How NOT to enjoy your stay at my hotel

[WishfulSpirit]

I do still like my job, but this has been a long, tiring week. So, presented for your consideration, here are a few things NOT to do as a hotel guest if you want to enjoy your stay (from myself and my coworkers):

1. Book through HotelOrbiPricePedia. Just don't. They hate you AND us.
2. Sashay up to my desk at noon and announce you're checking in. You are paying for 3pm to 11am the next day. Anything earlier is a bonus I don't HAVE to provide. At all. Be demanding and you'll (eventually) be getting one of the rooms with hot-water-stealing gremlins (sneaky Ninja gremlins our chief engineer hasn't been able to locate yet).
3. Book a room for one adult then show up with your SO and your three adult-sized teenage kids. I can't let 5 adults stay in one standard room, it's a fire code violation. Your attempt to save the $10 it would cost to get a suite now means you have to pay $129 for another room or find another hotel. Yes, I could just upgrade you to a suite, but I since you decided to trow a tantrum like a toddler, I'm not going to.
3. Spend 5 minutes digging through your 5 gallon purse for an ID and a credit card. You knew we were going to ask for that. Your confirmation said so. I really don't care if you waste my time (I am getting paid to stand here) but don't waste the time of the 5 people in line behind you wanting to check in.
4. Leave food or packaging for such on the floor, counter, or tables and then complain about ants. You're an adult. You know what a trash can is, and I presume you are capable of making the connection between food debris and insects.
5. Let your kids run circles around the coffee station for 60+ minutes (I wish I were making that one up). This is a hotel lobby, not a playground. If your kid falls and gets hurt, you're going to spend the day you planned to go to the Aquarium in the ER instead.
6. Pay in cash. I now hate you.

[Kit-Ginevra]

1-5 I can understand. But why do you hate the cashy people so much?I've never had any problem paying cash-here it is,in your sticky little fingers.You don't have to worry about my card declining or me reversing the transaction,and I don't pay any credit card fees.That's it,all done.

[WishfulSpirit]

Ok, the cash thing is my problem, not theirs, so it isn't really a sucky thing per se (though many of my cash customers end up whining about why we will need a credit card...so we can make you pay us if you trash the room ijit). My brain and math don't get along, my drawer has to balance to the penny, so every cash payment means I have to start my count 10 minutes earlier to get those stupid numbers figured out. I do see how cash is better for my AGM who does accounts though. No chargebacks, as you said.

[MoonCat]

Re: #2 -- well, I've never sashayed in my life but I recall back in the old days when going to cons, the hotels were almost never in a place that was convenience for people who didn't travel by car. I get there when I get there, and I do understand that if the room isn't ready, well, it isn't ready. There were times when my sisters and I showed up at a con hotel and the hotel staff were nice enough to let us hang out in the lobby until check-in time. Once or twice they were able to let us in the room a little early, which was great because we were tired (overnight on the Greyhound bus can mean no sleep if you've got noisy fellow passengers).

But, we never came up and demanded anything, we just asked nicely, and hung out on the nice couch until we could dump our luggage in the room.

[WishfulSpirit]

MoonCat, I have NO problem with people who ask nicely. I almost always have rooms ready early, and I'm more than happy to let people in. In fact, if you're nice AND apologetic about arriving early, I will give you the best room in the type you booked, and do whatever I can for your specific needs (if you use crutches, a wheelchair or seem to have trouble moving around, I will put you close to the elevator so you don't have to struggle, otherwise I use rooms at end of the hall facing away from the noisy road, where it tends to be the quietest). I've also been known to "forget" to charge those cookies to your room, or just maybe you'll be staying in one of our suites tonight (I can only do that if we aren't full, but if it's slow and I like you, I'll do it).

[bainsidhe]

It's been over a decade since I worked at a small hotel, but cash customers always meant risk. We had to photocopy their drivers license, and a credit card was still preferred in case they trashed the room. And the cash customers were usually the rowdy ones on the weekends.

[Seshat]

I've found that many (not all) hotels also have a place behind the desk where they're happy to stow my (labelled) luggage. And if I'm nice to the staff, they're also happy to tell me about nice coffee shops or nearby (walking distance) tourist attractions or lovely parks or other things that can occupy my time between now and checkin time.

So yes, if I arrive in a city early, I go to the hotel first. And I ask (ask!) if I can drop off my luggage. It really helps, a lot, to have my luggage someplace safe but not having to carry it around with me.

[Valentinian]

I've found that many (not all) hotels also have a place behind the desk where they're happy to stow my (labelled) luggage. And if I'm nice to the staff, they're also happy to tell me about nice coffee shops or nearby (walking distance) tourist attractions or lovely parks or other things that can occupy my time between now and checkin time.

So yes, if I arrive in a city early, I go to the hotel first. And I ask (ask!) if I can drop off my luggage. It really helps, a lot, to have my luggage someplace safe but not having to carry it around with me.

Oh heck yes. My BFF and I go to Sydney once in a while, for conventions or medical stuff or shopping trips, whatever, and we always stay in one particular hotel - it's a) nice, b) fairly cheap, c) close to the train/coach station, and d) has a couple of large locked storage rooms where luggage can be parked until check-in time. We almost always go up pretty early in the morning, so d) is essential!

[otakuneko]

After staying at the hotel for <large TX Anime Convention> twice now, I've learned to just check at the front desk when I get there. If there's a bunch of people lined up, chances are they're checking in early. I think the hotel probably prepares ahead of time for a bunch of early check-ins, since nobody seemed to have a problem checking in at noon.

The first time, I waited (and lugged my luggage around the con) until 2. Did you know having a two liter bottle in your rolling luggage tends to make said luggage a little unruly?

Second time, I checked the line when I arrived--nobody there. And nobody around to stow my stuff either. Checked again later and got checked in, then promptly got lost finding my room (coulda swore he said tower..).

[taxguykarl]

#2-checking in early is a crap shot. The last time Mrs. TGK & I tried, our room wasn't ready, so we ended up waiting at the bar.
I remember one place we stayed with a posted sign that read: $200 deposit for locals. When I asked the manager about that he replied that to many were using the rooms for parties and causing damage.

[NMaxis]

what's wrong with paying in cash? I ask because I'm going on a trip this weekend and I only carry plastic in case of an emergency.

[bhskittykatt]

Regarding early check-ins, you can also call when you're 30-15 minutes away and see if the room is ready. If I have something ready and you say you're en route, I'll set it aside for you. And like others have said, usually you can stow luggage. We do at The Resort; at the motel I worked at we weren't supposed do (they didn't want to be held liable) but I usually did it anyway.

[Ironclad Alibi]

what's wrong with paying in cash? I ask because I'm going on a trip this weekend and I only carry plastic in case of an emergency.

Hotels and motels like to have a credit card on file in case of extra charges and damages. My establishments have found that those paying cash are more likely to damage a room and skip out without paying for the damage.

[WishfulSpirit]

Hotels and motels like to have a credit card on file in case of extra charges and damages. My establishments have found that those paying cash are more likely to damage a room and skip out without paying for the damage.

Ding ding ding! People who pay with cash tend to be trouble-makers. That isn't my main gripe (I'm usually on days and don't deal with them) but I really don't want to spend more time on my shift than I need to dealing with drawer count. When I have cash guests, it's almost assured that I'll be there just late enough to miss my usual bus and thus have to spend the last part of my commute on the Weirdo Run.

[Desk clerk knows all]

More and more hotels are requiring a credit card at check in. No credit card, no room.