Wow, the hotel industry has gone to seed!

People like Bill Marriott must be rolling over in their grave. The one they they understood was the importance of the customer experience.

That has gone out of the window!

I hate Marriott. I much preferred Starwood online portal and customer service.

Can someone tell me it’s not just me?

Judging by the last couple years of reviews it can’t just be me.

The standards of customer service don't really exist anymore. Employees are paid crap and they don't care about their jobs. These industries aren't going to find any better employees so they have to keep anyone who reliably shows up.

They're all owned by wallstreet, arab kingdom funds or chinese funds, ofc they aren't going to give a fuck about customer service when ppl still show up

Gig economy. It’ll never change for the better, only for the worse.

"hotel industry has gone to seed"

You need to stop carrying those seminal fluid detector lights when you travel.

I agree with R4. Pay employees a decent wage, and you will get decent customer service. Too much revenue gets diverted to management fees and management salaries and not enough to worker bees pay.

That said, my favorite chain is Drury Inns and Suites. They're headquartered in St. Louis and have locations throughout the Midwest and South. Big free breakfast and free happy hour (2 drink max) and an evening buffet (if you're expecting a gourmet experience, you will be bitterly disappointed). Plus free soda and popcorn at night, very courteous employees and excellent housekeeping.

OP, you didn't get your breakfast did you.

It varies so much. I stayed in a fantastic Marriott in Spain recently, followed by an awful experience in Denmark. Shangri La hotels in Asia are pretty reliably good. In the UK, the very cheap Premier Inns can be fairly reliable - the one at Gatwick airport is v clean and efficient.

It may just be that more people are traveling, hotels are busier, they don't have to try so hard. Practically everywhere on earth is heaving with tourists these days...

R1, Bill Marriott is not rolling over in his grave.

In fact, he is still living.

Thanks for the suggestion r8. I have never stayed at one of those.

I started to give up and get an RV. That’s how bad it’s gotten.

I am going to start paying attention to who actually owns these places. It usually isn’t listed anywhere but I will ask.

I’ll take all the suggestions I can get. It’s gotten so ridiculous. I agree that the hotels don’t pay these people anything and it’s not the clerks fault anyway. This is strictly a management/owner issue.

The owners are probably making a fortune by not upgrading or paying employees enough. But what I wonder is why the franchise brands don’t require them to step it up.

Do the national brands not care when hedge fund owners drag their names through the mud?

I have to say that names like Marriot or Hilton mean nothing to me anymore. Those names were the best for a lot time. Now they are garbage.

Why did they give up? They used to audit properties. I guess they stopped doing that. None of the places I have stayed in 2019 would pass an audit. Zero.

And it’s not like I’m even booking the cheapest rooms. And it’s it different markets, different sectors, different brands. I can’t get away from the deterioration.

I used to LOVE to stay in hotels. They were always nicer and cleaner than my own place.

Now that’s reversed.

Now way that Bill Marriot is alive and allowed this to happen. He used to personally visit every Marriott. He either must have sold the name or is in hospice.

Go to the Wyndham hotels instead.

I blame Yelp. The service industry really gave up after Yelp took over and became a serious threat to an establishment's reputation. That and the owners' and execs' greed treating their work force like slaves.

Qataris recently washed 1 BILLION dollars revamping 3 Swiss hotels , so they are in great shape! My only caveat is that 1 billion does erase a little bit of local Swiss flavour and age to the spaces and which created charm. A decade or so ago Prince Al-Walid wiped out the any remaining vestige of provincial flavour at the Hotel de Bergues in Geneva.

This happens to grand hotels around the world. At least they are not lost. BUT, stand in the middle of one you don't know, and try to guess the city and the country. They are homogenised extreme lux.

It's not just you, OP.

I worked for a hotel group that was owned by one gentleman from Asia. He was a cheap bastard and any time a hotel needed to make repairs or wanted to make upgrades the general managers would have to BEG for the money. If he agreed to give up the money, it would take months for the hotel to get the money. I was in management and the owner expected all managers to work on their vacations. This one hotel group was so bad that I finally left the hotel industry after 18 years and I haven’t looked back and will never go back. The hotel industry used to be a lot of fun when I first started but it slowly became more about getting as much money for the corporation at the expense of the guests. The chains don’t care about their guests anymore because hotels and motels in the US are owned by just about 5 groups now. Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham and Choice.

R14, Bill Marriott is still alive at 87 years old.

In 2012 he relinquished the role of CEO but remains Executive Chairman of Marriott and supposedly comes in to the office every day, though his role is ceremonial.

Those of us who are the highest elite level of Marriott customer have a direct line to “Mr. Marriott’s office” to immediately resolve any issue while staying at a Marriott property. In recent years, the customer service absolutely has slipped and for many of the reasons stated in this thread.

Quite simply, the front line employees, by and large, are not compensated enough to actually “care” about providing excellent customer service, which is a very humble working experience. For good or for bad, this generation of front line employees have grown up in an era of egalitarianism that translates to employees feeling like providing good customer service is beneath them.

Wyndham is part of the garbage pile of hotels so no thanks. Every tried to reach the national customer service? Good luck. These are among the worst offenders at the lower end. Days inn..etc...

Next?

Well yeah, if you paid me $7 dollars an hour I wouldn’t care either.

But why have hotel prices doubled while front desk people make the same as they did in 1990?

I’m sure on-site managers pay hasn’t doubled either so they don’t care much more.

But someone is making bank because prices are through the roof while properties are neglected and service is an afterthought.

Even the parking lots and elevators and lobbies are never really cleaned anymore. Smudgy windows and fingerprints everywhere.

It’s disgusting. But many have a no-cancel policy so once you get their you’re trapped.

So I got an American Express now and I have disputed a couple stays where I walked out and they wouldn’t give me my money back. So far Amex has backed me up because I didn’t stay in the rooms and they were either not what I reserved or were total dumps.

But lower-income families can’t do that and this will just absolutely ruin a vacation no to mention the health risks.

Hmmmm, I haven’t noticed. I stay in nice places mostly- much as it’s always been although everything is at the mercy of computer systems which takes away service somewhat.

[quote]The chains don’t care about their guests anymore because hotels and motels in the US are owned by just about 5 groups now. Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham and Choice.

Most of the hotels/motels with those names are not OWNED by any of those corporations --- they're franchised and owned and operated by other people or companies.

[quote]For the low end, take a Days Inn for example. They are just now complete dumpsters. None of the hotels in this sector bother updating or making repairs. Not to mention the pathetic service. This sector was vital to families who didn’t make a lot of money but needed to travel. Now they are exclusively for crackheads and prostitutes.

Triggered.

I love the new 'no room service' delay, to save the cleaning crew help $$. I agree, as with all jobs, more pay. We are in a service industry world, devoid of manufacturing jobs. Time to increase to a living wage.

It’s not much better at the higher end chains. 4 Seasons and intercontinental were decent names. I started to spurge due to all the bad stats but the reviews led me to believe it’s going on there to at both of these brand.

I’ll put up some examples later today but these are 5 star hotels and you WOULD NOT BELIEVE the reviews. These hotels are often $500+ a night.

