are staying more than one night, my staff are instructed to automatically offer you a lower rate, or a free suite upgrade at the price of a standard to ensure that you will walk in the door happy and stay with us again.
2. Always research the area you are travelling to. If you do not like noise, DO NOT book an airport hotel. If you start complaining about the noise from the airport, we are going to assume you are a moron. YOU booked this hotel, we did not force you. If you want a lower rate, do not book in the middle of the city. Yes it is convenient. But you will have to pay a hefty parking fee, if you can even get a space. You will also have to deal with more noise. All hotels have their information on the internet, on a printable page that outlines the features of the hotel.
3. Do not complain about the quality of the towels, bedding, soap, shampoo, FREE breakfast, etc. We do not have a choice as to which of these things we purchase and use. Our brands have standards that we have to follow, or we pay fines. You will most likely not get a discount. We will simply come out and tell you that we are forced to purchase these things through our brand supplier.
4. If your room is not cleaned to your standards, please for the love of god, simply ask the front desk to have a housekeeper come by again. I am usually the one who will come and clean your room because I want to see for myself where my staff is lacking. The management really does care what the rest of the staff does during their workday. Mistakes are made. You are not perfect in your job either.
5. If, during your stay, the housekeepers did not clean your room, or did not make your bed, its almost half of the time, the guests fault. If you leave your Do Not Disturb tag on the door, the only person who can go in your room is a manager. And yes, we will check the room to make sure no one is lying in there dead. We are required to enter each room every 24 hours to make sure there is nothing wrong. If your bed is not made, please look to see if you left personal items on the bed. My staff are not allowed to touch your belongings.
6. If you have children, ask to be placed on a lower floor. Or in the rooms directly over the front desk, or other non-room space. Then the kids can run around all they want and you wont get a phone call from my staff asking you to knock it off. We really do want you to enjoy your vacation.
7. Do not EVER yell at my staff. Or get violent. I will have you not only thrown out of the hotel, but I can have you arrested.
8. Do not leave valuables in the room. EVER. There is a safe deposit box at the front desk. All medication, jewellery, money, electronics, passports, important papers, should be locked away at the desk. I know my front desk staff better than I know my housekeepers, and to be quite honest, we are not responsible for the things left if your room. It says it right on the back of your door. Along with the innkeepers laws, the fire escape route, the maximum rate allowed to be charged for the room etc, it tells you right there. The past court cases have sent precedents that a rented hotel room is much like an apartment. I can go in whenever I please, but you cannot hold me responsible for anything that happens to your belongings. Unfortunately, there is no renters insurance for hotel rooms.
9. When I tell you that there is nothing I can do, there is either A. Really nothing we can do because we are full etc, or B. you have been a complete jerk and I am not going to help you.
10. Do not take things from the rooms. Not the towels, blankets, pillows, ashtrays, NOTHING. My housekeepers do pay attention and I will charge your credit card. On the registration paper that you signed, it clearly states that any damages to the room or theft of items will result in charges to your card. Yes I will charge you twice what it costs for the item.
11. I will post an extra cleaning fee to your room if you leave the hotel and it takes my housekeepers forever to clean up your disaster. They have me come upstairs and take pictures, and no fighting with your credit card company will help you. My account with the card company is bigger than yours as a corporate business.
12. If you want a quiet floor, ask for the floor where the corporate travellers are kept. I put them on the highest floor of the hotel so that they won't be bothered. They spend 50 times what you spend in my hotel and are treated the best. I know all of their names, wives names, have pictures of their kids, and will honest to god bring them breakfast in bed free of charge if they are sick. I will also pick up their drycleaning, have flowers sent to their wife for them or anything else. Corporate travellers are our favorite guests because they usually only have housekeeping come in every few days, dont make any noise, are out early and back late and they dont complain.
13. If you are not travelling on government business, do not try to book the federal rate. I will catch you and most likely charge you more that you should have been charged if you had been honest.
14. Don't try to cram 15 people in one room. You are breaking the fire code and you can absolutely be fined for this. We charge an extra person fee in the room because if costs us more in wear and tear, linen usage, breakfast costs etc. Sometimes, we will waive the extra person fee if you are nice.
15. Dont call the 800 number for the brand. They are in a foreign country and have NO IDEA whether they are booking you in the right neighborhood, much less the right country. We cannot cancel your reservation outside of our cancellation guidelines because the owners of the hotel would fire us. Your $100 is not worth my salary, I'm sorry.
16. Do not let elderly people book rooms for themselves if they are not seasoned travellers. It sounds horrible, but they honestly end up really frustrated because they don't really understand a lot of the policies we have in place and they drive the front desk staff crazy when they say "WHAAAT??" every three seconds.
17. You have to give a credit card to book a room. Period. I will sometimes hold a reservation until 6pm for you. If you are late, I will sell your room.
