A stay in a hotel immediately brings to mind the conveniences and the expectation of being pampered. And when they say, it’s a home away from home, you expectations of cleanliness and great service, go a notch higher. But what happens when the expectations fall short? Right from a star hotel to a budget hotel, there are many annoying things about hotels that make me lose my cool.
So here I go…
- The Unhygienic Practices : This is my major grouse. Right from a 7 or a 5 Star hotel to a regular hotel, a guest house or a camp site to a home stay, the unhygienic conditions that prevail everywhere is abominably revolting. A report revealed that fecal bacteria was found on an astonishing 81% of the 18 surfaces analysed in hotels!! I remember seeing a cart full of towels and bed-sheets, and accidentally the towels fell on the ground (of course, they didn’t fell in a neat pile, so that one could discard the one touching the ground!). The housekeeping guy, simply put them back in his cart and unsuspecting customers like us would use them lovingly to wipe our faces… In yet another incident, I was in this 5-star property, admiring myself in the mirror. Just then a housekeeping lady entered with a small white napkin. She entered the stall no. 1 and wiped the toilet seat with that napkin. Then she moved to stall no. 2 and wiped the seat with the same napkin. I was shocked and disgusted. After her repeat performance in the next 2 stalls, I told her that she is not cleaning but making the toilet seats more dirty and spreading the germs too. She responded with a blank look!
- Pillow Woes: The pillows and mattresses in the hotels come in only two varieties… as hard as a rock or as soft as a pudding. There is no in-between or the just right variety. You either get up in the morning with a sore back or with a sore back! Then some hotels there are sooooo many cushions on the bed, that it takes ten minutes to move them all off the bed on to the chairs before you retire. Any more, and they should be going out of the window.
- Electrical Sockets So Rare and Precious! : Sometimes, I wonder, if it is a rule that the electrical switches in hotels should be at unreachable places. In one hotel, the charging point was near the entrance of the room. So, when the alarm rang in the morning, I had to drag myself out of the bed to stop its incessant ringing. What a wonderful way to start a day!
- Bathroom Fixtures to Test Your Intelligence : Each hotel has its unique and complicated set of bathroom faucets. They are never the simple ones. You are in a hurry to get ready and you have to struggle to get the tap to function!
- Tipping Woes : I always believed that a tip is a reward for good service rendered and should be at our discretion and is in no way a mandatory custom. But at some hotels, right from the concierge, to the house keeping guy to the guard at the entrance, or the driver of the cab, all expect you to pay a tip even if you are far from satisfied with their services.
- The ‘Friendly’ Staff : Smaller the hotel, bigger are the chances of meeting the most unprofessional, casual, uncaring and even rude staff. Expecting a friendly and a professional staff from a service industry is a tall order.
- Exorbitant Room Service Charges: Even a regular bottle of mineral water costs ten times its actual cost. A club sandwich with taxes was presented with a bill of Rs 850 only!
- Early Check-Out and/or Late Check-In : I’ve been to hotels that only allow check-in from 1 pm and require you to check-out by 10 am. How much time do you end up spending there then and how much time do they need to clean the room? You end up feeling like you’ve been cheated– especially on a one-night stay. And then they charge extra if you check-in early or leave late!
- No Resemblance Between Real and Virtual : Last time we decided to stay in a home stay at Shoghi, near Shimla during Aaryan’s school exeat. After scanning more than dozen homestays on the net, we finalized one. On reaching the property we were speechless. The pictures on the internet were so very different from the reality. The food was great and that was a saving grace! At another place, the pictures were that of a large luxurious pool, while in reality it was a swimming pool for kids. When an advertised product or a service is far from reality, it is truly annoying.
Do you have any hotel woes? Do share them in the comment box below.
My theme for this year’s Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is Notes from the Road, which has my thoughts, views, experiences, tips, stories inspired by my years on the road.
64 Responses
Oh my God. I have read articles about bacteria in hotels and hotel being unhygienic but I didnt read so much. Definitely hotels will not take care of hygiene more than us in our homes. I really feel bad about checkin and check out culture of hotel. They don’t even count 24 hours which is one day!
Ah! Dont get me started on the hygiene factor. It is terrible in most places. I know, they cant match the cleanliness levels of person with OCD like me, but they can certainly do the bare minimum. Most of the time, I avoid looking so that I can live in peace for a day or 2. 🙁
I would love to know about this check-in/out policy in details from an insider. This bugs me to no end, considering that I have been paying early check-in (my company actually) a lot since the last few months!
oooops, I’m getting nervous as I hunt for hotels in Europe at reasonable prices using trivago or booking.com and others. The pictures look great – but checking the reviews is a good idea. Re the electrical plugs, I heard on the radio the other day that they are deliberately put as far away as possible from the bed for 2 reasons 1) so that the side of the bed where we usually have our plugs at home, does not get worn down by all the sitting! (cost saving measure for beds) 2) ‘they’ want you to have a peaceful night away from electrical charges 🙂 And pillow – I agree, either too soft or too hard – and removing all the bleeding decorative ones is a mission and a half .. thanks Shilpa great post!
