I love staying in hotels. Everything excites me, from the smell of fresh flowers at the reception to the crisp white sheets and freshly baked croissants at breakfast.
I love ordering miniature toiletries, oversized bathrobes, room service, and waking up to an unfamiliar view in the morning. It doesn’t even need to be a 5 star hotel to satisfy me. People who have a unique charm and personality get a big thumbs up from me.
There are some things I don’t like about the hotel. Bland and boring rooms are my biggest dislike, but here are some things I dislike about hotels. And here are 10 things I wish all hotels had.
Friendly and speedy reception staff
No matter how excited you are about your vacation, you often end up feeling grumpy when you arrive at your hotel. So am I either way. You’re feeling irritable, tired, hungry, and probably needing to pee after a long trip, and you want to take off your flight clothes and take a shower.
I love being greeted at a hotel with a friendly smile and a cold flannel. Fast and friendly check-in We appreciate her service and ultimately want to get to our room as soon as possible. I don’t want to tour. I don’t want someone to tell me how to use the blinds. I just want to relax.
Complimentary Water
Now, just a free bottle of water, please. And put it in the refrigerator. Why is the free water always left out so it’s warm and awful?
This is especially true in countries where tap water is not drinkable. There’s nothing worse than waking up at 4am (usually with a hangover) and being thirsty and having to open a £5 bottle of water.
Hot water
I was surprised to find that many supposedly high-end hotels don’t have hot water. I’m no diva, but there’s nothing worse than washing your mane in cold water!
Room overlooking Lake Vrynwy in Wales
Plug sockets in the right places
By “appropriate places” I mean next to the bed and next to the mirror. I know all the sleep experts say you shouldn’t sleep with your phone next to your bed, but let’s be honest, we all do it, and we don’t use our phones as alarm clocks. I like to have it on hand for snoozing morning.
It’s also frustrating to not have a hair plug near the mirror in your hotel room that you can use to blow-dry, straighten, or curl your hair. I can’t count the number of times I’ve tried to use my reflection in a window or TV to curl my hair.
Hairdryers
Speaking of hair dryers, I wish all hotel rooms had hair dryers. I’m not talking about those crappy things you sometimes find on your walls that take over an hour to dry your hair!
A suitcase stand
It’s great to have lots of storage space in hotels, but who actually unpacks their suitcase, folds their underwear, and puts it in a drawer? It is even more convenient if your hotel provides a stand for your case so you can place it somewhere other than the floor.
Private balconies overlooking the park always come in handy, such as at Cannizaro House
WiFi
It’s the 21st century. People need WiFi. Just because we don’t buy it, please stop talking about wanting us to switch it off.
Tea and coffee
I guess it’s the Brit in me that gets furious if I can’t make tea in my hotel room. No, he doesn’t want to pay £6 for a ridiculously large pot of tea. I just want to have a quick drink.
Simple light switches
At first, it seems nice to think of a hotel room full of gadgets. But it’s not so great when it’s 2am and you’re tired and want to sleep, but you can’t for the life of you figure out how to turn off the light.
I often had to try to pull the keycard out of the slot to turn off the lamp!
There’s nothing wrong with waking up in a treehouse in Jungle Bay, Dominica.
Healthy snacks in the mini-bar
Eating healthy while traveling can be difficult. Especially if you’re sharing a room with a fridge full of naughty treats. I would be happy if there was fruit in the minibar instead of Mars bars or Snickers.
Sure, I might eat Mars too, but washing it down with an apple wouldn’t be so bad.
Is there anything you wish all hotels had?