You want to be a good hotel guest right?
Good hotels go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, in that trade-off, what are the rules for being a good guest?
Well, it starts at the beginning …
Check it out
If for any reason you have to change your hotel check-in or check-out time, let them know as soon as possible. There is no excuse these days, we all carry phones and it is the work of seconds to call and change your expected check-in time.
Hotels run to strict schedules as far as cleaning and set-up times. Don’t be the guest that puts that off-kilter.
And don’t expect to turn up before check-in time to find they miraculously have your room ready. Just because you are good to go, others might not be. Arguing won’t change things, it will just make you look like an idiot.
Quiet time
You are not at home. While the acoustics in modern hotels are designed to minimise noise, they are not perfect.
Try to keep the noise to a minimum, and that goes for your kids too.
I once stayed overnight at a hotel where guests on our level thought it was a good idea to let their children play in the hallway. Spoiler alert, it was not a good idea.
Keep it clean
I get it, you are not at home and therefore not responsible for cleaning, but there’s no reason to be an idiot about it.
The people who clean your room are no doubt under a lot of pressure to turn over a room quickly and to a high standard. Don’t make a minimum wage worker pick up your ground-in food on the carpet or flush an unflushed toilet.
And don’t leave wet towels anywhere else other than the bathroom. Leaving them on the carpet can leave water stains that can be hard to remove.
Be polite
Travelling can be tiring, but that is no reason to take it out on service workers.
Checking in at midnight is a pain, but it’s also not the receptionist’s fault. Take a deep breath and put yourself in their shoes. Apart from anything, they’ve probably been wearing heels … all day.
In any case, being nice to the staff is likely to get you more services and perks than being a shouty nightmare.
And if you are in a developing country, you are absolutely not going to get the same standard of service as Claridge’s in London. Dial down your expectations and enjoy the ride, that’s why you travel, isn’t it?
If you are in a country with a tipping culture, make sure you tip the housekeeping staff. You may not like it, but they rely on it.
It’s probably not yours
There are some things you can help yourself to in a hotel. Soap – please do – toiletries and a cup of tea in the morning.
But it’s not clever or amusing to five-finger discount a bunch of other stuff, including towels, pillows and the batteries in the remote. Who even thinks that way? It’s a common enough problem that housekeepers are expected to check the remote controls as part of their duties.
And besides, do you really want a pillow or towel that’s been used by countless others?
I don’t even understand this thinking.
Do you enjoy staying at hotels? What other rules would you add to this list? Why not share your experiences in the comments section below?
Also read: What’s the world’s busiest airport?
