If your stay at a hotel doesn’t live up to your expectations, you may be inclined to slam the property on social media or write a bad review online, but that shouldn’t be your first action .
According to Mehmet Erdem, associate professor of hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, “guests are more powerful than they used to be.” Hotels know it. “If there is a problem, it is in the hotel’s best interest to address the problem, so it will not escalate.”
Hotel staff are often much quicker to address common issues directly, but if they aren’t, there may be a reason for that. Due to expectations in the event of a problem at the hotel, To avoid problems in the first place, there are a few things you should know before your next hotel stay.
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What should hotel guests know before check-in?
Just because a hotel has a particular brand in its name doesn’t mean it’s the company that runs it.
“Affiliated hotels? Independent hotels? Owner-owned hotels?” said Erdem. “It could be owned by someone, branded by, say, a tycoon and managed by a second-rate management company.”
All these layers can affect the level of empowerment given to employees when dealing with issues.
“Depending on who is in control of what, even if that person wants to do something for you, their hands may be tied,” Erdem said. There are limits because you can’t exceed .” And these rules vary from company to company. Unlike airlines, all airlines are required by the Department of Transportation to provide certain types of compensation when flights are disrupted.
what are the expectations of Hotel?
According to Erdem, guests should expect a reasonable standard of care from any hotel. “It should be a safe environment. It should be clean. It should be reasonably comfortable.”
When problems arise, “the hotel management’s responsibility is to be aware of the problem and address it as best it can,” he said.
Luxury hotels may have more flexibility.For example, at the Ritz-Carlton, staff have a maximum of$2,000 discretionary spending Guest by guest, issue by issue, to make things right or just to please. Other hotels may offer discounted stays, waived parking fees, or free drinks at the hotel bar.
“It depends on the scale of the problem and what employees and managers can do,” Erdem said. Hotel owner management structure.
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What if the hotel loses my reservation?
In this day and age, hotels rarely lose bookings, says Erdem.
Unlike years ago when reservations were relayed by fax or recorded in handwritten reservation logs, he said: Occupancy report for backup.
If for some reason the hotel is unable to access your reservation, please be prepared to show your records, such as your confirmation number or reservation receipt. Travelers booking through a third party must always have a confirmation number for their hotel as they may receive more than one confirmation number. Even better, Erdem recommends calling the hotel before you arrive to confirm your reservation and writing down the name of the person you spoke to on the phone.
What if the hotel is fully booked and there are no rooms available?
“Hotels almost always book more rooms than they actually have,” says Erdem. “This is (a) common practice…because most of the time there are people who cancel.”
If there are more people than expected and there are not enough rooms, guests traditionally walk to other hotels.
It doesn’t matter if the guest booked directly with the hotel or through a travel agency like Expedia or Priceline.
“Ethically speaking, they pay their guests, so they should treat everyone equally,” Erdem said. but I don’t care how the person made the reservation, I just want to take care of the guest.”
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What about walking in the hotel?
When a hotel is overbooked, it is common practice for hotels to help affected guests find comparable places to stay nearby. This is known as walking.
Traditionally, this also included paying for transportation to a new hotel, Erdem said, but with today’s app and mobile notifications, “even when guests are waiting at the airport for a ride, they can ‘ Hi, I’m sorry but we can’t honor your reservation.We had to move you to this hotel.Please go there.They may still call and complain No, but at least you’re saving them time.”
Hotels may also offer other types of rewards, such as discounts on future stays, loyalty points, and food credits.
“You do things to show that we’ve failed, but we’re taking care of you,” Erdem said.
What to do if Is your hotel room ready?
Hotels don’t have to provide anything if the room isn’t ready in time, but they often do.
“Front desk agents are trained to offer some perks in such situations and should default to offering food credits or upgrades depending on the level of empowerment given.
He said it makes sense for guests to request that upgrade, or at least a waiver of resort fees or parking fees.
What should I do if my hotel room is not clean?
If for any reason you are incorrectly assigned an unclean room at check-in, please notify the front desk immediately. Please move to another room or send housekeeping if there are no rooms available and hopefully accommodate while you wait.
It shouldn’t take long, but Erdem points out that even before the pandemic, hotels were struggling to staff housekeeping.
“Anyone who has done housekeeping[knows]I know. “People are working overtime. They’re not taking breaks like they used to. Please be considerate of your hotel employees.”
What is the acceptable noise level in your hotel?
The answer is subjective. “What’s loud to you may not be loud to me,” Erdem said. How hotels handle noise complaints also depends on the situation.
If guests in nearby rooms are playing music or having a party, you can report it to the hotel staff. Staff usually dispatch security guards to defuse the situation.
If the air conditioner in your room is too loud, it will be checked by the hotel engineer. “But because of the mechanics of how they set up the HVAC system, it could be a normal noise, so you’ll hear it when it’s on,” Erdem said. and the next time they do a refurbishment, they may see guest complaints and do something about it.” However, they may not be able to adjust the volume during your stay. I can’t.
Similarly, if a room is poorly insulated, the hotel may not be able to remedy it immediately, but may be able to offer some compensation as a courtesy.
If you’re a light sleeper, I recommend having earplugs just in case.
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How do I dispute an incorrect charge?
“Be wise, before you leave the property, check the folio to make sure everything is in order.”If not, watch out now.”
Please call from your room or stop by the front desk before leaving the hotel. If you wait until you get home, you can waste time having to go back and forth with the accounting department to process your bill.
golden rule
When encountering the problem, Erdem said: , make eye contact and acknowledge the person. “
But he also gives advice to his guests.
“We also have to remember that they are human,” he said. “Of course guests have the right to expect what they are promised, but please be polite…treat people the way you want them to be treated and that the hotel industry is doing all it can.” Please understand (less) means.”