GREAT callback, r9!!

Not sure about the Ritz Carlton. Haven’t checked there.

Too pricey for me to use regularly but maybe for special occasions.

But as for the rest... it’s really a shame. Not sure what to do going forward.

FYI, the Drury Lane In Kansas City is known as the Dreary Lane. Hasn't been renovated since the 1970s.

Great, there goes that suggestion.

Can anybody recommend a good tent?

Don't forget that the consumer is always part of a failing business model. Isn't Kaley Cuoco over at Priceline telling us we should all get to stay at a five star hotel for $89? The current problems with the lodging industry can be isolated to unreasonable price expectations on the part of the consumer, and the rise of alternative private property rentals.

Suggesting that the answer to all of this is across the board pay raises is a little disingenuous when most people hotel shop on search engines with an unreasonably low maximum budget. You have to pay first class prices for first class accommodations. Now that translates to privately owned boutique hotels that market themselves as an alternative to run of the mill chains.

[quote]But many have a no-cancel policy so once you get their you’re trapped.

Oh, dear!

[quote]I started to spurge due to all the bad stats

This would explain why the bedspread is always dirty.

Right.. it’s all the customers fault and the lowly employees fault.

I’ll remember that when I’m buying my tent.

Bad customer! How dare you expect a hygenetic environment where you’re not going to die from carbon monoxide from a leaky air conditioner.

You’re expectations are just too unreasonable.

It’s all Kelly CoCo’s fault. She is the main reason that hotels are ripping people off. She is at the head of the conspiracy followed by silly customers who expect to live through the night.

[quote]hygenetic environment

Uh, a what now?

I think the hygenetics all over the bed is what OP is complaining about!

[quote]You’re expectations are just too unreasonable.

Oh, dear!

And how is this Yelps fault?

If anything, they provide a platform for calling out these dumps. How else can others be warned?

I prefer google reviews because they come up automatically when searching.

R32 I agree. The Internet has made competition even more about price than it used to be. It’s the same with air travel, to a much greater degree. Hotels are checking the boxes they need to hit a particular star rating (and those ratings are pretty generous), but great customer service is hard to convey over the internet. And, frankly, I’m not sure how much I want to pay for great service because I’m not a PITA, so I don’t want to pay extra to cover someone else’s gazillion petty requests. But I do want a certain minimum standard, which I always get at a five star and almost always at a four star (I’m talking trip advisor / Priceline four and five stars. Not great hotels).

I think trip advisor reviews give a decent sense of hotel quality, if you read carefully.

Bedbugs are spread everywhere, including the higher end hotels. The crowding within the lower and midscale hotels skyrocketed these past years; many people using one room as an apartment.

You’re saying that it’s the customer’sfault and not the company’s fault if the hotel is dilapidated and staffed with untrained employees?

Please tell me you don’t think we’re that stupid. It’s insulting.

That is also the tactic that these hotels use now, they will find a way to blame you for their crappy property and disorganized management. They never just take responsibility.

Hasn't AIRBNB and other similar services caused a bit of a dent in the industry as well? I'm in my mid 20s and nobody in my circle actually books traditional hotels any more. So if i'd lost a lot of business I probably wouldn't bother with repairs etc. either.

Air B/B has so many problems of its own that it could probably use its own thread.

I would participate. I could really let it rip. But what is so frustrating to me is the brands lettin it happen.

It’s not so surprising that a hedge fund would drive a brand into the dirt to make a buck, but this isn’t retail. For a brand like Hilton or Hampton, all they have is their name. That’s all it is. There is no inventory or real estate behind it as in retail.

So I just don’t get it. At least the people who RV know what they are going to get.

Besides, unless you’re wealthy, spending over $200 a night on a hotel room is a complete waste of money.

If they can’t figure out how to build and operate a decent property that’s available to the customer for less than that then they can keep it.

I’ll figure out something else.

It's that free waffle machine they all have these days. They know that you'll put up with anything as long as you get your free waffle.

I don't travel much in the USA, but in Europe I stay at either a Steigenberger or Romantik Hotel group hotel. I wish we had something, anything, of that quality in the USA.

I feel bad mostly for families etc.. I can deal with it, but I keep imagining how many vacations have been ruined these days.

The reviews are littered with these stories. Families saving up all year only to get ripped off. You better believe if that was me I would track down the owner on his yacht and give him a piece of my mind.

In the meantime I always make a record with the manager of my complaints usually through email and then leave a review.

I don’t take it out on the employees. It doesn’t do any good and usually they are not trained and that’s not their fault.

I manage “lifestyle” hotels and have for a decade. From my experience, it’s fun (and pays me well over 6 figures) to just be nice to people and help them. Everyone has something they need another person’s help when traveling.

A lot of these posts fucking bore me and just make everyone sound miserable.

75% of posters (who leave the basement) agree that hotels are slipping.

I travel mainly around Europe and stay at Hilton properties. Also I'm a top-tier Diamond honors member with Hilton. (I always get my free breakfast.) Overall I'm very happy with all of my stays regardless if I stay at a Hilton, Doubletree, Garden Inn, etc. My only complaint is that in some places housekeeping loves to hang around outside my room talking to each other or their supervisor. (Guess they forgot how to whisper.) I've only stayed at Hilton's in NYC and was happy with the rooms and service, but perhaps in other parts of the U.S. the service isn't so good?

I agree with OP that overall customer service isn't what it used to be. It take more time to find a place to eat, shop, etc. that offers quality service and quality products. Corners are being cut everywhere to maintain or improve profit. Perhaps "big business" feels that the consumer will just get used to poor service and crappy products but continue to buy because there are no other options? It will be interesting to see out this plays out over the next 5 - 10 years.

I’ve stayed at a couple Alofts and they are now into their downhill phase. Sticky floors, no one at the desk, already aging designs.

They leave aloft to be desired.

As for Hilton, I am not sure where you are staying but they are a refular offender. NYC included. People are getting used to it and don’t notice it as much but I didn’t travel for a while and now that I am again it’s just such a rude awakening.

People please don’t get used to this and make excuses for billionaires. You should get what you pay for and what is advertised. I guess I’m not rich enough to turn the other cheek.

I assume that part of this is also shareholder advocacy. Remember how the shareholders rebelled against JetBlue's excellent customer service because it did not generate profit for them? I expect the same is happening in the hotel industry.

[quote]They leave aloft to be desired.

Now, see, a loft might help the situation, as opposed to just a single room.

Lol by the way, I did have one decent experience, all the way until the end, until check-out. They had a different persons credit card on my account. And the clerk was so confused and had no idea how to fix it.

At that point I started laughing hysterically and just had to pull myself away for several minutes. It was all too much.

Where I live in the midwest, ALL the hotels are owned by Indians (dot, not feather) and they are cheap and dirty almost without exception.

I think also a huge problem is that guests don’t like to be confrontational or complain. They need people to like them at all times, even hotel staff whom they will never see again.

What they need to understand is that you don’t have to be rude about it. Just make a record with the manager or agent.