Thank God for the online reviews these days, these are still not reliable for smaller hotels though.
Oh, the rationale of having plugs far away from beds is interesting. Not very customer friendly though.
Thank you Susan for sharing your thoughts.
I don’t actually have woes. I love staying in hotels. Sure, some are better than other but overall, it’s a great part of travel for me 🙂
Wow! That’s so nice, Andrea. 🙂
How come when you check in there are no guys to take your two suit cases to your room but when you are checking out there are 6 people waiting to take your 2 suit cases to your car?
Ah! That’s because they are waiting for you to reward them for the work they are supposed to do!
We have learned about ‘home away’ places. They offer some pretty cool alternatives and gear towards families or couples. I highly recommend them.
Yeah, home stays are great as they are actually homes with the hosts staying on the same premises.
I agree with the bathroom fixtures … they are complicated hi hi ….and the check out check in timings can be irritating …. the in house restaurants and room service are also usually quite exorbitant
http://jaishwrites.blogspot.sg/2018/04/h-for-hibiscus.html
Seriously, I think the bathroom fixtures are designed to test our problem solving skills. 😐
I love hotel stays as thats the ultimate pampering session for me but I agree with you on a few points which are true as they mostly happen in a non-standard hotels. Having worked in 5 stars, I know for a fact how we plan a room to match guest/user experience and our goal is to minimise such issues!
Was trying to imagine dragging myself to the door to switch off the alarm in the morning 😉
H is for Heidi #atozchallenge
I know some of the hotels really walk the extra mile for the customer. We were to stay in Wildflower Hall, Mashobra – Shimla for 5 days. The toilet didnt had water facility just the toilet rolls. I asked them, if they could give me a room which had the water faucet. In 2 minutes, there was a guy from maintenance with all the tools to install the hand held bidet sprayer. I was MIGHTY impressed.
While I’ve experienced most of this first hand, the one which always irritates me is the check in and check out times. Often due to travel schedules we arrive early in a new city and then the hotel refuses to give you a room till 12 pm unless you pay for the previous day which is simply absurd to me!
Ah! tell me about it. I have been paying the extra charges since so many years and this is my petest peeve!
One thing i can totally relate to is unhygenic conditions and dirty bathrooms are something i just can’t stand.
Luckily, I havent dealt with unfriendly staff yet. Thank god.
And worst is the chek-in, check out . OMG pain totally
Tongue Twister for H
Lucky you, that you have met all nice people at the hotels.
Hahaha….oh yes..I agree on 99% of these complaints! Hundreds of pillows, confusing faucets that test your mechanical /technical skills, unclean bathrooms….ugh! I don’t want to even think of it!
And, they charge you a bomb!
Just yesterday, I checked in a hotel at 3 am. I made the guy change the bed-sheet at 3 am! The bed was properly made with the bed-sheet tucked in at the right places, just that the bed sheet was dirty. *Rolls Eyes*
Shilpa, I couldn’t agree more on the bathroom fixtures. They are indeed to test our intelligence. I literally have stood like a dumbass in front of a tap so many times. Another thing that I have also faced is the difference between real and virtual. We once had such a bad experience in a Delhi hotel. These days I try to read as many reviews as possible about any hotel before booking.
https://trinalooksback.com/2018/04/09/halum-jhulum-the-tale-of-two-brothers/
Aah! These bathroom taps have truly made me look like a dumbass soooo many times.
You know the pictures are of the same room/place, but they are photo-shopped or shot so well that a dingy room looks all bright and airy!
As for many of you, for me too, cleanliness is number one priority.
In luxurious hotels, I find the looking around for switches, a major put-off. Once I had to call the bellboy to help me find the switches for different lights. He told me it’s not considered very fashionable if switches are visible; so they are usually hidden.
(My latest blog post: http://bit.ly/TT_Husbandry)
Fashionable!! Whoa!! Love their logic!
I was nodding my head all the time while reading your post, Shilpa. At times, we do not give any importance to cleanliness as it is deemed obvious being 4-5 star hotel, but fortunately, I have had a good experience till date.
https://www.rohankachalia.com/2018/04/home-day-8-a-to-z-challenge/
Lucky you, Rohan!