18. If you do not know the difference between a debit and a credit card, do not use your debit card. Our credit card system cannot tell the difference and will deduct the money from your bank account electronically until well after you have checked out. We release the money back to you the day you check out. It can take your bank up to 10 days to get it back in your account. If you cannot afford to have that money held up, hit the ATM and just pay in cash. You will usually have to put down a fifty dollar deposit, but you get it back. It saves a lot of grief. This is why we ask for a credit card at check in, not a debit card. I will most times not send a fax to your bank telling them to release the funds, ESPECIALLY if you have accused us of stealing your money. We just assume you are an idiot.
19. If you get blood or vomit or urine or whatever on the towels or sheets, please ask for a garbage bag and bag them yourself. My housekeepers really really do not appreciate these messes. I do not let them handle linen that has bodily fluids on it because it is dangerous. They go directly from the bag into our huge washing machines and no one is contaminated. I do not let them bleed all over your room, please do them the same courtesy.
20. If you book an advanced purchase room, you will save a lot of money. IT CAN NOT BE CANCELLED. You receive this courtesy discount because you are guaranteeing you will be in the hotel on that date. We honestly don't care if Great Aunt Frida jumped off a bridge. That is not our fault.
21. If you want to know a really good secret, ask if the hotel is overbooked when you check in. We do something called "walking a room" which means we pay for your stay at another hotel that has space. We have to book you into a place of equal or greater value according to our standards. You get a free room, you help us save ourselves a lot of grief, and honestly, you may end up with a nicer room.
22. Book your room three weeks ahead of time. At least. THEN call the day before, before your cancellation window, and check the rates in town again. Sometimes we have to Fire Sell the rooms to get rid of them. You might just do better. Book the room under your wifes name, cancel yours and there ya go! $20 off. Nice huh?
23. ALWAYS become a member of that hotels loyalty program when you sign in. Gold Crown Club, Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, Priority Club Rewards, Hilton Honors, etc. Ask at the desk for them to sign you up. We get a bonus for signing people up, and sometimes we will upgrade your room for free. A lot of times you will get free drinks, coupons, free bottled water or snack, a pass to a managers reception etc. Not to mention the fact that you earn points which add up to free nights or free stuff in the future.
24. If you have made yourself unwelcome at a hotel, don't try and stay there again. Especially if you have called our 1-800 to complain about something trivial. You cost us $150 in fees, and we will cancel your reservation. Honestly. I have a blacklist. Not only that, but when I kick you out of my hotel for being a jerk, I am going to call all of the other hotels in the area, and they wont rent to you either. I will give them your description and tag number and the staff will be on alert to not rent to you. I really do know the managers of all the other hotels, and we hang out together. Not to mention the fact that the owners of my hotel, probably are friends with, or already own the hotel down the street. Its not really that competitive of a market when you get down to it, because we help each other out a lot.
25. If your secretary books your room incorrectly, dont yell at my staff. The problem is not within our company, its within yours.
26. Don't smoke in a non-smoking room. I really do charge that $300 smoking fee and you won't get that money back.
27. If you have a dog you are bringing on vacation, DO NOT leave them alone in the room all day. They will wreck the room, no matter how good they are at home. If you offer the agent at the desk $20 to dog sit, they will almost always let you keep the dog behind the desk with its food and water, take the dog for a walk a few times on their breaks, and actually give the dog attention. We will charge you if the dog wrecks the room. It's worth the $20. Trust me. If your dog is psychotic, BOARD IT. I have been bitten quite a few times. I am an animal lover, but trust me, eventually its going to be a severe enough bite and someone is going to get sued because I had to go and snatch a dog out of a room because it was bothering our other guests. If your dog bites me, we will have a problem.
BE NICE and you will almost always get your way. Don't freak out because you did not get new shampoo. That does not deserve a $20 discount. I am going to look at you like you are crazy and hand you five little bottles of shampoo and send you on your merry way. And then I will blacklist you.
Denise Oct 6th 2010 2:27PM
Wow that is a great response. Thanks for the comprehensive list.
Brad Oct 5th 2010 11:05PM
You are a complete jerk! I can tell that you love having power and jerking people around. Since it seems that you hate the public, change jobs so that the general public will not bother you any more.
Linda Oct 5th 2010 11:30PM
I don't think he's a jerk. I really appreciate his comment . It was very informative and useful. Thanks
Linda Oct 6th 2010 12:03AM
How right you are! I have been in the hotel business for 10 years, and every point that you made is true, not only in cities, but in small towns also. Thanks for your post. Everyone who stays in a hotel/motel should be aware of this information. Also, guests should understand that the hotel employees are NOT the guests' employees back home. Guests are not allowed to curse at us or order us around. The hotel pays my salary - not the guests. There will always be someone else who will fill our rooms, and there are always other hotels in our community.
VEdwards Oct 6th 2010 12:32AM
Finally someone in the know! I used to work at the front desk of a high-end hotel. EVERYTHING YOU LISTED IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!!
