I have one: When I'm travelling alone, I don't like to get up from whatever I am doing (usually writing on my laptop or reading) to open the door of my room. I like to be able to call 'come in' when the staff knock. The problem is that good hotel rooms are well-soundproofed and the waiter or whoever doesn't always hear me. I would prefer it if one's preference for always allowing the staff to enter the room after knocking but without waiting for an answer, be known. My most regular hotel - the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong - is aware of it but it's not easy to inform others of one's preference in a way that reaches all who might come to the room. Maybe a special green light next to the door bell?

Because I pay for five star service, there are certain things that I expect at the hotels where I stay. It is extremely disappointing, therefore, when that expectation is not met. My pet peeves are not unusual. Two immediately come to mind:

Personal greetings, by name, (pronounced correctly) when approaching a staff member goes a long way. I have visited hotels with 500 rooms that can manage this, and hotels with 185 rooms who cannot manage it.

While the quality of toiletry products provided is important, more thought into what is provided would be a tremendous improvement. A portable razor, makeup remover, cotton swabs and dental floss, would be more useful in the 21st century than the shower cap.

I completely agree with MMMT about a personal greeting. It's the most essential 'service' of all. I avoid travelling BA even though I'm a gold card holder of many years standing largely because they can only manage to address me with the impersonal and often supercilious 'sir' - rather like a traffic policeman would. On the other hand Cathay Pacific manage to call me by my name every time. I know that this is an airline 'peeve' and not an hotel one, but the point is exactly the same.

This one seems like an obvious one to me, but how about a hamper in the room?

Nearly every hotel room I've ever been in offers no place for one to put their dirty laundy. After a day or two, my dirty laundy ends up strewn over chairs and across the room like someone ransacked through all my things. I feel awful that the maid has to make due cleaning around dirty socks and other items.

A simple basket with a lid will do. Or even a durable cloth bag would be better than nothing. Those plastic bags you always find hanging in the closet are too small, too flimsy, and the plastic is wasteful.

Also, offering free laundry service or access to laundy machines would be great. The Four Seasons Hualalai offers this and it allows one to pack half as much as they would normally pack for a trip.

Some safari lodges we were at in Africa do non-ironable laundy items for no extra charge and wrap it up like a gift and leave it in your room the following day. It's a nice extra touch.

I am still surprised when some hotels put chocolates on the pillow at turndown. Not being a chocaholic (yes - it's a character defect!) I would have thought a small basket of chocolates in the room would appeal (and be more impressive) to more guests than a poor small square on a pillow!

Staff that speak the language of the country that they're working in to at least a conversational level; windows that open even just a slither so I can let in fresh air rather than recycled dirty air; if I obey the 'throw your towels in the bath to get them washed, hang them up if not' then DO NOT just wash them anyway; FREE bottles of water; FREE Internet access; an iron and ironing board in my room so I don't get ripped off having to pay for a laundry service I don't really need; a DVD library of classic films so that I don't have to rely on the new releases; extra pillows in the wardrobe; the best club sandwich known to man........ I think that's it for now. If you implement even half of these things, then please let me know which hotel you are and I'll definitely come and stay with you.

Complimentary wireless and complimentary water throughout hotel.

I went on a vacation to a very highly regarded resort in South America in October and one thing that puzzled me was that sometimes after dinner they would have turndown service and leave chocolates on your pillow and occasionally they would not. They didn't leave them on day 3,4,and 7 of an 8 night stay. I guess my pet peeve was the inconsistency. Either have it one way or the other, because inevitably those were the days when I wanted the chocolate!

You already know my thoughts on tipping at five-star hotels. I hate it because I never know how much to tip and I'm constantly worrying that I'm forgetting someone. So, no tipping would be good.

Blackberry Farm in Tennessee does this, as do many other places. The all inclusive rate replaces the need for tipping. Employees may only accept tips on the third attempt to give them a tip. I like that.

I completely agree with Marcie. Travelling a lot in Japan is a delight for lots of reasons, but not having to tip anyone, at any time, is one. In other hotels, I only tip bellboys who deal with my luggage and give a glacial stare to anyone else who loooks as though he has his hand out.....

I don't know how necessary it is, but Japanese hotels provide - without fail - a cotton sleeping kimono (ie pajama or nightshirt) and a toothbrush and toothpaste. The thing I deplore most is poor-quality body lotion. Many hotels - Japan included - provide non-absorbet 'gunk'. The best is Ferragamo, followed by Bulgari. Don't stint on these touches, or you risk being seen as too parochial - ie not travelling enough to see what the competition is doing.

A night light that I can plug in at my leisure it would fantastic. I can't tell you how many times I've banged by knee in the middle of the night trying to find my way around an unfamiliar hotel room.

Also, the ability to check in and check out whenever you want. The Peninsula Beverly Hills does this and it's a real pleasure.

A bathroom that's too small can bring down the experience of a hotel.

Bathroom counters should be spacious, or have plenty of storage shelves. Double-sinks are a must!

Also a tub that's big enough for two is a good investment. At the very least, I'm usually pretty disappointed if you climb into a tub and you can't fully stretch out and get the water to come up to your chin. You end up freezing cold.

-Make sure the TV/entertainment system is easy to use. The more expensive the hotel, the harder they are to work out. I have had to call reception many times for someone to come up and explain it to me. Normally it is just 2 buttons and I look like an stupid asshole. The Metropolitan Hotel in London has a confusing system.
-Get rid of hotel 'Welcome' channels - always naff.
-Bedrooms and bathrooms should ALWAYS have dimmer switches.
-I hate the waste of hotels - when I stay somewhere for one night, I only use the bar of soap a few times or a third of the body wash bottle. I can only assume that the leftovers are thrown away. Is this responsible in this day?
-Why is wireless internet free in some places and charged at a high rate elsewhere? It should ALWAYS be free.
-And yes, purified water should be free, if not bottled.
-What do hotels recycle?
-Lots of pillows please but get rid of those decorative ones that you end up throwing on the floor.
-iPod docking station is a must.
-I normally travel with about 4-5 days worth of clean clothes. A free laundry service should be offered for anyone staying more than 4 consecutive nights.

Oh, and a free night of accommodation at your hotel for the advice :-)

I can understand if this sounds insignificant to most people, but it really bugs me when you check into your favorite hotel and they ask you, "is this your first time staying with us?"

A good hotel ought to know how many times you've stayed there, particularly since everything is done by computers these days. Just once, I'd like to arrive somewhere I've already been before and have them say, "It's so nice to see you again, welcome back. etc. etc."

I should be able to turn on/off every light in the room without getting out of bed.

Complimentary wireless, as mentioned several times above, is a must. As is complimentary bottled water.

The soaking tubs at the Hotel Rivington in New York are fantastic; more hotels should feature such things.

The armchairs in most hotel rooms are awful. Too soft for getting work done and too uncomfortable for relaxing. Chaise lounges - such as the beautiful red ones in the James Hotel in Chicago - are a much more flexible piece of furniture.

Room service should not slow down (or, worse yet, stop entirely) in the wee hours. If I'm ordering espressos at 3 am, it's because their presence is urgently required.

The most important thing of all, though, is having a skilled concierge. Hotel concierges have gotten me onto flights when no one else could, arranged sailing expeditions (including purchasing necessary gear and delivering it to my door) and made last-minute reservations at restaurants that were impossible to book otherwise. And I've never forgotten it.

