Staying at a hotel is always a great experience when everything goes right. Right from the booking to check-out. And If it doesn’t go the way you expected, you always have the hotel room services to get things fixed.
But what if I tell you, Hotel room services too do not have all the solutions?. In this post, I am going to share 9 misconceptions about the hotel room services and give you suggest what might be done to avoid such situations.
9 misconception about hotel room services
Hotel staff can fix any problem
This is a general misconception about the hotel room services that the hotel manager and his staff can solve any problem. Yes, they can help you with any shortfall in the service provided but expecting them to come up with a solution for any issue is unrealistic.
For example, if you check-in to and find out that the water is not coming in the taps for whatever reasons. You can contact the hotel staff or manager regarding the issue.
And I am sure that the issue will be resolved within the next 20 minutes. Similarly, if you found that the electric socket near to your bed isn’t working? Call the reception or room service number and they will send an electrician to get it fixed.
But what if I say you didn’t like the color of the wall and find it disturbing? Or the marbles in the bathroom? Now, even if the manager wishes to help you with that he cannot at the same time. All he can do is move you another room whose wall color is okay for you.
But that too depends on the availability of the rooms. If all the rooms are booked, he cannot help you.
Early Checkings at the hotels
Now, this is the problem that we all have faced in our business travels and overnight journeys. The standard check-in time for most of the hotels is 11:00 am.
Reaching at 6 am and expecting hotel staff to let you check-in is not possible, especially if all the rooms are booked. Some hotel charge extra for early check-ins.
So what you can do??
Plan your journey accordingly. Book your travel tickets such that you don’t reach nither too early, nor too late. Reaching an hour before standard check-in times is okay.
Also, what you can do is book room in the hotel that allows early check-ins. There are many hotels that allow early check-in at no or minimal extra charge. Booking room online via hotel booking sites is always a convenient way to do so.
This will not only save you from the early check-in hassle (in term of money and time) but ensure a smooth check-in and stay.
Hidden cameras in the hotel rooms
No hotels hide cameras in the hotel rooms. It is strictly against the privacy of the guest and also puts their hotel license and reputation at risks.
Hotel owners take the privacy of their customers seriously and avoid such misconducts. Doing such a thing is a criminal offense and invites huge penalties along with cancellation of the license.
But what you can do ensure it yourself?
- First thing first, book a room that has a good reputation. Whether you book online or at the hotel, know what other people say about that hotel. Online websites do provide rating systems for the hotel, so you can see the reviews and book accordingly.
- When you check-in and enter your room, inspect the room properly. The mirrors, tube light holders, bathrooms etc. Make sure that everything is okay.
Hoteliers will interrogate you if you are a couple
Hoteliers do not interrogate you about your relationship status, and they don’t even have to. This is a big misconception in a country like India that you will be asked about your relationship.
No hotel does that. Hoteliers are only concerned about guest involved in any illegal activities and nothing else. So you need not worry about it.
But the best that you can do at your end is Book rooms in the couple friendly hotels. I know some of the hotels that don’t allow unmarried couples, but there are lots that do.
Best way to find these hotels is to book online. These sites exclusively show which hotels allow and which don’t. So go for the one that allows.
Food menu of the Hotel room services and hotel restaurant are the same
If you think that you get the food at your room at the same price as that at the hotel restaurant, think about it again.
Hotel generally charges little extra for delivering food at you rooms for quite a few reasons. Some of the reason is as below
- Managing kitchen 24×7 is a tough work. Kitchens at the hotels are open throughout the night for customers and charging little extra makes it worth for the chefs who prepare food for you at 2 am.
- Hotels do charge more than normal when there are no good food outlets nearby. So that you charge you extra for providing quality food at your doorstep.
What you can do??
If you want to save those extra bucks, book rooms in the hotel where you can find good restaurants nearby.
The food you order is prepared in the hotel
No, that doesn’t happen in every case. Just because you see a menu in your room, that doesn’t mean the hotel has a kitchen or chef on-site.
Some hotels have tie-ups with local restaurants and eateries and they outsource their room service. This helps them to cut down kitchen operation and maintenance cost.
To cut down cost further by eliminating overnight chef and keeping pre-prepared food and just heat them up when ordered. It mostly happens when sandwiches, burger tea are the only things that are available after a certain time.
Also Read:
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Wifi and food charges are included in the booking amount.
It depends exclusively on the hotel. Though it is common to provide wifi for free as I said it depends on the hotel.
Some hotel may charge you for wifi you use. Some hotels, mostly in the hilly area don’t even have a wifi connection because of poor connections. So all hotels have a wifi connection is a myth.
Normally All hotels provide free breakfast(and some might provide for lunch and dinner), but it is not the case with all the hotels. They may charge for foods that you order.
what you can do??
Read all the hotel related policies at the time of booking. What all services they provide, wifi connections, food charge, electricity back-up etc. Or better ask about all these things at the reception at the time of check-in.
Stay can be extended without prior information
Assuming that you can extend your stay after checkout time or at the last moment before checkout time is completely wrong. This is because other customers could have booked rooms and might be waiting for check-ins.
Nowadays, since the rooms are booked online, most of the hotels their here rooms booked a day prior. That means, if all the rooms are booked then you cannot extend your stay in the hotel. The hoteliers will ask you for check out as he cannot do much about it.
So, avoid last-minute Extention as it doesn’t ensure room availability.
what you can do??
If you are not sure whether you will need to extend your stay for the next day or not, talk to the reception that very same day. Tell them about the uncertainty and let them know that you may stay for the next day as well.
The hotel will keep reserved and call you if they found that rooms are booking fast.
An extended stay will cost the same
The extended stay may not have the same cost that you booked for initially. The tariffs of rooms keep on changing and there is 80% chance that the room you booked has a different tariff now.
This mostly happens if you have booked the room online.
So, If you plan to extend your stay at the same, follow the following points to do so:
- If you have booked the room online, check for its price on the same booking website. If its less than what you booked for, book it again right away.
- If it is more than what you booked for, contact the reception and let them know about your plans. Ask them for the same price and you have more chances that you’ll get the room for the initial booking price.
Make sure you contact the reception at least 5 to 6 hours before scheduled check-out time so that they can reserve the room for you.
Conclusion
These were they nine misconceptions that we generally have regarding hotel room services. It is always best to ask reception what all services they provide and for what cost before assuming by your self.
What you think of the hotel room services, are they good? Share your experience in the comment section.
