Warning Signs of Hotel Hell

Just because planning an affordable vacation is importantto you and you do so by carefully reviewing you cheap traveloptions, including cheapfares, cheapdeals, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, thatdoes not mean that you should be willing to stay in a less than acceptablehotel room.

For most guests staying in a hotel is a treat and shouldnot be a waking nightmare of unanswered complaints and shabbysurroundings.

If you notice one or more of the following problems, youmay want to check out as soon as possible, according to Jamie Beckman:

• Thecheck in process is seriously outdated such as there is no computer at thefront desk. If a front desk employeewrites your credit card number down on a piece of paper vs. swiping it into acredit card reader, the chances of a security breach increasesignificantly. Stolen guest informationthat is then distributed could ruin their finances as well as their vacations.

• Whenthe lobby has seen better days it is an indication of a property that is indecline. Hotel proprietors know thattheir lobbies represent the faces of their properties. Stains on upholstery, dirty carpeting, andsagging furniture are all clear indications of a run-down hotel. A hotel that does not care about theirguests first impressions is likely to house rooms that reflect that disregard.

• Towelsthat are in rough shape, sometimes feeling like sandpaper or are paper thin,are signs of neglect. Towels that arescratchy, hard, and/or thin indicate that they have been overused and notreplaced in a long time.

• Carpetingin disrepair indicates that the hotel is at best doing minor fixes instead oftrying to increase guests overall experiences.

• Insufficienthotel staff means you will not be receiving prompt service. If you walk into a hotel lobby and there are multipleguests in front of you and only one desk agent, with no other employees insight, it is a bad sign.

• Ifyour bathroom is missing any of the following, you are in for a bad hotelstay: clean toilet, a mold and mildewfree shower and tub, and an overall clean smell. Any room that is not properly cleaned has notbeen properly sanitized. This in turn could make you sick if you touch surfacesin a room where viruses and germs reside because a previous guest was ill.

• Poormannered staff, or personnel that seem overwhelmed by basic requests, are signsthat something is seriously amiss. Staying at a budget hotel does not mean that a guest should expectinferior service. Employeesunresponsive to guests needs, indicates poor training and is a likely sign thatthe management does not place importance on excellent customer service. An employees response to a guest problem isvery telling. Often you will see concernand a wish to help in an employees face or complete indifference and possibleirritation.

• Whenthe parking lot and landscape are dismal you should lower your expectations asto what you will find inside. Bad signsinclude litter strewn about, the lines for cars on the parking lot missing,buildings that have paint peeling or signs of mold or mildew.

• Questionablelooking sheets, particularly ones that do not look clean are a seriousproblem. Check for bed bugs by lookingat your mattress. A good sign is if yourmattress is incased in a protective barrier that prevents bed bugs. If not, check the crevasses around the edgeof the mattress for dried spots of blood, skins, or excrement.

If you are a finicky traveler who often changes hotels atthe last minute you should avoid pre-paid reservations. If you decide that your hotel is unacceptable,be polite when telling the front desk staff that you do not want to stay. Do not threaten to write a bad review. Remember if you decide you do not want tostay, the sooner you return to the front desk the more likely you will not haveto pay for that room.

Often the best approach is to simply tell a front deskemployee that you are unhappy and considering leaving. Ask is there if someone you can speak to,perhaps a manager, to avoid paying for the night, or whether something can bedone. The employee may respond byallowing you to leave without penalty in order to avoid bad word of mouth,comping you a night, upgrading your room, comping food, or addressing yourcomplaints one by one.