I always pack extra alligator clips for my hair and use them to keep the curtains closed. That does seem to be the one item I regularly leave behind however.
We once stayed in a hotel that had an infestation of a similar age group.
We couldn’t ride the elevator without stopping at every. single. floor. The kids would get on the elevator, punch every button, then immediately get off. Great fun :rolleyes:.
I stayed in a terrific hotel in Rome in December(Albergo del Senato, on square with Pantheon) with one problem:
They cut off the AC in September, and don’t turn it on until April for energy conservation reasons. (supposedly it’s a governmental mandate)
Anyway, with Rome being where it is, the early December daytime temperatures were warm enough so that our room was uncomfortably warm with the windows shut. Cracking the windows did the trick, but holy sweet Jesus, that piazza is LOUD at all hours of the night!
There were people outside yelling at each other, trucks going in and out, backing up with the usual back-up beeping, truck drivers yelling at each other, etc… I think there was maybe an hour or two window between about 4 and 6 am when it was relatively quiet.
Truly, the hours could have been worse.
But understand the way the room was laid out. Next to my door were some steps up to another level. After that were more steps to another level and around the corner. The first level was even with the bottom of my side window, and the other was even with the window over my bed. That meant that the sounds that I got from the other guests was their feet. And the levels are made out of wood, so that really amplified the sound.
Maybe I can’t fully describe how bad it was, but last year when the owner offered me that room again, I said oh hell no. If that was all he had available, I would have found a different hotel.
In fact, I met the couple who stayed in it last year. They had a hell of a time getting their baby to sleep.
I also stay in hotels about two weeks a month and definitely agree with a good chunk of these complaints, but I have to ask. . .
What the fuck are you guys thinking confronting people yourselves?
Seriously. I’ve had plenty of complaints about loud assholes in the hallway, but I’d never walk out there and get in their faces myself. Maybe it’s because I’m a single woman and I know my 5’3’’ ass is ripe for assaulting, but jeez. Just call the hotel and have them take care of it. I see here that, that hasn’t always worked for all of you, but at least you don’t have some asshole knowing where your room is and wanting to threaten you.
It depends on the type of disturbence. Tipsy wedding goers in the parking lot? I can handle that. Clear domestic abuse in the next room? That was a 911 call.
"Hi, front desk- the people in the next room/the hallway/ the parking lot are being crazy loud and I’m trying to sleep, do you think you could give them a call/ send security to let them know? I’m sure they don’t realize how loud they are being… . " usually takes care of whatever it is for me. And no one else will know it’s me who complained, so I’m nice and safe.
Are there always front desk people to call? At the places I normally stay, they usually close up shop at 9 or 10.
I’ve never, ever stayed at a hotel that didn’t have 24 hour staff. I mean, they not only usually have a front desk clerk, but also someone handling security. I guess it just depends where you’re staying.
(And so we’re clear: I’m not staying regularly at the Four Seasons or anything- these are solidly midrange hotels).
I’m there overnight at our hotel (and frankly, I’ve worked at lots of hotels - they’ve all had overnight staff. Whether that staff member is awake at 2 am is sometimes “iffy.”)
Yeah, I don’t recommend that one hotel guest confront another over a complaint. Call the front desk, explain the problem, and let me handle it. (That’s why I get paid the big bucks - ha!) It comes across much better if I call the room and say “Mr. Smith, I know you didn’t even realize it, but you probably fell asleep with your TV on too loud,” or “Ms. Jones, no doubt the kids are excited to be out of the car after your long trip, but they need to quiet down so that the other guests can get some sleep,” than a yelled “knock it off you idiots” from the next room. