How (not) to run a hotel

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MikeAqua

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#161921 23-Jan-2015 12:10

A few of us on here must to travel frequently for work - what are the things that annoy you about hotels?

I'll start ....

The Fridge: -

Make sure it is bewilderingly noisy, after all it's in a bedroom.

Preferably, the socket should be located somewhere difficult to reach. That way guests will try and push through the noise and get to sleep.

Optimally the fridge should be empty except for single serves of UHT milk, which don't need to be refrigerated.

If this isn't possible, the fridge should be full of overpriced minibar items, so there is no room for the customers own purchases from the reasonably priced liquor store next door.

Mike

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#1220702 23-Jan-2015 12:26

Ridiculously small bottles of shampoo and soap.
100 rooms and 80 carparks.
Chairs designed to fracture ones spine.
10 minutes "free Wifi" then incredibly expensive Wifi.
Mobility Carparks but only steps out of the car park unless one travels 300 meters in the rain to get to the front door.

sonyxperiageek

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#1220708 23-Jan-2015 12:34

If you don't mind me asking, what job is it you do?

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xpd

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#1220714 23-Jan-2015 12:39

"Free" wifi that only lasts for 20mins or 50mb (which ever comes first) and can only be used in one particular part of the hotel.

Hotels that have amazing looking (modern, clean) reception areas, yet when you get into the main hotel itself, its still stuck in the 70/80's.

Room doors that slam shut, so loud that you can hear someone down the other end opening and closing their door.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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graemeh

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#1220715 23-Jan-2015 12:39

Air conditioning that is so old and decrepit that it frequently breaks and then when the guest complains move them to another room with broken air conditioning. When they complain again upgrade them to a much more expensive room that also has broken air conditioning.

Tour buses that arrive early in the morning and sit just outside hotel rooms with their engines running.

Room service breakfast that is so expensive that even the reception staff can't believe your bill is right when they print it out.

The minibar full of stuff is easily fixed, just remove all the hotel items and leave them on a nearby flat surface.

Dairyxox

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#1220718 23-Jan-2015 12:44

Make sure the water pressure is dismal, because we wouldn't want to get too wet.

Make sure the hot water cylinder is shared with the unit next door, so when the large family next door all wash up there is no hot water for you.

Who needs hot water anyway.

Put courtyard lights right outside the bedrooms, and make sure they are not pointed away, because we need everywhere to be well lit, day or night, inside or out.

timmmay

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#1220721 23-Jan-2015 12:51

Bright rooms, loud rooms, and old beds are the things that bug me the most.

vexxxboy

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#1220725 23-Jan-2015 12:53

Pillows, how hard is it to provide a decent comfortable pillow.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

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Sideface

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#1220730 23-Jan-2015 13:00

You could always stay at the Gleneagles Hotel for research purposes -
In May 1970 the Monty Python team stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay whilst filming on location.
John Cleese became fascinated with the behaviour of the owner, Donald Sinclair, whom Cleese later described as "the rudest man I've ever come across in my life."
Donald Sinclair was the prototype of the Basil Fawlty character.

The Gleneagles Hotel, Torquay

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sbiddle

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#1220732 23-Jan-2015 13:02

Lack of power plugs is my biggest gripe.

sbiddle

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#1220733 23-Jan-2015 13:03

Change that.. Incorrect aspect ratio on the TV is still my first, lack of power plugs comes in second.

Lias

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#1220753 23-Jan-2015 13:39

Lack of 32+" flatscreens. tiny LCD's are bad enough, CRT's are a cardinal sin.
Not making the ports on the TV's accessible so I can connect my VGA/HDMI etc
Lack of decent free/sanely priced internet
Crap wifi coverage in rooms
Ridiculously priced food

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kiwitrc

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#1220766 23-Jan-2015 13:55

Expensive booze, ugly hookers, security cameras that stop you stealing the bed and noisy fridge, furniture that is hard to set alight to, and those stupid awnings that slow down the descent of the TV to the pavement.

floydbloke

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#1220789 23-Jan-2015 14:31

sbiddle: Lack of power plugs is my biggest gripe.

I don't travel much but first things I pack are adapter (if required) a 4-way board.

Did Eric Clapton really think she looked wonderful...or was it after the 15th outfit she tried on and he just wanted to get to the party and get a drink?

richms

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#1220790 23-Jan-2015 14:32

Oh, and that bloody mode on the tv where the controls are locked so I cant fix the bloody aweful showroom picture settings and have to google how to remove that mode from the tv.

Richard rich.ms

jarledb

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#1220833 23-Jan-2015 15:10

MikeAqua:

The Fridge: -
Make sure it is bewilderingly noisy, after all it's in a bedroom.

Hate fridges like that.

If this isn't possible, the fridge should be full of overpriced minibar items, so there is no room for the customers own purchases from the reasonably priced liquor store next door.

As someone else mentioned: Easily fixed, empty the contents onto a nearby surface and fill the fridge with your own bought stuff. Even get food for breakfast etc. and put in the mini fridge.

Its been a while since I was doing much travel for work, and it might not be feasible for a lot of different reasons (billing being one), but my preferred place to stay when I am traveling these days are through AirBNB.

Its usually better standard in peoples homes than in most regular Hotels, and you (mostly) get to see nice people and get some good suggestions on what to do on your spare time.

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