Don’t make it so easy for the proprietors to get away with it all. Push back, even if you do so politely. Leave reviews and contact the franchise companies and not just the actual property.

Always, ALWAYS ask for some kind of compensation for your dissatisfaction. Even if it’s small, if they have to constantly give refunds and issue hotel points, eventually it will effect the bottom line.

If enough people push back and stop staying there, shareholders, owners, operators and the franchise companies will have no choice but to improve the experience.

Btw gratuities (at LEAST tip your room attendant) go a long way. It’s a service industry people!

"I’ve stayed at a couple Alofts and they are now into their downhill phase. Sticky floors, no one at the desk, already aging designs." That's what happens when you go with the architectural "trend-of-the-second." In a few seconds, you're dated and out of favor.

"ALL the hotels are owned by Indians (dot, not feather) and they are cheap and dirty almost without exception. " Just because you have the money to buy a hotel means you have the qualifications to run a hotel. When you come from a country where people still routinely shit on the streets and in open fields, it's best to learn the basic standards of sanitation of your adoptive country.

You get what you pay for. Stay at a Rosewood or Shangri-La and get back to me.

Seriously! You get what you pay for. If don't understand how basic business in the travel industry works them please, please just never leave your house.

I’m not sure what ACROSS ALL SECTORS is confusing you.

This is a review from last month at the Shangri-La in Santa Monica.

“My family had been coming to this hotel at least once a a year from 1990 until 2004 when it changed ownership. To say we were loyal customers is a complete understatement. But they told me that once ownership changed the service went downhill completely, but I thought we would give it a try this weekend just to see for myself since it had been so long. This is the WORST idea I could have ever had. Firstly, their rooms were re-done poorly, with a bathroom taking up 1/2 the floor space in a cramped room. The cable TV was cutting in and out the whole time, and the bed blanket was thin and cheap.”

It goes on and on.

They have 90 1 star reviews.

Which goes to show you that the people who still cling to the mid-century principal that “you get what you pay for” are living in the past.

Oh, I’m not confused. I actually somewhat agree.

Question: What percentage of the amount you pay for a hotel stay do you believe goes straight into the owner’s pockets!

Thought I would splurge for one night and stayed at the property on April 22-23 2019. Stayed on the second floor first room off the elevator hallway. Paid $294 + 80 tax and $25 hotel fee. $400 US is not worth it. Service at the front desk was rude upon checkout, people coming off the elevator loud. Room couch and bedroom felt cold and bathroom windows open out to the outdoor hallway. Expected more for brand was very dissatisfied and disappointed.

Shangri-La review ^

So far not so good. Room not ready at stated time. Never had an extra 300 above nightly rate charges as a hold placed on my account anywhere else. Then room had leaky toilet and wet floor. Barely enough room to walk by the end of the bed. Mini closet. Moved me to another room after an hour. Ada room even though not specified but at least no dripping toilet. Unhelpful and unknowledgeabke front desk staff. Asked for manager who never appeared. I DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING HERE.

You are totally justified in calling the GM, explaining your situation (if he/ she can’t take constructive feedback, fuck ‘em) and ask for a FULL refund. I’d give it to you.

Disappointing and Overpriced

“Hidden fees added at check in- no towels in the room, broken TVs, burned out vanity light, broken hot tub- not even an apology or an attempt to make it right. This property pretends to be luxury, but is just expensive. DO NOT STAY HERE!”

And this is supposed to be the one of the top brands.

What “hidden fee”? Like a “resort” fee?

Do you find that many higher end hotels are also slipping?

Oh don’t get me started on the fees. My nerves can’t handle it.

I think the reviewer was talking about a credit hold for incidentals, but many hotels are now charging these so called “property fees” or resort fees, but they are not even resorts.

I can see the reason for that an actual resort, because usually you get something for it.

But these new fees are ridiculous and often not disclosed by the third party bookers. And it will be at a regular hotel. Will find a link to this phenomenon. It was in the media lately.

Yes r72. Scroll up.

[quote]If don't understand how basic business in the travel industry works them please, please just never leave your house.

If you don’t understand how basic posting on the Datalounge works using correct grammar, spelling and syntax, then please, please just never post.

Four Seasons Atlanta:

this place is an insult to the Four Seasons Brand My son has a larger bathtub in his fifth floor walk up studio apt. in the East Village of NYC. The rooms are smaller yet similarly appointed to a Days Inn. My room smells like both the carpet and the mattress are off gassing. I hope I don't get black lung disease. So far service has been prompt. I wish I could say that it's going to make a difference but it's not. It's sub standard and a complete disappointment. it needs a gut renovation.

I’ve been reading reviews more closely and I’ve noticed many of the good reviews seem fake and posted by accounts with only that review.

A lot of times they don’t allign with the hotel when you get there. It’s like reading a fiction novel about a real place.

But the bad ones seem real and legit.

It is true that third party bookers definitely hide fees. Hotel people hate this because it just makes guests understandably mad.

Avoid Sneaky Hotel Fees on Your Next Vacation:

Charges you didn't know about for services you don't plan to use can be costly and frustrating

Nate Hake thought he got an incredible deal when he booked a last-minute room at a Las Vegas hotel recently. But when he checked in, the front desk agent informed the 32-year-old Colorado resident that he would also have to pay a “resort fee” of $35 plus taxes per night for the room.

“They insisted on charging me the fee, or they wouldn’t let me check in,” he says. “Ultimately, I really didn’t have any choice but to pay.”

Being nickeled-and-dimed by unexpected hotel fees is a frequent complaint among modern-day travelers: Hundreds of consumers wrote to Consumer Reports recently about paying extra for everything from safes they never opened to newspapers they never read to, in at least one case, even bathroom towels.

“Because of all of these add-on fees, it’s difficult for consumers to know much it will cost to stay in a hotel,” says Anna Laitin, director of financial policy at Consumer Reports. “Room rates that may seem like a good deal when you reserve can quickly balloon, making it hard for consumers to comparison shop and nearly impossible to budget for a trip.”

“Booking.com is cracking down on ‘resort fees’ rarely included in hotel room rates”

I wouldn’t say so much cracking down as demanding a cut, but...

Resort fees do suck. They are mandated by the city. Taxes suck, too.

occupancy tax is often mandated but never heard of resort fees being mandated. Got a link?

I don’t mind resort fees at an actual resort, but not a Hampton in NYC.

All of these excerpted reviews sound like aggro fraucunts. People here demanding refunds for the smallest shit, going online and giving the most hyperbolic garbage reviews ever? Come on.

Often you get what you give. When we stay at a hotel while visiting family, we always get upgraded to the “suite” and the desk staff locks us into the lowest rate imaginable. We tip housekeeping staff (and have asked the staff to break larger bills to tip).

We don’t complain about every little thing. Staff likes us. We ask how they’re doing. People go out of their way to exercise their power to provide “excellent customer service” when you give them a reason to.

My mom paid $700 for two nights at the Palmer House Hilton. I chatted with the desk clerk and asked for a room for my husband and I; he was Filipino so I chatted with him about the Philippines. He said he couldn’t give me a good rate but could give me a better room. I booked the cheapest room available (about $220) and he traded us up to a killer room. My mom was floored. No threats or bullshit.