Oh this is such a doozie, love it ~ my inner critic coming out!
Comfortable beds that haven't too much of the 'a man's been sleeping on this side too many times' dip where you feel like you might roll off. I stayed at a beautiful lakeside resort where I was paying big dollars a night and my partner and I started to think about turning the mattress over, yeh! Then I realised, oh yeah take it to a higher place, did so, came back after spa treatment to be told the bed had been turned (they couldn't get a mattress in that quickly as we were leaving in 2 days) great as it made the sleeping so much better and left us champagne, fruit and chockies (I am a chocoholic!) and a very nice note apologising, nothing surly and we were asked how things were the next day.
Care, consideration, warmth go a long way in my books.
Better lights in the bathroom for us girls who like to put makeup on, most make you look like Dracula's Bride.
Nice quality bath goodies.
Free internet (wireless is great too).
I love the idea I saw where a hotel in ???Japan, can't remember has an internal service thingy (can't think of what its called) where all your papers, meals, messages etc come to you instead of at your door. Don't have to deal with people if you don't want to and there's an intimacy about it. Some people might like the fact they don't have to tip.
That's a start, I'm off to my bath!

Hate dirty windows, and windows that don't open. Also, I always wonder what has transpired on those brocade bed covers that never get washed--how about duvet covers that are changed after each guest? LOVE complimentary shoe shine!

I can't stand it when I come into my hotel room and housekeeping has turned the radio on. If it's soft classical music then it can be fine. But usually it's a jarring way to walk into a room.

As many others have noted, there should always be wireless everywhere in the hotel, and it should always be free.

I find it spooky when people at the hotel know my name, and would prefer a more discreet form of address unless they actually do know me.

First of all - Kudos for using this board as a way to improve the hospitality industry! Having said that, here are my peeves:

1. Limited late-night in-room dining options. Why can't the menu be just a bit more extensive for those late-night food cravings?
2. No slippers in the rooms. Even worse, no slippers even upon request!
3. Beds that are TOO soft. Pillows that are too fluffy or too stiff.
4. Poor water pressure, especially to the showers. Even worse, running out of hot water!
5. Small health/fitness centers.

Praise be to hoteliers who provide:
1. Easy to use in-room safes. Emphasize: Easy to use.
2. EARLY (6AM) breakfast buffets. Isreali breakfast buffets are amazing in this respect.
3. Electrical outlet adaptors (camera batteries need love, too.)
4. Concierges with lots of local contacts, for impromptu outings and day-trips.
5. Safe drinking water (doesn't have to be bottled water - a proper filter over a faucet would be fine for us).
6. High-speed internet in the business center, just in case we want to check email (Lord knows why) while on vacation.
7. Prompt, able housekeeping and facilities maintenance at all hours of the day (and especially night!).
8. A "local touch" in our turndown service at night (example: Our resort in the Australian outback offered us a short Aboriginal poem each night on our pillows - what a delight!).

Let's see....the aforementioned free wireless and bottled or purified drinking water would be excellent.

Also - good lighting in bathrooms for applying makeup and such - nice and bright with a mirror that you can get fairly close to; also, an outlet for a curling iron/straightener/curlers/other electric hair tools (or razors, now that I think of it) would be great. Seems obvious, but many hotels don't have one.

A quick and easy place to grab a cup of (free) coffee or tea in the morning would be great too - not everyone wants a full breakfast.

Like Chloe up-thread, I tend to find it spooky when people know my name at the bigger hotels. At a smaller boutique hotel or bed and breakfast, I expect it, but at a large hotel it tends to freak me out a bit (but I might be the odd one out here).

Hotels that charge you for (local) phone calls. With the advent of VOIP (internet) telephones it's insulting that any worthy hotel charges for phone calls at all-- let alone the outrageous fees. It comes off as stingy. It's as if we as guests find a telephone as marvelous luxury in a hotel room and we must pay handsomely to enjoy such wonderful conveniences. I can only guess that these charges must be a leftover from the days when many people didn't have telephones.

If I'm staying in a five star hotel, the calls should be free. They should give off the impression that it's nothing to them and just fold it into the cost of the room. I would imagine that VOIP phone service should help reduce the cost of this to nearly nothing.

Just ran into another pet peeve on a recent trip. I prefer to have a proper dresser to store folded clothing. Extra large drawers are a welcome feature. A closet alone isn't adequate for storing all articles of clothing.

