Start to solve hotel problems — review, complain, don’t go back
Don’t shrug when hotels have room problems and resort fees that are upsetting. Complain, write an online review and don’t return unless the hotel fixes their problems.
I wrote about my hotel pet peeves last fall, but with recent hotel stays being the epitome of “OMG” in one way or another, I decided that it was time to again examine hotel practices that aggravate and exasperate.
Sometimes hotel fees are absurdly high and other times fees are charged that shouldn’t exist and too often hotels have substandard room “standards” or ridiculous service levels.
Here’s my list of hotel issues that should never be true!
Hotels shouldn’t charge excessive fees for anything or hide ways to reduce the fees so some guests pay too much.
Parking fees:
I was at a hotel that charged $65 per day for valet parking. They have no self-parking option. On-street parking in the area doesn’t exist. Nearby parking garages charge an arm and a leg too. If you drive to this hotel in your own car or a rental, you’re stuck — or maybe not. If you read the fine print as you scroll to higher room rates at the bottom of the page, rates that include items such as breakfast or specific views, you’ll find one with valet parking included — that calculates to $35 per day.
It’s okay that they charge separately for parking, and valet parking there makes sense considering other factors. What upsets me is charging an excessive fee and then hiding a less expensive rate at the bottom of their booking page. Why not just charge $35 per night?
In the 21st century, hotel guests have multiple devices that need charging daily. Hotels need to have multiple accessible electrical outlets and replace USB-A outlets with USB-C.
One accessible duplex outlet:
I was in a room that had multiple duplex electrical outlets not that long ago. One outlet was behind the dresser and two were behind the bed. Another was under the windows, 15 feet from the desk. There was no duplex outlet on the wall within three feet of the desk. I carry a six-foot extension cord with me that can have three plugs attached, plus a four-outlet surge protector that’s very small and light. I was prepared, but I shouldn’t have to be.
At this point in my life, my wife almost always travels with me. We each have iPhones, iPads and Apple watches. We also have hearing aids like many seniors. That’s eight devices that need charging — daily. I also have a laptop on which I’m writing this column, and a camera with a spare battery charger for my photography. They all need regular charging.
Hotel managers, this is the twenty-first century! Almost all travelers have multiple devices that need charging. Every room needs at least two easily accessible duplex outlets, though more would be better.
USB outlets:
At the turn of the twenty-first century, both chain and other hotels were installing in-room USB-A outlets for charging. Unfortunately, USB-A is a dying technology. Device manufacturers are rapidly moving to USB-C technology. Those old USB-A chargers will soon be worthless for guests. With the exception of our hearing aids, our devices already use USB-C technology. Hotel managers, this is your wake-up call. It won’t be inexpensive, but the change to USB-C is already overdue.
None or one luggage stand and dim lighting are hotel problems that should never exist.
One luggage stand:
This drives me crazy. Like many couples, on long trips both my wife and I have full-size and carry-on bags. At the very least, every hotel room should always have two luggage racks or places to use full-size luggage that aren’t tables, chairs, desks, beds or the floor. The racks aren’t very expensive and should be supplied.
Dim room lighting:
Years ago while traveling, many hotels used nothing but low wattage light bulbs in rooms. Today, with the advent of LED bulbs, dim lighting in hotel rooms doesn’t cut it. Cutesy opaque lamp shades for setting a mood are worthless at night. Guests need reasonable light. LED lights with 100-watt equivalence are cost effective. Hotels need to use them to provide good lighting for guests.
It’s false advertising to offer free “high speed,” then charge you for it.
Slow free high speed WiFi, but high fees for true high speed:
I hate it when hotels say they have free “high speed” WiFi, but when you connect, it’s barely able to pull in email and fill out web pages. A WiFi connection that’s so slow that it takes more than a moment to draw a page and doesn’t allow a YouTube video to play smoothly isn’t high speed WiFi.
I really get upset when I see that they have a $10 to $20 per day charge for true high speed WiFi, because that means that their free high speed WiFi is a lie and that I’m facing a hidden fee that’s so well hidden, you don’t even know about it at check-in. Considering that these days just about every hotel is paying for high speed WiFi for their own use, it should be free for guests.
No towel racks and powered eggs at breakfast buffets must be eliminated by hotels.
No towel rack or hook bathrooms:
It’s been years since I was in a hotel with enough towel racks or hooks that I could hang up my towels to actually dry overnight so they would be useable the next morning. One I was in last month had none. The lack of towel racks and hooks is a false economy. Towel racks promote sustainability and expense savings for hotels by enabling guests to reuse towels instead of needing freshly washed towels daily.
Powered eggs at breakfast:
Real eggs from real hens just aren’t that expensive, even today. Hotels don’t need to use awful powdered egg mix for their breakfast buffets. Not long ago I was at a hotel in California that used them and each day I had breakfast at a local diner that was great. I’m not returning to the hotel with the imitation breakfast.
Junk hidden fees and one-ply toilet paper at a hotel mean I’ll never stay there again.
Junk hidden fees:
At various times in hotels in recent years, I’ve been charged a mandatory resort fee that charged for what should have been included in the advertised room cost. It provided useless services, too. I received their shuttle to the airport, but I had a rental car. It included in-hotel and local phone service. Being able to call the front desk of a hotel should never cost extra, and like most every traveler, all my outside phone calls are made on my cellphone. It included use of the safe in the room, too. That should always be included as standard for all rooms.
A couple of years ago, a hotel attempted to charge me a credit card fee on their branded card until I complained, explaining that the fee was never mentioned online or when I gave them my card at check-in. I demanded to see the manager who removed the charge. The hotel closed toward the end of the pandemic.
One-ply toilet paper:
This is my number one peeve and it really chafes my you-know-what, literally and figuratively. For the pennies saved by buying super cheap toilet paper, hotels are losing repeat guests. I’m one of them. I never go back to a hotel that uses one-ply.
I shouldn’t be able to complain about any of these issues because hotels should have already eliminated the problems. If your hotel has these issues, complain, write an honest review that discusses the problems and don’t be a return guest unless they correct their problems.
(Image: Room at Copenhagen Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Copyright © 2015 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