Being a demanding axe wound doesn’t go as far as it used to because EVERYONE does that and expects compensation. These employees don’t give a shit. When criticism overtakes compliment the compliment is instead rewarded.

Oh lord, the doormat brigade has arrived. God forbid anyone dare speak a complaint.

Do you happen to have a link for that r82? Where did you come up with that?

Those are the high-end reviews.

You should check out the lower-end reviews.

Brace yourself.

So we have the “it’s the customers fault” person, we have a “no it’s the shareholders fault” person. And now we have “it’s the city’s fault” person.

I’m going squarely with the owners. They decide the property condition because they decide who manages the property.

So the buck stops with them. If you can find them.

[quote]I chatted with the desk clerk and asked for a room for my husband and I

Oh, dear!

What about Best Western? Are they individually owed?

I agree with you. The owner I work for is an honestly great person. I wasn’t clear when I said things like “resort fees” are mandated. It’s a necessary evil like, “if everyone around us does this, we have to also”. It’s legitimate collusion, especially in cities/ major tourist destinations.

I’d rather just see it all in the room rate, but that’s how it goes...

The majority of hotels are franchises.

So to be clear, the city does not mandate resort fees.

Is that correct?

I’m starting to envy the basement set.

Correct

[quote]I’d rather just see it all in the room rate, but that’s how it goes...

That’s my biggest problem with this bullshit. It seems sneaky.

If you’re charging me $75/night for the room, plus $25 for a resort fee, and $10 for a “you’re too ugly to stay here” fee, then tell me the room is $110/night, not $75.

Too many hotels;motels are owned by Indians. Terrible service and cleanliness standards

[quote]that the people who still cling to the mid-century principal

My mid-century principal was HOT! I'd love to cling to him!

Resort fees are a joke. Biggest rip-off ever. If it's a mandatory fee, it should be added to the price of the room. Period.

Politicians love resort fees because it's a tax paid by people who vote elsewhere.

Resort fees are not taxes. They go to the hotel.

Occupancy tax and sales tax go to municipalities.

They are seperate issues and have seperate solutions.

Complaints are just fine, R85

But any review that contains the apocalyptic “I would give ZERO stars if I could but that’s not an option!!” “DO NOT STAY HERE!!!” or “THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!!” are complete trash and probably written by a hateful cunt.

Measured, critical reviews I take into account.

Well there are 90 of them so knock yourself out.

The thing about hotels is that most people don’t need them until they need them.

So busy my balls all you want, but you can thank me later.

Jesus some of you sound like you’re stuck in the 1980s. Hilton has sucked forever it seems, and I’m a Hilton Honors member. They have been instituting communications with staff via text—-which tells you they don’t even want to to talk to you!

As for “hidden” fees, how illiterate do you have to been not to read hotel websites and confirmations for such fees? In the US, they are required to disclose on both. By now, everyone knows every strip hotel in Vegas has them.

I agree AirBnB is the way to go. Some of these hosts go out of their way to make a memorable experience for you and they are usually in amazing neighborhoods and not hotel rows surrounded by tourists.

The places also have more charm and character than another cookie cutter hotel room with all the warmth of a bulk bought decor scheme that you can find in 400 other rooms on 5 other continents.

It’s called the st Regis people. Get better careers & afford better hotels. You get what you paid for!

Clearly you haven’t stayed at a St. Regis in 20 years.

St Regis review:

First time at a St. Regis. Came to Atlanta to do a night away from kids and shopping. Pick this hotel because suppose to be the best. Immediately regret not reading all reviews. Room smelled terrible. Stained furniture and carpet. Mold and mildew in shower. We really tried to overlook. Didn't want to start a night away with negative vibes. So ordered some champagne. But this hotel should not be ranked Number 1. Some staff was great some were not . Main thing was conditioned of Hotel. Sub par for sure . 600 a night should be on point. No smells right . Room was hot. I mentioned to room service about stains. So while we were out I guess they sent a carpet cleaner in because when we got back we had to walk around on wet carpet. We will not be back. I think this was a nice hotel and the fact is now it's running off the past . Will not stay here again. If your super rich and don't care about experience stay here . If your just a little rich and want a great high end hotel that wows you Don't stay here . Just frustrated I really was excited to stay here and was such a let down .

People are spending $600 a night for a room and still not getting what they pay for.

Next up someone will claim you have to spend $10,000 to get a decent nights sleep.

[quote]So busy my balls all you want, but you can thank me later.

Cock, too? Then I can definitely thank you later!

Just stayed at 3 different st Regis in Italy. Fuck the review. It was great. Didn’t have to be with the poor. Yes poor people suck. (& it’s their fault. The world is minting money for people that make a little effort). If you can’t afford $400 night hotels then have at with days inn or a motel. Oh & just booked st Regis Cairo for fall. Liked it that much.

St Regis Atlanta. Atlanta! Jesus Looser. Days inn for you!

Atlanta!!! A review from Atlanta. Oh jeez.

[quote]Looser

Oh, dear!

You’d think with all of r109’s money, he’d know how to write English.

Guess money can’t buy everything.

R112 R113. Spell check did it & you know that.

& yes. I’ve done well & not humble about it

I love the Franchise Troll's lack of self awareness. He calls out everyone else and ignores the fact that he *is* the Franchise Troll (oops "person").

He also does not seem to understand how a franchise works. This isn't a Hallmark store where 30% of the floor space is yours to do with what you want. The parent company has a huge amount of control- everything from the type of light bulb to the temperature of the swimming pool.

[quote]Spell check did it & you know that.

Spellcheck changed the word ‘and’ to an ampersand symbol? Did it also uncapitalize all of the proper names?

You have a weird phone.

If you travel with pets, LaQuinta is your best bet. Pretty much the only game in town for that.

R106 - the St Regis Atlanta has 4.5 stars on both google and TripAdvisor.

I’m not taking every anonymous psycho’s word. Have you never met a thoroughly unreasonable piece of shit? They’re everywhere.

Kind of moving off topic, but I agree that Trip Advisor/ Yelp reviews are questionable. We are going to Germany for Christmas and I was looking up restaurants for Christmas Eve. It seemed as if every bad review was either someone claiming the restaurant was racist or on a rampage because the restaurant would not fill every one of their dietary whims.

Most of those review sites are slightly skewed.

When someone has a bad experience, they want to tell everyone. When they have a good one, they tell virtually no one.

The guests staying at them have gotten more disgusting and destructive. The same thing happened with the airline industry, more lower class people flying.

R118, how are La Quinta? I have to travel with a cat this summer in the Los Angeles County/Ventura area.

Anybody else have suggestions for a clean hotel that allows cats? Clean, safe and parking are my requirements. Pretty much anywhere within a hundred mile radius of LA.

About Best Western, R90, I’m guessing it’s a franchise because the quality varies greatly from one to another. There’s one in Rancho Cucamonga (Riverside, California area) I stay in that is consistent and clean. It’s not a five star hotel, but it has breakfast, comfortable rooms and I’ve never seen a bedbug. It’s in a good neighborhood with a lot of shopping nearby and good parking. And not too far from the several freeways and it’s on the way to Pasadena. The staff is very helpful and polite, but no pets.

