A Few Tips for Hotel Guests (long)

[WishfulSpirit]

Mods, please move this if it is in the wrong place.

I recently started a new job at a hotel here in Denver. I'm deliriously happy there and think I should have gotten into hospitality a LONG time ago. My manager is one of the best leaders I've had the privilege of working with. Hotel work isn't for everyone but I seem to be a good fit for it.

That said, a lot of our guests, while not sucky, still seem to be a bit uniformed as to how hotels operate. So here's some tips.

1. If there's a free loyalty program, sign up. In many cases, that gets you on a list of priority guests. You'll have a better chance of getting the room type you want, even if we're really busy.

2. You can make things a lot easier on the hardest working people in our industry, as well as other guests, if you DON'T ask for a late check-out unless you really need it. We have four housekeepers who have to clean 133 rooms in the four hours between check-out and check-in. Yes things happen, and we get that. But if everyone who is leaving today just decides they want to sleep in, we're going to have a lot of new guests showing up at 3 in the afternoon whose rooms aren't ready. Some of them have been on the road for 12 hours. Some of them are coming in from Europe and haven't slept in 30 hours. Some of them are elderly or disabled and just want to lie down. Please be considerate.

4. Don't ask for an accessible room if you don't need it. We have 3 of them. Plus the roll-in shower is a pain for anyone who doesn't need to actually roll in. ADA prohibits a lip on the edge of the shower. I don't know why we can't have pop-up rubber water-guards (I've seen them other places while helping my disabled husband get cleaned up after his water therapy) but you WILL end up with water on the floor.

On a side note, if you ARE special needs or have limited mobility and need the floor mopped up, or anything else, PLEASE TELL ME. As a member of the disabled community, who knows first hand what wheelchair users go through, I will move the Rocky Mountains themselves to get you taken care of. Plus the laundry room, with all the towels anyone could ever need, is right behind my desk. I'm happy to grab and armful and get your room dry and safe for you.

5. Let me know if you want or need something different for breakfast. There's a natural food store across the parking lot, and I have a petty cash fund available. I can get you some gluten free bagels, an allergy-friendly granola bar, or whatever else you need.

6. You're NOT being a bother by telling me if there's something wrong with your room. If the AC is getting ready to rattle itself off the wall, the window shade won't close all the way, there's a crack in the toilet tank lid, or anything else, let me know ASAP. The sooner I know, the more likely it is I can move you to another room. We'd much rather have it dealt with when you arrive than have you leave mad.

[sstabeler]

6. You're NOT being a bother by telling me if there's something wrong with your room. If the AC is getting ready to rattle itself off the wall, the window shade won't close all the way, there's a crack in the toilet tank lid, or anything else, let me know ASAP. The sooner I know, the more likely it is I can move you to another room. We'd much rather have it dealt with when you arrive than have you leave mad.

I imagine the reason they don't is they fear being blamed for the problem, and getting charged the cost of fixing it. (I figure that the hotel probably won't, though- I imagine charging the guest for damages is usually reserved for either deliberate damage, or cases where there is a LOT of damage- and an element of commons sense is used when it's shortly after checkin)

[Catwoman2965]

People are stupid; what can I say?

I agree though. I've seen a lot of the same things while reading reviews of hotels. People who endless piss and moan about every little thing, yet when the manager replies to their review, well, guess what, the guest never said a word!

My mom and I will bring anything to the staff's attention that needs addressing, since she is HC and needs an accessible room. Last one we had, the one leg on the shower bench was missing the peg to adjust it, so it was essentially a tripod. had she tried to use it without checking, she would have landed on the floor and no way i could get her up and back in her chair.

I've only ever had a couple minor issues with any room I've ever stayed in, and I've called ASAP. I've been polite, friendly, and guess what? Someone has come to look at and/or fix the issue quickly.

And as for the roll in showers, my mom needs them, and anyone with half a brain could figure out HOW to keep the water from running all over. We usually ask for some extra towels, roll one up, and place it right at the edge, to catch any water. And when I use the shower, i turn the shower head away.

We always ask for a few extra, right off the bat. And have never ever had any issue with anyone giving us a hard time about it.

[Ironclad Alibi]

And as for the roll in showers, my mom needs them, and anyone with half a brain could figure out HOW to keep the water from running all over.

That's the problem. Too many people have less than half a brain. Way less.

[WishfulSpirit]

As for the roll in showers, my mom needs them, and anyone with half a brain could figure out HOW to keep the water from running all over.

That's the problem. Too many people have less than half a brain. Way less.

I don't think ours are sloped properly. We just had some renovation done and the crew did a few things wrong. It's entirely possible that the slope for our roll-ins allows water to drain toward the outside of the shower, rather than the drain where water is supposed to go.

[Catwoman2965]

I don't think ours are sloped properly. We just had some renovation done and the crew did a few things wrong. It's entirely possible that the slope for our roll-ins allows water to drain toward the outside of the shower, rather than the drain where water is supposed to go.

Entirely possible. I seem to recall the towel thing not working in each and every one we've stayed in. But I try!

[BlaqueKatt]

5. Let me know if you want or need something different for breakfast. There's a natural food store across the parking lot, and I have a petty cash fund available. I can get you some gluten free bagels, an allergy-friendly granola bar, or whatever else you need.

That is actually really awesome of your hotel.

6. You're NOT being a bother by telling me if there's something wrong with your room. If the AC is getting ready to rattle itself off the wall, the window shade won't close all the way, there's a crack in the toilet tank lid, or anything else, let me know ASAP. The sooner I know, the more likely it is I can move you to another room. We'd much rather have it dealt with when you arrive than have you leave mad.

If it doesn't affect my sleeping, showering, or bathroom use, I'll usually wait as it's not a big deal, and I won't leave mad. My biggest thing is I don't want the hotel to be out a room if it's still serviceable for me.

[dawnfire]

I don't think ours are sloped properly. We just had some renovation done and the crew did a few things wrong. It's entirely possible that the slope for our roll-ins allows water to drain toward the outside of the shower, rather than the drain where water is supposed to go.

I've seen a disabled bathroom with two slopes. in the shower it slopes towards the drain, outside the shower it slopes towards a drain in the middle of the floor.