Hotel quality, is it worth another stay? |
Have you ever paid over the odds for a hotel, expecting it to be as luxurious as it seems on the website or in the brochure, then as your arrive, wonder if it was actually worth all the money you spent? Maybe the bed looked lovely and oh-so-soft, but as you climbed into it, you realised that the mattress was lumpy, and that the pillows where hard. What’s the use of transferring rooms?
The room – When you first enter your room, before taking in how the room has been designed, take a deep breath in, and see if it tickles your olfactory fancy. Ensure that your room has a fresh scent, and doesn’t smell of smoke (even if the hotel is non-smoking, some customers still have a crafty cigarette). When you enter your room, you should not be able to smell anything in connection to a bathroom, but of course there is the odd hotel that has that “unclean” bathroom smell, which is definitely not a room you want to sleep in. Once the room has satisfied your sense of smell, you should take a look around and inspect how the room has been designed. If you’ve paid for a “modern” room, you should expect more than just plain decorated walls, and most of the furniture should be similar in colour. The hotel bedding and curtains will also generally match, or follow a specific design in a modern hotel. Check all electrical appliances and see if they’re up-to-date and have been electronically tested. Often hotels will state they have a “satellite” television, but how many channels are you actually receiving? This isn’t really a big deal if you’re not planning on spending much time in the room, but if you’ve paid for a luxurious hotel room you’ll want everything listed in the brochure. Always check that the hotel has everything that they have stated on their website or in the brochure available. Such as; hairdryers, tea sets, clean towels, a safe or maybe even those little complimentary shampoo bottles.
Check the quality of the bed. Feel how soft the bed linen is, and make sure there isn’t any little “bobbles” on it, which indicates that it is low quality, or that is has been washed at the wrong temperature or with the wrong washing liquid/power. Feel the pillows, and see if there are any loose springs or lumps in your mattress! Always check your pillows and bed sheets for stains – you don’t want to sleep with previous guests’ bodily fluids. Look out for dust on surfaces, and make sure the windows have been cleaned. Always check the bathroom, and look out for any stray hairs from the previous occupant lying in the bottom of the shower/tub, and check that the toilet has been adequately cleaned. The food and dining area – Maybe your room meets sufficient standards you’d expect, but surely the food and dining area should mimic those standards? Often they don’t. See if the hotel napkins you are offered are made from a fabric, and not simply tissue paper. If you like the quality of them you can always enquire with the staff of where to buy them from!
The food that you are served should ALWAYS be fresh, and if you’ve ordered something hot, it should be hot when it reaches you. Always taste your food before putting any extra salt, pepper or sauce on, as this can often disguise the quality of the food. If you’re not satisfied with the food don’t suffer in silence – if you complain you may get a fresh meal or a discount off your total bill. The service – All staff working at the hotel should greet you with a smile. Many hotel guests feel that the standard of customer service was poor, when these people should be on hand to help make your stay even more enjoyable. They should always be willing to help, and should voluntarily check if you are satisfied. A staff member should also be available in all public areas of the hotel. So keeping these tips in mind can help you to gauge if you’re receiving the quality that you expect. If the hotel isn’t at your standards, it’s always helpful to write in a log book that should be available at the hotel, as this will help the hotel to raise its standards. Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Richard Haworth. You can drop Steph a line on Twitter @StephStaz.
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