There’s another BW in Tucson that had 1980s decor and worn out brassy gold fixtures, cum stains on the sheets and a hooker in the parking lot. The only reason I stayed there is I didn’t know the area and was too tired to find something else. That one is described in at least some reviews on yelp as great. They must be the owners’ relatives. Because other people describe it as a hellhole, which is pretty close to what I found.

Bill Murray must be rolling over in his grave!

So we’re just going skip past the black mold?

I travel a lot for work and fortunately generally am able to stay at higher-end hotels. Have not really noticed any noticeable degradation of service in the 8 years I've been doing this. WiFi, which used to generally be something hotels ripped you off for ($25/day!!!) is now almost always free. If you tip the front desk clerk at check-in, they almost always hook you up with a better/nicer room. (My father taught me that.)

TripAdvisor reviews are generally pretty solid, though as R119 and R120 point out, there's some art to reading them--you have to be able to tell when someone is clearly trolling/frau-ing/being overly confrontational who never figured out that hotel employees expect tips for special favors.

I also suspect many of them booked via super-discount websites and hotels tend to put those guests in a broom closet under the stairs.

When I am in a suburban area and Hampton Inn/Hilton Garden Inn are the only choices, I've found them to be fine for what they are. The rooms were clean, the mattresses were new, there was a little room you could buy water and snacks in and for $179/night that was all I was expecting.

When I travel on my own or with friends wee usually do AirBnB if it's in a city-as someone noted upthread, once you hit a certain price point ($200-400, depending on the city), you're getting an apartment that is only rented out to guests (e.g., not someone's crappy apartment with their towels and photos) that is often in a beautiful part of the city and quite luxurious, with ample hotel-style amenities and optional maid service. I prefer that to a hotel, both for location and for because I rarely take advantage of hotel amenities on a trip like that--mostly just use the room to shower and sleep.

Beach vacations are where hotels matter and that's where spending money or carefully reading reviews helps. Growing up, my parents liked to stay in condos on the grounds of a resort hotel, so we had more room but could still use the hotel's facilities.

And yes, I have heard bad things from friends who used to have SPG gold or platinum and now have to deal with Bonvoy, which they said is crap and doesn't even get you a room upgrade.

May I have some more slop, please sir?

R126 how do you finesse tipping the front desk clerk? I would feel awkward doing that prior to completion of check in. And how much do you tip? Do you specifically ask for an upgrade?

The problem with Tripadvisor is they are a booking site, first and foremost. Bad reviews of businesses they make money off of disappear into the Bermuda Triangle of the internet. Scam doesn't even begin to describe it. I was never a fan, but then the below happened, and that sealed my opinion of Tripadvisor as the last place anyone should look to for "real" reviews.

I managed a Vegas hotel and a Tripadvisor call center manager checked in and within 30 minutes was back at the front desk, complaining like she was Queen Liz in the flesh. Wanted a better view, better linens, quieter room, lower rate due to her inconvenience of having to wait behind 2 people when she checked in, etc. Then she leans forward confidential-like and informs me she manages a Tripadvisor call center and she feels obliged to inform her superiors of her experience at our horrendous hotel.

I come around the counter and tell her I'm going to her room with her to personally escort she and her family off of the property, as no one should have to stay somewhere where they are so unhappy. When she starts to object that ejecting her is a bit drastic, I remind her she works for Tripadvisor, so she should have no problem finding & getting a luxury room at another hotel. When we get to the room, she goes in and tries to shut the door but I block it and stand in the doorway as she explains to her husband and children they must leave. Out they go, the husband rolling his eyes at HER, not me, and then I enter the room to see if it's too messed up to assign to another guest, slamming the door behind me. Gee, I hope I didn't ruin their trip!

Never heard a word about it from anyone.

Don’t mind the toxic fumes, you’ll just be a tad dizzy and mildly nauseous. It will pass.

R128, see r127.

The tipping the front desk clerk sounds made up to me.

First of all, you would have the tip them before you check in and get your room assignment. That would be such a freak thing to do. Walk up to a clerk and hand them money before they’ve done anything.

Just pay for an upgrade or something not stupid. If you give them a twenty after you check in, THAT is a tip.

What your dad was teaching you was a bribe.

And how to unethically cut out the owner. It could get the employee fired if it’s on camera.

Just be normal and polite. most places are not offended if you simply ask for any upgrade if it’s availabe.

[quote] And how to unethically cut out the owner. It could get the employee fired if it’s on camera.

LOL. You pull this move at a nice hotel R132

Not the NoTell Hotel on Rte 17 in East Flyoverstan where the owner is in the back room.

Nothing creepier than being in a sound sleep and being woke up by a loud knock on a door at 6 am -- and realizing you've been given the town whore's room and truckers are stopping in for a quickie. Has happened to me more than once, believe it or not, usually on cross country trips and usually in Arizona.

LaQuinta is usually nice, R123, had to do extended stay there in Austin while I was house hunting and wrapping up the closing. Nothing special but clean and good with pets. I have one right down the street here in new city and a friend with cat stays there whenever in town. No issues.

And R128, you hand them your credit card, your drivers license and a $20 or $50 and ask if they can find you " a "room with a nice view" or "a room that won't be noisy" or some other euphemism of your choice. They know the drill, it's pretty standard.

One one or two occasions where I got in late and the hotel was completely full, they've actually returned the money because there were no better rooms.

Okay wow, so R132 is also the OP, who clearly has some sort of vested interest in dissing the hotel industry and keeping the narrative in line with their OP.

Now that comment makes sense.

Now she’s Nancy Drew.

The Mystery Of The Fired Busboy

R63, etc., the Shangri-La in Santa Monica is not affiliated with the chain of the same name in Asia and Europe.

For $50, the clerk better carry me to my room.

Just returned from a two-week road trip. Stayed in mostly Wyndham properties. LaQuinta and Microtel were pretty nice with breakfasts with waffle makers. Super 8 was adequate and comparable to Motel 6, but nothing special.

Thanks, R8, I opened this thread to see if there was anything about Drury since they're opening a new hotel in my city. Their starting pretty good and I've thought about getting a part-time job there.

I guess it's all about paying for good employees. There's a lot of money in the hotel industry, but it's obviously going into the wrong hands.

[quote]Nothing creepier than being in a sound sleep and being woke up by a loud knock on a door at 6 am -- and realizing you've been given the town whore's room and truckers are stopping in for a quickie.

I had that happen outside Omaha when the town was completely booked for the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. We wound up at some old motel about 30 miles outside of town, nothing but cornfields, the motel, and a porno bookstore across the street. About midnight the truckers started slowly driving through the parking lot, and at least half a dozen hookers stood outside their rooms trying to entice them. This went on all night, and we could see the porno bookstore's lot was full of semi-trucks too, so God knows what was going on over there. Not what you expect in rural Nebraska.

^^^ Did the motel have those little Cashmere Bouquet soaps in the bathroom?