Cory Keaulana Oct 6th 2010 12:53AM
I LOVE Kristina! I have had some nightmarish stays at hotels (all brands)...being nice, firm, but getting your point across goes a long way. And, I've become friends with many of the management and staff at the places I frequent most.
Kristina, thanks for telling people about themselves - kudos to your "article".
kbrown2225 Oct 6th 2010 3:46AM
Well thanks for your input but I won't be staying at your hotel!
Roger Doger Oct 6th 2010 7:20AM
Kristina, I LOVE the article! It was clear, concise, overall well-written, and as a frequent corporate traveller, I have found your advice and observations spot-on. Well done and thank you. With manners and good sense less common than in the past, travelling has become a nightmare. You remind all of us how a little good will is returned.
Well done!
Mike R Oct 6th 2010 4:56PM
I worked in a major city downtown hotel in the Engineering Dept. and people would complain it was too hot and the A/C was not working. I would go to the room and pretent to fix it and the guest was happy. It worked all the time, it just that the guest just came back from a really hot day and expected the room to be real cold. The room temp was 70 degrees but felt hot because they were really hot from being outside. In a little while the guest cooled down and was convinced I fixed the A/C. This happened a lot when pro baseball players returned to the room from a game.
Chris Oct 10th 2010 6:40AM
Thank you for posting this! As a Front Desk Agent, I get so frustrated with people coming in and demanding refunds, comp nights, and everything else free all because they left their Do Not Disturb sign on the door when they left.
I also have to say that 90% of the complaints are from people who book their rooms via a third-party website. IE: Hotwire Priceline etc... and then expect a free breakfast. I am sorry, but there is nothing on their website or, ours for that matter, that states we have complimentary breakfasts.
Yelling at the Front Desk person because you have booked a room on a very busy night and we are not able to accommodate putting your two rooms side by side when you clearly did NOT request that when you made both reservations at seperate times will not make the FD willing to help you out later on when you check in at 2am.
On the whole, Kristina your comment is 100% spot on.
And to the comments who said they think she needs to find a new job, or that you wont stay at her hotel, that is fine and I am sure she will be happier knowing that she wont have to look you in the face and tell you that she can't help you.
kingmodailoverol Oct 10th 2010 7:30AM
Kristina, you're not in the right business, get out of hospitality and find another line of work (corrections officer perhaps?). I am sure because of you you're hotel does not have repeat/longtime clientetlle and is doing very poorly.
Gwynne Oct 10th 2010 8:18AM
Thanks Kristina! Thank you for taking the time to inform us travelers from your point of view! All good information to know!
bleuamethyst27 Oct 10th 2010 8:22AM
It's pretty clear that the people that think you hate your job and think you are a jerk have never worked in hotels/hospitality. Everyone that agrees with you and that gives you koudos for what you said has had the experience.
I have worked in high end hotels for over 11 years and 7 of those were at the Front Desk as agent, manager and rooms controller. You are spot on with the points you mention. People that don't work hospitality really don't know what jerks people can be. I have seen guests attack associates physically and mentally. I have had an angry man in a wheelchair tell my staff that our Jewish owners were horrible and that Hilter had the right idea. He was immediately escorted off property. A guest came up and asked me where she should go running. I gave her my suggestion on which area most of our guests find to be the better area's for her jog. 30 minutes later she came back demanding that I comp her nights stay because she got rained on when she ran the direction that I sent her. I believe I told her where to run not when.
The strories that could be told over the years are insane. Pleople think these are isolated cases but sadly they occur much more often then one would think. We do flag our crazy repeat guests and we cringe when we get some on the phone. We want them to enjoy their stay, we want to be nice to them and lets face it we want their money, but NOT at the expense of us being berated every time they come in. It isn't worth our sanity. I hope that people read this article and your response and get a better sense of what we deal with daily. Even if one person thinks twice about the way they talk to the front desk, housekeeping, waiter, etc the next time they are travelling then I think we have done a good thing. I know that person they come in contact with will appreciate it.
Mikey Oct 10th 2010 8:24AM
Any chance of getting the Reader's Digest condensed version of your angry tome??
purehail Oct 10th 2010 10:10AM
Kristina,
I appreciate all the insight. I stay at hotels 300 days of the year! I have been all over the world and stayed at some of the nicest and scariest hotels around.
The key for me has been that extra deep breath after bad news from the hotel staff. Then proceed with kindness and understanding to them and I usually get, "Oh wait, we can do this!"
The only issue I have with your advise is #24. Don't tell other hotels about a certain jerk. Give them a chance to prove otherwise at a differnet location.
1) always check the doors and windows lock, smoke detector and know where your nearest and next nearest exit is located.
Travel Well
Kelly Oct 10th 2010 8:52AM
A tip to travelers from someone at the front desk.
Don't complain if housekeeping knocks on your door at 8am. Put the Do Not Disturb sign on your door. Your housepeeper isn't a mindreader. He or she has a lot of rooms to clean during the shift. Can't wait to start cleaning rooms after noon!