I'm so late to the game, but in case you're still reading: I agree 200% that daily or weekly charges for internet are ludicrous. As is a lack of WiFi. It's far too easy to implement these days and charging guests is nickel-and-diming. When we stayed at The Ritz in Jamaica, it was ~$40 for the week. Stupid for any hotel, especially a luxury one, to do this.

Leian - add me to the list of people who completely agree with you.

We spent almost all of this month in Europe and, since we were already bringing a good deal of luggage with us, in an effort to reduce the amount of things that we were carrying, I elected NOT to bring my laptop PC with me. Instead, I decided to rely on using the PCs at the business centers in the hotels we were staying in. When we were in Paris, we stayed at Le Meurice (a five-star hotel, where we were paying over a thousand dollars a night for our room) and I needed to check on some e-mail messages. I was absolutely shocked when they told me that the charge would be 20 Euros (about 31 dollars at current currency conversion rates) for a half hour of internet time. I reluctantly agreed and sat down at their PC and went through my e-mails. We had a wonderful time at Le Meurice. However, that one incident with the internet charge really bothered me.

In sharp contrast, just last week, we were staying at the Lapa Palace Hotel in Lisbon (also a five-star hotel). When I inquired about what the cost would be for getting on the internet by using one of the PCs in their business center, they told me that there was no charge at all. (It was one of many complimentary services that the Lapa Palace provided for their guests.) Now, that's the way it should be!

Anyhow, at 20 Euros for 30 minutes of internet time, it turns out that Le Meurice was charging me about one dollar a minute. That's outrageous! If it were up to me, I'd deduct a star from their rating just for their audacity!

You might not have noticed, but there's already been a whole discussion on how luxury hotels charge too much for Internet access. You're not the only ones who have noticed this phenomenon!

The worst part of it is that budget-friendly hotels offer Internet for free. It's absolutely shameful to charge guests for Internet — especially when the cost of the room is already so high.

Maybe it's just asking too much, but how 'bout some decent artwork? I am constantly amazed at the high-priced resorts and 4 and 5 star hotels that have artwork that looks like it came from a gas station. That's why I often prefer to stay at historic inns and non-chain hotels, they seem to do a better job of the decor...

We are currently on vacation in Prague and we're staying at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel here. The hotel is beautiful and very luxurious, the staff attentive, efficient and friendly. The Mandarin Oriental is located in the Malastrana section of town, perhaps the most charming area in all of Prague. Our room is spacious and comfortable. Since Donna Elena and I are both American Express Platinum card members, we have even been provided with free high-speed internet access in our room, using an Ethernet connection that is faster than Wi-Fi. What more could we ask for? Well, how about some drawer space to store our folded clothing?

As Marcie has previously pointed out in this discussion thread, "extra large drawers are a welcome feature. A closet alone isn't adequate for storing all articles of clothing." Our room has ample closet space for hanging clothes but, since we'll be traveling in Europe for an extended period of time on this trip, we've taken a good deal of clothes with us and we've had a difficult time finding a place to put all of them. The room is large enough to easily accommodate a good size dresser, but the floor space has not been utilized effectively and no dresser has been provided. When staying in a luxury hotel, one should not be forced to live out of a suitcase!

Although there are a few exceptions, we've found the lack of drawer space to be a persistent problem in many of the best of Europe's hotels, even when staying in a large, luxury suite. But, in general, we don't find this problem when we travel in the USA or in Asia.

What I have encountered in the last 6 months is, at check in, the hotel clerk asking me if I am there for business or pleasure and if I state business, they want to know my company! I'm not a fan of telling a complete stranger behind a hotel desk what I'm doing in town, what my business is, or who I'm doing business for or with. Further, marketing is expensive and if they want to know all about me, hire a marketing firm and do some consumer research. Don't have your hotel clerks try to siphon information from me.