Days Inn used to be swanky? Who knew!

🙄🙄🙄

Try BEING that whore in the room!

Thanks R134!

I use Priceline choose the mystery 3 star hotel to get a deal. I usually am not disappointed. However, I am now noticing upon arrival, I would want a king bed room for my partner and I, but all they have are 2 queen bed rooms, and there are no Kings available. I just used them again for a recent stay in Roanoke. Priceline allowed me to choose between a 2 queen bed or a king room, yet again, upon arrival they only have 2 queen beds available. This was a large resort hotel, in Roanoke. Really, no kings available? They then said, well, we have time available in the section we rent to people with pets. Here's a key and you can go look at 2 of them (it's 2a.m.). One room smells like animal pee, but the other room was adequate. But I had to do all the work. Why can I choose a king room in Priceline, but arrived and over is not available?

The hotel will sell on Priceline and OTA’s whatever the most “in demand” room type is. There are not always “room type guarantees” when you book they them. Lots of fine print...

Ask them to comp breakfast or something.

All Best Westerns are franchised, but still must adhere to BW standards, or they can yank their branding and you will be left with a no-tell motel. I know someone who opened a BW and at the end of the contract told BW they weren't renewing. They had learned all they needed to and converted the place to a "mom & pop" type of place, raking in twice as much as they did before.

I have a couple of friends who swear by the Hotel Tonight app.

You basically wait until the day of (or day before) to make your reservation and can get amazing rates at good hotels.

They do it when they are going to be someplace for a night or two and really only need a place to sleep because the hotels will generally give them the room overlooking the roof of the garage or similar, but if all you're doing is getting in at 10PM, going to sleep and leaving at 8AM, it's not a real issue.

I am a hotel concierge at a luxury hotel. I've been working in hotels for my whole adult life.

Most hotels are run by investors who only care about $$$. Not in upkeep of the property. For instance, all of our rooms were recently upgraded but there are still rips in the wallpaper and the carpet in the hallways is frumpy and a mess. The worst attributes are not usually taken care of. I have worked in some shitty hotels in my day with shitty GMs and investors who only care about dollar signs, not fixing the problems or ensuring employee satisfaction. And sorry to say it, but yes, Indian investors and owners are the worst of the worst. They have no idea how to run hotels. Most people DON'T know how to run a hotel. Not just anyone can do it.

Second, our pay sucks and the stress is out the roof. Dealing with guests can be a nightmare, especially when they KNOW that any little thing that goes wrong will entitle them to a discount. I have been berated beyond belief in my years, even called a faggot because I refused to cave in to a guest's psychotic needs. But 90% of guests are not jerks and really love the experience. I truly love being a concierge, welcoming people to this city, and surprising and delighting them. Most hotel employees do. I love pleasing my guests and I love reading my name in a good Tripadvisor review. I get $10 for each name mention in a good review. I don't do it for the money, I do it because making people happy makes my job a better place.

But I still make less than $16 an hour and am expected to give $100 an hour service. If it weren't for tips, commissions and a part time job I'd be out on the street.

And many times it's a thankless job. Sometimes you do nice things for people, upgrade them, send them an amenity, and you'll never hear a peep from them again. No thank you, no tip, nothing. Be a good guest. Smile and say "thank you," just like we do to you.

Things are bound to go wrong with a hotel stay every once in a while, it's a hazard of the trade, but just remember the people on the front lines who are being paid lousy and have the sword of Damocles hanging over their head from management to exceed all guest expectations. We're only human, and we make mistakes. It's how we handle the mistakes that makes our service legendary.

Unless you've ever worked in a hotel, you have no idea how hard and thankless of a job it is. Some times it's soul crushing. Sometimes it's invigorating. But all in all, it's better than working in retail. I really should write a book about all my experiences. You have no idea what an adventure hotel work can be.

Here's a tip - if you find a good rate from one of those online sites (and yes, Every. Single. Hotel Employee hates Expedia, HotelsTonight etc.), call the hotel and quote the rate. Any good hotel will let you book through their own reservation system with that rate so we don't have to pay the middleman. And you can still get points, perks, upgrades etc. Don't come in to a hotel looking and acting cheap with a chip on your shoulder, you won't get shit.

Want an upgrade? Tip the concierge or front desk agent. We need the money and we'll give a nicer room (upon availability) and that way you have the satisfaction that the upgrade fee is going directly the person serving you, not management.

If anyone wants anymore hotel inside tips, just ask.

Sorry, once the foreigners start taking over the properties at any level, everything goes to shit.

Whether it’s all left to rot or it’s all “upgraded” to gaudy, soulless, stripped-of-local-and-historical-character bullshit, it’s all garbage.

R152, do you suggest tipping the front desk at the time of check-in as the millennial suggested upthread? How much is enough? Can you give us some guidelines on tipping for room service, ice, wanting an upgrade, having the concierge hail a taxi, etc.

I worked in a hotel for 15 years. When I started in the late 90's, we were a 5 star. By the end, we were a fucking travesty. What's sad was that we were still one of the best hotels in the area.

R154, I would tip at check in, yes. Like $20.

Room service there's usually a tip added in.

If someone hails you a cab and opens the door for you, give them $5.

You should also tip your housekeeper $5 a day. They have the hardest, most thankless job in a hotel.

Thanks for the backup R156. (from "the Millennial upthread")

And +1 on tipping the housekeepers. (Just leave it on the desk with a note that says "Thank you!" R154)

R19, is that banyan tree?

R152 How much pump and dump activity goes on in a luxury establishment? A luxury group wanted to build a luxury hotel in our town but residents feared it would become pump and dump central.

Interesting tip, r151.

I, myself, recently used the HotelsByDay website to book a very nice room for the day in Boston. Flight got in at 8 a.m. and downtown hotel checkin wasn’t til 3.

Shower, nap, room service, great view. The website looked so janky that I called the hotel directly to see if it was legit - Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor - and they said yes, we do day rates but you have to book through the HotelsByDay website. I think I paid $75.

No attitude from the staff and I tipped the maid. They made plenty of dough off me from the room service menu, though.

Tip 5 dollars for housekeeping? Per day? No can do. I tip 1 dollar a day only, sometimes 2 dollars a day.

I tip bell boy for bring up luggage.

I’ve never tipped front desk ever. Next time I will.

Hotel workers are unionized in nyc. Dishwashers make like 18 or 20 bucks per hour. I can’t remember.

Hotel guy, how do we protect from bedbug? What are our rights?

Damn you are cheap R161

And probably a miserable person in general.

Another lesson from my parents: yes, the tip is included in room service. But so long as they are pleasant and make you feel like they're actually doing you a service, you tip them on top of that. Because it's nothing to you, but if everyone they serve that day hits them up with an extra $3 or $5, that's their family's grocery money for the week.

We always tip housekeeping every night of our stay. I never considered it until my aunt did it on a trip while I was a teen.

We tip $5/day, but on Thanksgiving / Christmas Day we’ll leave a $20 because... it’s Christmas, Mr. Scrooge!

Always use the little pads to expressly write HOUSEKEEPING - Thank You! and set it in a conspicuous place with the money on top.

