Is there basic common sense to staying in a hotel? 17 “insider” tips from hotel managers

▲ Hotel manager (Photo / Darzie / Illustration)

By Rita

What basic common sense should you have when checking into a hotel? In fact, many people don’t know. Service industry workers say the biggest challenge they’ve always faced is guests making unreasonable demands, which gives them a headache. Actually, things aren’t as complicated as they seem—interactions between people can be very healthy.The following is a report by USA Today interviewing hotel front desk staff and managers, who, from an “insider” perspective, suggest 17 things you should understand before checking into a hotel.

1. Use self-adhesive paper to cover the peephole on the door to prevent strangers from seeing what’s going on inside.
2. When staff ask you to reuse towels and sheets in the name of “saving energy and protecting the earth,” they’re also saving on manpower.
3. If you want a room upgrade, please ask politely and keep it low-key—avoid acting like it’s your due.
4. Front desk staff can be tipped.
5. If you’ve booked the cheapest room, then don’t expect top-notch service. When hotels oversell, those who booked the cheapest rooms might be “asked” to leave.
6. When you book a room, if the price suddenly drops, the front desk staff won’t proactively inform you.
7. The reason hotels ask guests to submit a photo upon check-in is due to excessive fraud—to prevent someone from using your credit card to book a room, causing losses to both parties.
8. Before checking out, make sure you’ve taken all your personal belongings. If you leave something on the bed, don’t expect to get it back easily—the housekeeping staff usually sends the bedding to the laundry right after you leave.
9. If you’re a traveler who prefers “quiet,” try to stay on higher floors. Front desk staff usually concentrate party-goers on the lower floors.
10. If you find the noise outside is too loud to sleep at night, first ask security or the hotel manager to handle it. If you lose sleep because of it, you can ask the manager not to charge you for that night, or at least request a free breakfast or parking.
11. Hotels recycle your leftover soap, turning it into soap bars to donate to poor countries and shelters.
12. Pillows are the most commonly stolen items, especially down pillows. If they’re found missing, the hotel may ask the guest to pay for them.
13. Before entering your room, first check whether anything in the minibar has been opened. If any food in the room has been opened, the hotel staff will charge you for it. To avoid such disputes, it’s better not to take the minibar key upon check-in.
14. Check your bill for errors before you leave; otherwise, it’s hard to resolve any issues if there are mistakes.
15. Avoid rooms near entrances and exits—they’re usually noisy.
16. Ask in advance if there are any events happening on the day of your stay, such as weddings or conferences, as they’re usually noisy.
17. The biggest challenge for hotel staff is dealing with “difficult guests.” In fact, being polite always brings many benefits.