I think my OCD for cleanliness is to be blamed, for I see things which many dont even notice. *Rolls Eyes*
I love staying in hotels, despite these annoying traits I so agree with! Bathroom Fixtures to Test Your Intelligence : is my pet peeve too!
I love staying in hotels too, provided I dont get to see these irritants 😀
Very true.. hotel stays often add to your travel woes, and you have described it from a very practical perspective. Totally agree with you!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Sayan!
Trying to figure out how the fancy shower works because it can’t just have a simple on/off switch and a temperature control! Amusing post 🙂
https://iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/09/h-is-for-den-haag-the-hague-netherlands/
Ah! We can laugh now, but it isnt amusing when you are in the middle of it.
Your post covered almost all the hotel woes :))
And can’t agree more with electrical points in hotels.
Cheers
MeenalSonal from AuraOfThoughts
Thanks Meenal, glad that this post resonates with you!
I tend to go for budget hotels so my expectations are never very high! You’ve mentioned things here I’ve never thought about, but I will check them out in future. When travelling I try wherever possible to sleep on overnight trains instead of hotels, particularly in India.
A-Z of My Friend Rosey!
That’s the best attitude to have for a frequent traveler. Love that, Keith!
How true! I remember booking this “amazing” hotel in Goa via an app and it was disastrous! I know about the sore back. Phew! Lovely post, Shilpa. 🙂
Kohl Eyed Me
Something’s Cooking
Ah, I have experienced ‘amazing-hotels-online’ turn into ‘shady-little-cubbyhole-in-reality’ 😐
Thanks Shalini!
Oh god the hygiene practice .. tell me about it. 5star or 7 star, it just doesnt matter, someimes the housekeeping do what they deep best. And definetely the pillows. Why cant they just get those simple comfy pillows???
You said it. The housekeeping person will do exactly the way he likes to do things, until and unless there are stringent practices in places.
Hi Shipla.
All I have to say is this: thank the great forces of the universe for computer wizards for inventing the internet and therefore options for travellers to review properties and for prospective travellers to read those reviews.
Reading reviews may be time-consuming and confusing (one review gives it a 5 star and the other 15 sad/angry emojis) but overall, the time spent in reading what other people have written helps to make sensible hotel choices.
H is for Head Wash Day
Oh yes, thank God for the reviews these days, It’s better to check them before booking. I know what you mean. There could be a bad experience with someone, but if I read 3-4 consistent bad reviews, I look for other options.
I once paid 250 rs just for a bottle of water!
God!! It must have gold atoms in it, according to the hotel guys! *rolls eyes*
I used to not care where I stayed but thanks to many of the points you make, I now stay at only nice places–that I trust. It’s worth the money and I plan that into my trip.
Good hotels add to the entire travel experience. So yes, staying at nice places is worthwhile.
Noise. I can’t stand staying at a hotel with noise in the hallways or other rooms.
Gosh, that’s a big dampener!
We are in the middle of making plans for our summer vacation holiday and was exactly discussing some of these things. Hotel timings, pillows, and highly priced stuff irritate me the most.
Hope you dont get to face any of these issues at the hotel. Have a great vacation, Deepa!
These are so true and make me never want to stay in an hotel ever again, Shilpa. But I love travel and hotels are inevitable then.
Nothing peeves me out like the early check-out and late check-in. I remember our Thailand holiday when we arrived at our Phuket hotel by 11 AM and were asked to wait till 2 PM to check in. We had taken an early flight and just wanted to hit the bed. Just imagine sitting in the restaurant of the hotel holding our welcome drink and waiting for 3 hours! You know what’s worse, the check-out time was 10 PM. I have no idea why they need until 2 PM to get the room ready!
OMG! That’s a terrible way to start the vacation. While some hotels are a bit accommodating about early check-ins, some arent and that’s so irritating especially when all you want to do is crash out.
Last month, after traveling the whole night by bus to Agra, I was made to sit at the reception from 4.30 am to 6 am and this was when I had informed them of my early check-in. 😐
Ha! Ha! Could relate to quite a few points especially the bathroom faucets and the online versus offline reality. We went to Dalhousie and had booked via makemytrip and it still disgusts me when I am reminded of this hotel room with stained sheets and mouldy carpets. Though it had a brilliant view, but the hygiene factor left me disgusted. Never again will we book online, without having heard proper reviews.
On a positive side, I mostly love hotel stays and enjoy the pampering. Have spent some great time in some really good ones and those memories are for keeps.
Natasha
natashamusing
April Anecdotes
Intimacy
Ah! You have had bad experience as well! It’s truly annoying when the reality is different from what is showcased online.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Natasha 🙂
I hardly ever stay at hotels but… hmmm… they’re mostly good… but… it’spr hard to adjust the air conditioning. I usually figure it out before I freeze. I agree about the electrical problems and the bed. A hotel isn’t home but it is a place to stay out of town.