R162, check the Bedbug Registry website.

I've explained this R164

You hand them the $20 with your credit card and driver's license.

If it's a nicer hotel, chances are good you're about the 10th person that day who has done the same.

PRO TIP: Do not do this in a Motel 6 or Days Inn or some other hotel that doesn't actually have nicer rooms. Save it for a place where getting an upgrade will make a difference.

I'm guessing none of you have ever hit up a maitre d' with a tip either for a better table or when they've told you the restaurant is full?

"Tipping" the checkin clerk is a bribe. No thanks!

I don't pull the Do You Know Who I Am routine with status either.

R168 is why people think Trump is "draining the swamp"

I'll let R156 explain the difference between a "tip" and a "bribe"

SMH

Got some real big rubes on this here thread!

When I worked in hospitality a million years ago, one of the perks was being able to stay at any hotel in the chain for something like $7.50 per night. That still happen? What's the current cost for employees like?

People who are trash are working there, training new incoming trashy employees, and needing to deal with guests who are all trash nowadays. Look at and listen to what you see working at and walking g through these places today. —What would you expect?

I agree in general there aren’t many of the nice perks, etc. there used to be but to agree with those reviews, I need more information.

They seem to be vaguely saying customer service is down. Well how exactly?

I’ve worked service jobs and while there are certainly the valid cases of being ignored while employees yap at each other, employees on power trips —- IMO, there are way more cases of entitled cunts treating customer service like shit, making demands, thinking they deserve comps and perks, thinking it’s ok for their child to break the rules and terrorize the pool (but if you dare say a word, you’ll end up the target of an overly dramatic, “my special needs angel was discriminated against” viral Facebook campaign).

[quote] People who are trash are working there, training new incoming trashy employees, and needing to deal with guests who are all trash nowadays. Look at and listen to what you see working at and walking g through these places today. —What would you expect?

R172 was just appointed Head Aunt of their local Maiden Aunt Brigade.

The above is a word-for-word recreation of the speech they hissed at their manager at Kohl's upon retiring last year.

I have been a basement dweller for the past couple of years, but when I used to travel, I enjoyed staying in hotels, even economy hotels (motels) like LaQuinta. (I never, ever trust the bedspreads, though.) I like going downstairs for the free breakfast and blending anonymously into a new town or city.

I am sure that AirBnB, etc., have had an impact on the hospitality business.

[quote] You should also tip your housekeeper $5 a day. They have the hardest, most thankless job in a hotel.

I agree. I tip $5 per day as well, no matter what kind of place it is.

R162 you should also put your luggage in the bathroom, up off the ground right when you come in. At that point, do a bed/furniture sweep and you’ll usually see indicators if the room is infested. If you don’t see anything, you can bring your bags in the room but you should still keep them up off the ground the entire stay.

This is good advice

I usually tip the housekeeping staff $3-$4/day, but then I'm always by myself and I don't make much of a mess. And I don't stay in super high-end places. If I were partying or had a bunch of kids that made the room a challenge to clean, I'd probably tip more.

I've stayed at two Holiday Inn Express locations many times over the last few years. I thought they were excellent and had really nice staffs. They were out of the way locations, but one especially told me they were at capacity all the time because in their exurban area there's nothing else around that's decent.

[quote] I usually tip the housekeeping staff $3-$4/day, but then I'm always by myself and I don't make much of a mess. And I don't stay in super high-end places.

I think that's a good amount under those circumstances. I travel by myself as well and don't make much of a mess.

Tip housekeeping $5-$10 if you had sex on the sheets (unless you put a towel down.)

Loews Hotels are still good.

Sorry I ain’t tipping them 5 bucks per day. I stay at fancy places, they are unionized, they have health care and pensions. 2 bucks max per day for me. Plus I’m not messy.

Low end motellish places are owned by Indians in the US, who are all cheapskates, drive shit into the ground, and run filthy unrenovated hotels. I agree about the rest being destroyed by Wall Street, private equity firms, and the mckinseys of the world

I briefly worked for a company that moderates online hotel reviews. So many negative reviews were deleted. Anything with a mention of bedbugs was automatically deleted. I avoid hotels ever since and yes, some of the worst I read were for 4&5 star places.

Shocking! Yes

Maybe you can leave them one of your MAGA hats R183

Unfortunately, the problem with tipping the housekeeping staff is that nobody has cash anymore; certainly not a wad of $5.00 bills to tip every day. Nobody is going to go to the bank before a trip and get 14 $5.00 bills just for tipping purposes.

"Loews Hotels are still good."

Just attended a wedding reception at a Loew's as well as spending the night there. Hotel was fine and even though I arrived at the hotel at 11:30AM and check-in wasn't until 3PM, the room had been cleaned and was allowed to check in.

For shits and giggles, I went online to look at the hotel's wedding reception packages. The cheapest package was $125.00/person. The food, simply put, was atrocious. Even the breakfast buffet the next morning was Golden Corral quality. Glad I wasn't footing the bill for that wedding.

I find this thread quite interesting. My experience is a little bit different. For work I need to stay at Marriots and Hiltons, and yes, they are usually run down buildings. The service is typically ok, but nobody is going out of their way for a great experience either.

When I stay in hotels for vacations, I go to Tripadvisor or Yelp first to look up highly rated boutique hotels. (Read the reviews, not just going by the stars. Reviews are very telling, literally, on the hotel and the reviewer). Experiences with those hotels have always been great, and not just at high end prices. They aren't cheap, but not that expensive either. The once I book are typically in the high mid-range price category.

Massage tables come as standard here!

Bring your own poppers and gimp mask though!

R188, I save $1 and $5 bills in my closet, and take them out when I travel. Not having cash is not an excuse.

[quote]I've been working in hotels for my whole adult life.

You mean so far, right?

[quote]Their starting pretty good and I've thought about getting a part-time job there.

Oh, dear!

Complaining about Days Inn? They've been recycling other chains horrible properties for a long time. Major chains like Doubletree, Radisson, etc, have all had some questionable properties going back to the 90s. Intercontinetal did go downhill after being acquired by Holiday Inn---no business headquartered in Atlanta is ever worthwhile.

This ia bit like complaining about airlines and recalling a "good old days" that happened ages ago and was not entirely golden---airline food has always sucked.

I can see the parallels to the airline industry, both are directed at business and consumers. In both cases, the industries gave in (or had to give in) to the customers' affinity to Cheap. Not value, just Cheap. The customer can still choose good service. But when in doubt the vast majority chooses Cheap. And the industry goes with what the customer chooses. Good service has become a niche product hardly anybody is willing to pay for. I am actually not sure if that has ever been different for commodities.

The issue is that the age of generous expense accounts are over.

Corporate policies are to fly economy, except in special circumstances. Companies have an upper limit on how much they are prepared to pay for a bedroom for their staff. With corporates cutting back on their spending, then hotels have less income to provide a higher class of service.

Hold my avocado....

There are indeed many apt comparisons R196, especially in terms of how online buying changed things.

