19 Oct 2014

Hotels use online reviews as blueprint for renovations

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Hotels like the Omni are basing their renovations on reviews from websites like TripAdvisor. They say that since the customers are so candid, it gives them a good opportunity to understand what is lacking in their hotels, and where they can improve.

So, the hotels are upgrading items like the lighting in the bathrooms and the number of outlets. Other online complaints that they take into consideration are low-pressure showers, uncomfortable beds, and the television and its TV lineup.

Some of the items I would like them to take into consideration (beyond, obviously, clean room) are:

outlets next to the bed stand. Even today's Luddites have at least a flip phone that they want to charge at night.
a sink outside the bathroom. If you are traveling with others, one sink in the bathroom means that it will take forever to get ready - especially if you are traveling with females.
a way to watch television without climbing into bed. Many hotel rooms have the television directly facing the bed, with no way to turn the screen. So, those people that don't like to live in bed can find it almost impossible to watch TV.
the sheet/blanket/sheet combination that many hotels are adopting. It just seems cleaner than those hotel bedspreads that have an unknown cleaning cycle.
a mini-frige and microwave in the rooms - even in 3 star and above hotels.

So - hopefully, if we all band together to improve the hotels via our comments, we will get better accommodations - and the hotels will get more business: a win-win solution. Just don't put egregious comments on an online site without taking the issues up with the hotel management. You don't want to ruin a hotel's reputation for issues they don't even know about.

Read the full article here:
Hotels use online reviews as blueprint for renovations

Now you have no excuses for not exercising in a hotel

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

You are on the road in a hotel, have eaten too much, and are feeling sluggish - so, you really "should" exercise. But, there is either no exercise room in the hotel (or it is closed), or, if there is an exercise room in the hotel, it is either too busy, doesn't have the right equipment or, let's face it, you really don't want to get dressed up enough to go to the exercise room.

7 Feb 2015

2014: the year that more and more hotels heard our plea for free WiFi

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

If you pay $200 per night for a 3-4 star hotel, the last thing you want is to pay $30 per day for Wi-Fi - especially when 2 star hotels usually don't charge for Wi-Fi. But - Virgin hotels has listened to you - and provides Wi-Fi free. Hopefully, other hotels, such as the Marriott, will pay attention and stop charging for Wi-Fi.

29 Jan 2015

What are your hotel pet peeves?

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

If you go through hotel reveiws (such as Trip Advisor), you will find that there are several common issues people have, such as: charging for Wi-Fi, minibars that charge too much, and lousy TV channel lineups. What are your hotel pet peeves?

11 Dec 2014

Why don't more hotels have "convenience stores"?

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Basically, as the company Airbnb expands to new cities around the world, the share economy is really taking their toll on regular hotels. Executives have figured a way around this with lend and lease programs all around the country with critical ads like “Forgot it?

2 Dec 2014

Checking into a hotel? Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

The attached article is interesting, as it implies that the assignment of hotel rooms has less to do with computer assignments, and more to do with the "rooms controller". For, it is the rooms controller's job to review all of the variables, such as price charged, loyalty status, special needs and requests, VIP status, group bookings, etc., and to assign the rooms 3-5 days in advance, with the intention of balancing guest satisfaction with profit.