As we've traveled around Europe, we've stayed in many fine hotels that we found to be worthy of their five-star ratings. However, some of these hotels are relatively old and, although the hotels may have been thoroughly renovated and remodeled from an architectural and an aesthetic standpoint, their heating systems are still in the dark ages. When I go to sleep at night, I'd like a nice, comfortable mattress, comfortable pillows and an HVAC system that provides hot air when it's cold and cold air when it's hot. Every once in a while, we've stayed in a great hotel in which the HVAC system can provide only heat or cold, depending on the season. Then, for example, if the hotel's system is in the "heat" mode and an unexpected warm front comes in, you find yourself in a hot room with no way to turn on the air conditioning. For those remaining hotels that still have such antiquated HVAC systems, I would strongly suggest that they join the 21st century and spend the money to provide their customers with rooms that can supply either heat or air conditioning, on the same day, through an easy-to-use in-room thermostat.

I was recently in Las Vegas with some friends, and we ordered room service late at night. It took a very long time for the food to come, and once it had, we were all asleep. The room service man let himself into our room and was standing there with the cart of food as we slept. I don't know how to remedy this, as i know staff can let themselves in to clean and whatnot, but that was a shocking, weird and uncomfortable experience.

Here are my hotel pet peeves:

- poor water pressure in the shower
- lack of dimmers on lights - overhead & lamps (this makes a massive difference to those of us who are sensitive to light or want to set a certain mood)
- absence of a good magnifying mirror in bathroom
- poor lighting in bathroom (there should be enough light to apply makeup properly)
- small bathrooms with little to no counter space (I need room for my toiletries)
- useless hairdryer (not powerful enough)
- lack of available electric outlets (most of us travel with cell phones & laptops that need to be recharged)
- poor sound insulation (I don't want to hear every sound my neighbor makes)
- lack of slippers
- poor quality robes (I don't want to feel like I am wrapped in sandpaper)
- bad sheets (see above)
- limited room service choices
- incompetent concierge
- lack of full housekeeping services after a certain time of day
- lack of closet &/or drawer space
- non-secure WiFi or ethernet internet access in guest room
- being charged for internet access
- extra charges for hotel gym access
- limited hotel gym hours
- the inability to put a "do not disturb" on the phone (I don't want to hear the shrill ring of the phone in my room if I have asked not to be disturbed & do not require service)

room service coffee cups that are too small.
high tech gear that isn't intuitive but requires a tutorial!
poor water pressure.
electronic mini bars that charge you for looking!
those are a few we experienced at the aria over the last few days.
but overall, very nice, for las vegas, that is...

Oh the mini bar charge just for looking certainly puts a whole new twist on "window shopping"!

I really liked the earlier mentioned suggestions of free bottled water & wireless internet throughout the hotel. These are things that should be cost-inclusive. However, given the business-minded hotel industry, IF you are paying out-of-pocket for an amenity that is a necessity to many people, especially business travelers, the service should be exceptional. Everything has to weigh out in the end, but isn't it nice to stay somewhere that has it all? :)

I don't think it's right when your hotel is in the midst of a major renovation of its premises, doesn't tell you in advance that this is happening and then charges you the same room rate that you had originally booked the room at, in spite of your inconvenience. This is particularly irritating when part of the renovation is taking place on the floor you're staying on.

Jtilly, I agree with you and this situation has happened to me three different times in the past couple of years. And "Pardon our Dust" signs don't quite cut it! And on all three occasions, I didn't put up with that one bit without some sort of restitution. One hotel I moved out completely after being sent up to my room where hammering and other renovation activity was RIGHT ABOVE ME. Then, another time the pool was closed so I moved out the next day. And then another time, a big plastic sheet was over the reception area as I entered and I did stay but with a discount because it was a resort and my room was very far away from reception and I was never disturbed during my stay.

I don't care if a hotel asks you to sign for an umbrella when it's raining and makes you pay for it if you don't return it; however it really upsets me if they run out of umbrellas on a day when it's pouring out. I count on hotels having umbrellas readily available for their guests because there is no way that I want to lug an umbrella with me all over the world when I travel. My baggage is heavy enough already.