Sites like Expedia and TripAdvisor rarely allow for apples-to-apples comparisons. They just show the base price. So it was in the hotels (and airlines) interest to strip everything out of the base price and make it an "extra"

When they realized that many people were not all that interested in paying for all those extras--and were fine with lower levels of service for lower prices--they just ran with it.

At the same time, they realized that the other end of the market was all about who could offer the most perks and be the most luxurious and special and all that, price be damned.

So, like with so many other things, we're left with a two-tier system with a wide gulf between the tiers.

R129, you're my hero for today.

R152, what we really want to know is all about your sexual escapades in the hotel!

Why would you need to tip the front desk clerk to get a room upgrade, when you could have just paid for the upgrade when you made the reservation?

Because sometimes the upgrade fee is more expensive than just slipping a $20, r201.

Then you're just gambling, with no idea of what you'll actually get.

Do most hotels charge more for rooms with bed bugs?

^^^ The high-end hotels do.

What's the best method to get the bellboys knocking for private service after their shift ends at midnight?

Jesus, r206, are they from a porn movie or something? They’re fuckin slamming!

Best Western was one of the last to let it all go. They made some effort about 10 years ago but have now fallen along with the rest.

So many times when I've stepped up and paid for top end hotels it's been a disappointment, especially the old name hotels in major cities. The lobbies and public spaces in places like the Palmer House in Chicago or the St. Francis in San Francisco are wonderful, but you get to the room, and unless you're paying for a suite, it's a grim little rectangle with a view of an air shaft, low water pressure, and the sounds of the garbage trucks emptying the dumpsters at 5am.

Besides, you get away from the top 20, let's be generous, 50 markets in this country, what's the point of paying for a high end hotel? Do I need to be right in the vibrant heart of downtown DesMoines to fully appreciate all it has to offer?

R209 describes the Waldorf Astoria to a T.

Anyone ever stay at one of the Sultan of Brunei hotels? I'd love to spend a night fucking in one and leave the sheets covered in cum stains and the florr littered with empty tubes of KY, poppers bottles and dirty dildos.

Like it’d be the first time. Pfffft

I second the good review of Loew's Hotels. They have always been an excellent experience. Not inexpensive but worth it.

Housekeeping has a back-breaking job, exposed to nasty chemicals and bad hygiene practices of guests. They are often new immigrants and single moms. I tip a minimum of $5 (I don't stay in super nice places) and have gone up to $20 (oddly enough, for not so nice places as I figure they can use it more.) I've received thank you notes in return.

And I was glad when someone informed me to tip every night (as opposed to the whole stay) as the staff might change night to night.

Sorry for asking, but how do you tip every day? Leave an envelope for the maid, put the cash on the pillow, wait for the maid to arrive and hand it to her?

I just leave the housekeeper’s tip on the foot of the bed in plain sight. It’s never been a problem for me.

r216, without a note attached to the money it could get the maid in trouble for stealing if it was a misunderstanding and the guest just left the money by accident.

[quote]Wow, the hotel industry has gone to seed!

So stop staying in seedy hotels!

Housekeepers work is extremely challenging. Many room attendants are beyond their 30’s and it is back breaking work. I run hotels and even small gratuities genuinely make these people’s days.

For the dude who say they make 18-20 bucks an hour in NYC and have unions- fuck you. Unions in hospitality take about 20% in fees and don’t do much for the employees but create chaos and division.

Any decent hotel (of a modest size) should be able to take care of their employees in all departments.

As a General Manager, I have also known housekeeping teams to be extremely kind, flexible and supportive. I love my housekeepers! Without them I literally have no job.

BTW if a guest does something phenomenal for a housekeeper (nice note with a $20, or something), I will usually send them an amenity way over that value for being so cool.

R217 Is there any chance that someone would accidentally leave a loose $5-bill on their bedding, then later be aware of their mistake and complain to management that the housekeeper didn’t leave their money on the made-up bed? That scenario seems devoid of all common sense.

I’m not r217, r220, but why would they take the risk?

You just know some fat frau would claim it was a hundred dollar bill if it wasn’t meant for the housekeeper.

If the fat frau would lie about that why wouldn’t she lie in any case and say the housekeeper stole from her room? Is there any depth to which the fat frau wouldn’t stoop? What can you do about the dickhead fat frau?

“Unions in hospitality take about 20% in fees”

Link?

https://anh.com/the-cost-of-unions/

R224, apparently you are too stupid to post a link properly. You are also stupid enough to post "facts" from a union busting business.

A lot of department stores, restaurants, and cafes are not as nice as they used to be and many are run down.

r226 hasn't figured out that everything these days is in a race to the bottom.

I think most companies are doing their meetings, workshops or conferences in Vegas now. I think the regional corporate travel industry/services are no longer happening., this collapsed. There are so many hotels and conferences room spaces in Vegas they are never at full occupancy.

Corporate clients would rather go to Vegas than Atlanta, or another regional corporate conference region.

I think the review sites have inflated and overly positive reviews and so people expect more from basic accommodation. I've stayed in a few 4 and 5 star places that really should only be a three at most. The photos also tend to look nothing like the room you are actually getting. All this creates a false expectation and then people complain.

what is the best way to get good service at a hotel when on personal travel? Any tips and tricks of the trade?

Lmao R187 ironic that a lot of those money grubbing hotel owners famously vote republican, and probably voted for trump themelves (despite being brown) right along with the white private equity fucks destroying the rest of the industry. This isn't about race, I'm speaking about a particular subculture pervasive among immigrant motel/hotel owners

What hotels have a bedbug problem?

So many things have impacted hotels (and lots of other service industries).

Financially, it's a few things - the 2008 downturn and the rise of the shared economy (airbnb).

I think there's been a huge generational shift that's been an impact. Many guests under 40 have never used a travel agent and would rarely talk to a concierge. If they could book, check in and check out all on their own, they would. As with other places where technology is impacting service, hotels sometimes are slow to respond to where help is needed, especially if they have an old system of, oh, X only does front desk and Y only does this, etc.

Service has been hit or miss for me, too, and higher rates/ratings don't always equal great service.

I'm constantly surprised how high nightly rates are even for midline hotels. With taxes it's hard to get much below $150 for even a budget place and anything under $90 is generally not fit for fish nor fowl. Something that is sort of midline is often $250-300 in the most mundane of cities these days.

Hotels are being opened and developed left and right and some of them are not mega luxe but yet charge $400 and up. Ludicrous.

Your fish and fowl can stay at La Quinta!

American hotels are shitty, just like American airlines, the bottom tier in the costomer service/satisfaction, no need to feign the surprise how bad they are, they were never really good to begin with, unless you never flied Asian/Arabic/European airlines or stayed in hotels in Asia.

When I tip housekeeping, I leave the money next to the a note on the desk saying "thank you:. I draw a little cartoon. Sometimes, the housekeepers draw a picture back and write "You're welcome!".

Admittedly, I am easily entertained.

R236 : American hotels are shitty.

Dominican Republic : Hold my beer.

I just stayed in downtown SF at $330 per night. It was great. The service was excellent

I had a person in the party that was in a wheel chair. The hotel was way beyond just helpful