Ah! I cant stand freezing cold AC too. Sometimes, I have to travel with colleagues and in case their threshold for cold is different than me, then that’s an issue. SIGH!
Yes,a hotel certainly can never be your home, but it should be comfortable and clean and that’s the basic expectation.
Lol! Shilpa this sentence of yours gave me stomach pain- “You either get up in the morning with a sore back or with a sore back!”
Yes, there are quiet a few on this list which I have experienced too. Although, it feels funny now when we read, it’s actually annoying while we experience them.
Thanks Medha, glad that this post made you smile. True, such experiences leave a bad taste in the mouth. Thanks for dropping by Medha. I can see that your story is progressing very well. Since, I missed the earlier chapters, I will read it at one go, soon! 🙂
I hear you, Shilpa!
Hotels can be a surprise package, isn’t it? At times, the facade of the hotel speaks ‘classy’, but when you enter the room, you realize you should have skipped it, all together! Bathrooms HAVE to be clean, as do the beds..in fact, all of it.
Brilliant post, Shilpa. It reminds me of my first trip to Buenos Aires. I arrived exhausted after a 20-hour flight.
When I first entered the room, I couldn’t work out how to switch on the light (it was my first time using the card system – the card that opens the door slots into the light switch). I had to go back downstairs to ask at reception.
Because I was so tired, I felt cold and desperate for a bath but there was no bath in my hotel room, only a shower.
And when I tried to turn the shower on, it had jets coming out at all angles but no warming downpour. It was very unsatisfying.
To make matters worse, I couldn’t work out how to turn the airconditioning off and the room was freezing. I didn’t have the energy or inclination to go back downstairs so I just crawled into bed for a nap before dinner, feeling very sorry for myself.
I can laugh about it now but I was very grumpy at the time. :).
A post that everyone can add value to. You touched all the fab points here Shilpa. Here in England, toilet paper as well as tea coffee condiments are provided with rationing even in expensive hotels. They provide more if u ask them but it is not nice to ask every morning and evening for extra tea bags and sugar. Plus travelling with a child requires extra toilet paper too..you know!! We usually carry extra bits with us( just in case) if we travel by car and do not have to worry about extra stuff.
Just reading about that cleaning incident is making my skin crawl. Yes, one never knows how they have been cleaned. Thankfully we don’t have to worry about tips in Australia. No tipping culture here. Oh yes, the room service and the in house restaurant always costs a bomb.
That list had me laughing! Yes, vast gap between promises and reality. Also, I think most hotels use random stock photos, not actual photos of their property. Hygiene, ugh. And it is annoying to ask for basic things and wait infinitely for a response. My major grouse is the challenging bathroom fittings. Always takes time to figure out how that expensive shower fitting works, only to find myself drenched abruptly. I carry my own bedsheet and towels. But yes, there have been some fantastic experiences as well!
I found this article and the comments very intriguing. As someone who has been in the hospitality industry for 14 years and have worked at a handful of hotels and resorts ranging from 11 rooms to 835 rooms. Started as a housekeeper and now a housekeeping manager for 3 sister boutique hotels on the coast of Maine.
I understand a lot of these frustrations, because they are not only so for the hotel guests.
Pillows!!! If it were the choice of the housekeepers, decorative pillows would not exist. It adds time to cleaning a room and that time is precious. That being said. Check in and check out times. Completely understand why this bothers people, but it is for a reason. I fortunately work for a company that accommodates guests as much as possible. We do not charge fees, unless a late checkout is very late. Also gathering that no one else is checking into that same room. Housekeeping has a number of things that have to be accomplished during the day also, keep in mind that your room isn’t the only room that has to be cleaned in a very short window of time. If you expect immaculate results, but want to check in early or check out late and maybe someone called out sick and now the housekeepers have a bigger work load. Or dare I say, that smaller hotels have more responsibility. They are responsible for doing all of the laundry plus cleaning the rooms and all common areas of the hotel and the list goes on. And given circumstances that someone could have completely trashed a room. That takes a considerable amount of time to clean, more than the standard amount of time, that sets them back during the day.
I am not making excuses for lack of cleanliness, because there is no excuse for that. There should be a standard of cleanliness. I will say that not everyone is meant to clean. Not everyone has OCD or is a perfectionist and I have undoubtedly seen it for many years.
With the end of my rant. I would like to say that there are some of us out there that want you to have an amazing experience and it’s unfortunate that so many people have bad experiences and it puts a bad name on the whole industry. Some of us do care and put 100% into our work ensuring cleanliness and a positive experience for guests