I think it's totally unacceptable for a hotel to run out of umbrellas for its guests!

Cibo, you should buy a little compact umbrella to travel with. They are so small and easy to pack--and good for blocking the sun as well as the rain. This is a travel must--I think that is possibly asking too much for a hotel to have umbrella's for all their guests in a rain storm.

Yes, but those compact umbrellas don't provide nearly as much protection from a soaking rainstorm as the nice, sturdy and wide umbrellas a good hotel will usually provide.

But certainly you don't expect the hotel to have those nice umbrellas for all guests do you? The smaller compact umbrella would be insurance for you. And frankly, what are you doing out in the rain anyway? If it's such a major rain storm--so bad that the compact umbrellas are useless, you need to relax back at the hotel and wait it out.

Nanoose, I guess you're right. It probably IS unrealistic to have a hotel have as many umbrellas as they have hotel guests. I've just been reluctant to take a compact umbrella with me on my trips because my bags seem to be getting heavier every year, especially as more and more travel items are becoming "necessities." So, maybe I'll try taking one along.

But, with respect to your comment about what am I doing out in the rain anyway, even if it's not raining, I usually ask the hotel doorman for an umbrella when the day's forecast calls for rain. Being a big believer in "Murphy's Law," I'm of the opinion that if you take an umbrella with you in the morning, doing that greatly diminishes the chance of rain that afternoon. : - )

Cibo--funny I feel the opposite in regard to my luggage--mine is getting lighter and lighter! First, luggage itself seems to be getting lighter, there always seems to be some kind of new fabric/technology like feathers weaved with gortex that they make travelling bags out of with all kinds of compartments. And with the world so global, I know I can buy just about everything anywhere--I sometimes don't even bother packing toiletries--just buy as I go. I recently was at a Red Sea Resort town where I purchased a fur lined wool cape. So if you can find a wool fur cape in the mid east Red Sea neighborhood, you can find anything anywhere so I pack light. But I like your Murphy's law thinking--that sounds like a different take on "trip insurance"!!!

Nanoose - I think your linking Murphy's Law to trip insurance is a brilliant observation! Similarly, a few years ago I had a term life insurance policy that I no longer needed and contemplated canceling. However, I hesitated to do so because I was worried that - as per Murphy's Law - as soon as I canceled the policy, the probability of my being run over by a proverbial bus would greatly increase. So, I just kept paying the insurance premiums for a few more years, comforted by the feeling that with that insurance policy still in effect, nothing would happen to me.

P.S. - Just recently, I finally canceled that term life insurance policy and, miraculously, I'm still able to steam up a mirror.

The hotel not providing separate soaps for the sink, shower and bathtub....

giving me two bottles of hair conditioner and not even one bottle of shampoo....

having an HVAC system that only provides heat in the wintertime and air conditioning in the summer months, thus not providing me with the opportunity to regulate the temperature in my room to my liking no matter what the season is......

and not providing clean towels and refreshing the toiletries in the morning AND in the evening.

When I travel to a city I've been to before and I'm staying in my favorite hotel there, I like to specify the room I normally stay in when making my reservation. It bugs me when even though the room I wanted was written and documented in my reservation, the hotel informs me that somebody is currently staying in it and that I'll have to settle for a comparable room. Sometimes they'll make amends by giving me an upgrade and that certainly makes me feel a bit better though.

My peeve--it's pretty minor and most others have been raised--is the ice bucket the day after. WHen you arrive it is sitting there, usukally with some little plastic bag rady to unfold into it. You fill it with ice and use it. But the day after all the ice has melted. The staff makes up the room, does the bed, the bath, towels, etc. And what about the ice bucket? They close it up and same all that melted ice! Does somebody think you really wanted to save that water? Are you going to take it home with you? I notice this in many hotels; price does not seem to be a factor. It's totally wierd. Not as annoying as charging for WiFi (It's invariably free in cheap hotels, extra in better ones. Whaaa?