How to improve a stay in a bad hotel

by Gadling Staff on

I stay in a lot of hotels. I mean, A LOT of hotels (my husband and I joke that our apartment is just a place to keep our stuff. We don’t actually live there). And for the most part, my experiences are quite positive. But occasionally, I might stay in a room that looks — and smells — like a family of Sasquatch had stayed there before me. Or one that’s so noisy, I’ve considered grabbing the blankets off the bed and dragging them underneath the nearest freeway, in order to get some relative peace and quiet.

Fortunately, if you find yourself in a room you aren’t happy with, there are plenty of options to improve your stay that don’t involve spending the night underneath an overpass or plugging up your nostrils. Just keep calm, take a few deep breaths, and check out our eight essential tips for making your next hotel stay a pleasant one, no matter how bad the circumstances.

1.) Let the staff know that you aren’t happy — immediately. If you have a bellhop with you, don’t let him leave unless you’re satisfied with the room. If, after a quick glace, you find there’s a family of possums in the closet or raccoons have chewed through the electrical wiring, let someone know right away. The sooner you inform the staff that you need to switch rooms, the easier it will be on all of you (plus, it spares housekeeping the task of cleaning your room twice).

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2. ) Be flexible. If you’re willing to accept a downgrade (e.g., no view or balcony) or trade in a king room for two queens, the hotel will more easily be able to accommodate your request to change rooms. If there are no other rooms available in your price range, ask them to upgrade you to a problem-free room at no extra charge. While most places won’t offer this up on their own, they likely won’t refuse when you suggest it, either.

3.) See if the problem can be fixed. If you can’t switch rooms, ask the staff to remedy the situation: if the room is dirty, ask for another pass by housekeeping. If a sink is clogged, request a visit from maintenance. If you suspect there’s a poltergeist in the bathroom … well, you know who to call. If you’re still unsatisfied with your accommodations and have exhausted all other options, let the staff know that you’d like to move into another room as soon as one is available.

%Gallery-99721%4.) Be reasonable — not only of your requests of staff, but also in your expectations. They obviously can’t control the cooing of the pigeons that are nesting just outside your room (seriously … don’t pigeons sleep?!), but they can ask your partying neighbors to keep it down. Try to rectify the things you can control, and remember that many of the annoyances that are out of your hands (like fluctuating water pressure and overly-poofy pillows) might actually fall under the category of “the joys of travel.”

5.) Ask to speak to a manager. They usually can help with upgrades and changes that regular staff can’t. Since they’re the highest on the chain of command in a hotel, they can probably straighten things out for you. Just make sure you’ve been polite and reasonable to everyone you’ve talked to before then — if you’ve already been labeled as “the crazy guest who’s screaming in the lobby,” it might be harder to make your case.

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6.) Request a refund or discount. Most places won’t give you money back unless you specifically request it. A few dollars knocked off each of your nights’ stay can add up to a lot. If they aren’t able to provide a substantial reduction on the your stay, then ask them what they can offer you (vouchers to a nearby spa, a comped dinner or breakfast in the hotel restaurant, etc).

7.) Plan ahead. If you’ve had an unpleasant stay, ask the staff how you can avoid a similar situation in the future (when booking your room, ask if it’s noisy, above a busy street, near a stairwell, etc.). Not only will it help make your subsequent stay more pleasant, but it lets the staff know that you’re a repeat customer — and one who should be taken care of. You might even score TWO mints on your pillow next time.

8.) Switch hotels. If the staff is unable or unwilling to help you out, see if there are any vacancies at other nearby hotels. Nothing will get a hotel staff cracking than hearing, “We can simply check-out and go across the street.” Thanks to the Internet (is there anything it can’t do?), you should be able to find other accommodations, even during the busiest of seasons — that meet your standards (e.g., no circus animals in the hallways, plumbing pipes that actually drain, etc.).

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Have you ever had a nightmare hotel stay that you handled like a pro? If so, share your tips and tricks in the comments section!

[Photo: Flickr | Fly for fun]

First images: Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Asia is fast becoming a hotbed for hotel growth. From the Ritz-Carlton’s new hotel in Shanghai to the W’s entrance into Hong Kong, hotel companies aren’t shying away from Asia’s tourism growth potential. Now, the Langham hotel group is adding to its China collection.

The second Langham hotel to open in Asia this year, the Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport brings new meaning to the “airport hotel.”

Opened on August 23, the hotel had one solid mission: to revolutionize the way we see airport hotels. Now, guests flying into Beijing who need a place to spend the night before boarding an early morning flight, or those who just want to experience something a little out of the ordinary, will only have to go as far as Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital Airport.

The hotel will feature DJ’s in the lobby, loft-style rooms and a 24-hour high-tech lounge for work and play. The hotel features a full service spa and indoor pool, available to hotel guests and open for bookings for those with long layovers. For those guests needing a little nourishment, step into one of the hotel’s four restaurants including Fuel, Ming Court or The Place, an interactive all day dining restaurant.

