OK, no photos this time but with everything that is going on in though I’d turn my attention towards travel in general.
For the most part, when I travel in the UK or abroad I stay in hotels, be for one, two, three nights or more. Some have been luxury such as the Shanghai-La in Bangkok or much more modest locations as Premier Inn Barry Island.
1. Power sockets
In the last ten years or so the amount of electronics we all carry has increased massively. Phones, tablets, laptops, cameras etc. take up more and more space and with them come the associated chargers and cables needed to keep them working. What hasn’t increased though isn’t is the sockets to power them.
Fair enough, many hotels were built long before devices were invented and generally the only electrical items we carried were a shaver and maybe a hairdryer. However it is now 2020 and times have changed. Too often the only socket(s) in the room are on the far wall, well away from the bed so no charging my phone next to me.
Some hotels have made a conscious effort to address it by fitting extra sockets and USB port, which is appreciated. Others simple ignore and rely on guests having their own solution. Often I carry a four-socket extension with 2 metres of cable but is bulky.
On the subject of USB charging, every one I have seen is USB A. Now the standards have moved on and USB C is becoming most common connection, especially for new devices. I suspect that by the time USB C is fitted, we’ll be on USB D.
2. Lights.
Please, label up the switches, or at least the master switch. To often it’s a game of guess which switch does what. This means either pitch dark or blinded by every light on at once. Oh, and how about a light in the centre of the room?
3. A/C.
Not so much for the UK as we generally don’t need it. Other countries though…
If you have A/C don’t just turn it off “because it is winter”. It might be winter to you but it might still very warm for me.
In the same vein, don’t lock widows but if you’re worried about me jumping out, fit a restrictor. Sometime I like fresh air.
4. Towels and other linens.
If you have a room booked for two persons, ensure there are enough towels for two. On arriving at the room, I really don’t want to have to find housekeepers to get more towels. To me, two persons means 4 large towels and 4 hand towels. OK, with the impact of COVID-19 and the associated precautions I’ll cut some slack, but this was a problem before.
5. Maintenance.
Hotel rooms have a hard life. This puts extra pressure on on fixtures and fitting in a way your home doesn’t. Things will go wrong from time to time and need fixing but there are some routine maintenance tasks the all to often get skipped until you complain. These are:
Showerheads. If you are in a hard water area, the heads should be done regularly. I now carry a cocktail stick to unblock them.
Plug holes and drains. There is absolutely no excuse for a sink, bath or shower having a blocked or slow drain. They don’t to have to be cleared daily, but each week they should be cleared using a non-chemical unblocker such as a snake. Mostly it’s hair that causes blockages. If it is blocked or slow, don’t moan at me because the shower overflows.
6. Putting your bill under the door overnight.
Thankfully this practice is dying out thanks to electronic checkouts and apps. Always seemed to be a passive-aggressive way of saying “don’t forget to pay us on your way out”.
7. Houskeeping.
I understand they have a job to do and it’s not easy, especially after the Las Vegas shooting, but the Do Not Disturb sign is on for a reason. Either I’m asleep or out of the room. I often put it on as I have everything spread across the room as I’m having a sort out. if your hotel insist that you knock and check, give a few seconds after knocking before entering the room. Too often it’s ‘knockknockhousekeeping’ as the door opens.
8. Minibars.
How many people actually use them? Especially when on personal travel. Too often the prices are extortionate. A can of Coke for £4??? Really?
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Just do away with them and put a mini fridge in so I have somewhere to put my milk. Most people just pop to the local shop for any drinks of snack they need. The only exception is the Far East as they tend to only charge the same as the shops do. A can of Tiger Beer in Vietnam was the same as a shop.
9. A list of amenities.
On the websites, hotels often list the amenities they provide for the hotel or the room. This can be useful for things like pools, parking, kettles (I have a collapsable kettle for travelling) and fridges. Not so useful is when they list things like Fire alarms, smoke detectors, door viewers. Fire alarms are not an amenity, they are essentials. it’s like listing a bed as an amenity.
10. Coffee machines.
Mostly a US thing although there is a move to Nespresso machines.
Just get rid of them. they’re never cleaned properly and if like me, you drink tea, the hot water just tastes of stale coffee. Even worse it the drip machines with the glass jug. You read of people cooking noodles and even hotdogs in them. NO!!!
11. Resort fees.
These use to be limited to hotels in Las Vegas but have started to spread to other locations such as Orlando and New York. The fee includes things such as ‘business centre, fitness centre, wifi and parking’. Most hotels elsewhere either don’t charge extra or have a separate charge for parking only.
Resort fees are nothing more than a revenue generator for things you may not ever use. At £20-30 a night, these will soon add up. I now avoid hotels that charge them.
So there you have it. My pet hates. Agree? What to add more? Pop your thoughts in the comments below.
