1. Get rid of mandatory resort fees.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, the Hilton Waikoloa Village does it right. They have optional fees, either $4.50 a day or $25 a day. The lower one covers coffee, local calls, and the fitness center, the higher one adds mini-golf, internet access, discounts on actvities, and two drinks a day.
And the Mauna Lani and Four Seasons don’t even have fees. But most hotels, some not even in tropical destinations, have mandatory fees, and they are not unsubstantional, sometimes $25-$35 a day. Which, if you don’t take advantage of the offerings, can feel like a major ripoff. (Especially now as cellphones mean most people don’t need to make local calls.)
If the hotel needs to charge higher rates to turn a profit, they should just raise the rates. If not, clients should be able to have an “opt-out” clause.
2. Have simple alarm clocks.
Please make sure housekeeping turns them off between guests. I have posted about this before. Two of the most frustrating things about a hotel stay can be either fumbling with a clock that makes no sense, and/or being awakened at an ungodly hour by the previous guest’s alarm.
3. Have simple remote controls.
Personally I seldom watch in-room movies and other pay-per-view offerings, but while I am happy for hotels to offer them, it shouldn’t take an advanced degree to figure out how to get to basic television. In addition, even after figuring out the system, it often takes several steps on many remotes to get to the free channels.
4. If a hotel has rooms with only showers or, more rarely, only bathtubs, make it obvious when booking.
Especially in the U.S. While European hotels may commonly have either baths or showers, most Americans expect a shower-tub combination in the bathroom.
Some lower-priced hotels have only shower stalls in the bathroom because they are easier to clean. But some deluxe properties may not have tubs at all for reasons of space, or they have showers in some rooms, tubs in others.
While not all clients care, many do, and it isn’t fun to be looking forward to a long soak at the end of the day and then discovering that isn’t going to happen.
5. Make it clear what is an in-room freebie and what isn’t.
While I don’t mind a hotel trying to sell bottled water – although the prices can be ridiculous – or wine, it should be CLEARLY marked as an additional charge. This is especially confusing because some hotels do give free bottled water to guests in their rooms, either to all guests, or to members of their frequent stay program. And other hotels will offer amenities of snacks or wine to favored guests.
In fact, even in-room coffee can cause confusion, as some hotels have started charging for that too. Again, it is their choice, but guests shouldn’t have to look around the room or call the front desk to find out. Or worse yet, find out about the charges at checkout.
With all these, I do realize that it is impossible to make a room idiot-proof, and that guests do sometimes bear responsibility for creating their own problems. (Assuming the mini-bar is free, for example.)
But the above ideas would I think improve guest satisfaction, which in the long run would also help hotels’ bottom lines. No doubt Consumer Traveler readers have other ideas, please feel free to add them in comments.
Photo: U.S. Grant Hotel by San Diego Shooter/flickr.com/creative commons
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