Hundreds of hotels plan potential lawsuit against TripAdvisor

by Melanie Nayer on

Seems the TripAdvisor “reviews” are rubbing some hoteliers the wrong way. According to Tnooz.com, more than 300 hotels from the UK and United States have expressed interest in pursuing legal action against TripAdvisor, accusing the user-generated review site of defamation.

The planned pursuit is being organized by KwikChex, a UK-based company specializing in online reputation management, and reports say the hotels have already paid the £35 preliminary fee to join the action against TripAdvisor.

KwikChex is gathering hoteliers’ grievances against TripAdvisor and investigating them. Among the complaints against TripAdvisor, as spelled out in an open letter from KwikChex:
  • “TripAdvisor claims that they are not responsible for user generated content – but claims ownership of all posts.”
  • “TripAdvisor has singled out businesses and directly advised consumers not to trust them – even when the majority of their own posters recommend these businesses.”
  • “TripAdvisor overstates the level of trust that can be placed in an individual review on their site. They are thus directly seeking to influence consumer opinion.” “TripAdvisor has failed to take appropriate action when offered evidence of falsehoods – thus removing their blanket disclaimer defense.”
KwikChex is currently investigating the possibility of filing dual lawsuits in the UK and United States against TripAdvisor.

Readers, We want your thoughts! Are these lawsuits justifiable? Do you think the user-generated comments on TripAdvisor put hotels in a bad light? Are hotels justified in suing TripAdvisor for defamation? Share your comments below.

Toilet bomber fails in Denmark

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A man has been detained in what’s being called a suicide bombing attempt. Injured in the blast, the suspect is believed to have tried to ignite the bomb in the Jorgensens Hotel in Copenhagen, with the toilet being the scene of the (alleged) crime. He sustained injuries on his face and arms. Police picked him up in a park, where he’s said to have run following the blast.

The low-cost hotel is on Israel’s Square, in the center of Copenhagen. It’s also located close to Norreport Station.

Little is known about the man’s identity, though he is said to have carried papers from two countries. Also, his intended target hasn’t been established conclusively yet, but the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, is believed to have been a possibility.

[photo by jemsweb via Flickr]

Minnesota porn ban to spank some hotels, except when too expensive

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If a porn ban in Minnesota‘s Winona County passes, hotels will have to operate under a “clean hotel” policy. County employees wouldn’t be able to stay at properties that have adult fare on the menu, though there are some specific exceptions to this rule. Ostensibly, this measure is intended to lower incidents of sexual and domestic violence, which the county says has a link to porn according to some studies (though there are indicators the other way, too).

According to a Winona Daily News:

“In and of itself, this policy is not a cure-all,” the document reads, “but it is an important effort to help prevent a social disease and its related costs to the public.”

Winona County officials believe that keeping porn out of hotels will alleviate the $221 million spent on issues related to sexual violence (in 2006). They feel that this form of prevention will lead to lower law enforcement costs. Winona Daily News continues:

“It is logical to assume that prevention of certain criminal activities would reduce the costs of providing these services,” the issue paper states. “Prevention would also prevent the much greater social cost to the community.”

In an effort to keep county workers from viewing adult entertainment – and banning local hotels from selling it in order to get county business, the state could be doing far more harm than good. The question staring me in the face is a simple and important one: does the county bring hotels more business than porn?

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For county workers, hotel stays entail local travel, so the business opportunity can’t be terribly high. The Winona Daily News notes that “law enforcement officials and other employees often require they spend the night in a hotel.”

Meanwhile, in-room adult entertainment is good for some big cash. The Family Research Council and a dozen other anti-porn organizations estimate that this form of entertainment is good for 60 percent to 80 percent of in-room entertainment revenue (though this is a dated estimate). Of course, the opponents of the freedom to view adult entertainment have had a tendency to pump up market size and other business-related numbers (as I found during four years of covering the business side of the adult entertainment industry) in order to emphasize its reach and influence. So, it makes sense to take a look at another source.

J.W. Marriott, whose background makes him no fan of adult content, is pretty clear on the importance of steamy televisions to his business. He wrote to the American Decency Association:

“If we were to eliminate R and non-rated offerings, the systems would not be economic [sic]. We believe it is more practical to have a system available through a wider variety and to allow our guests to make their own selections.”

Of course, the choice between county cash and porn cash may not be necessary. Given the nature of the hotel market in the state and the existing porn options, the measure may be close to irrelevant. Already, more than 480 “clean hotels” exist in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. And, the rule only applies if a property is the “host site” for an event that the county employee is attending. Also, money does talk: if staying in porn-free digs would cost at least 15 percent more than staying at a porn-friendly establishment, the cost of “morality” isn’t worth it.

[Via USA Today, photo by Steve Zak Photography]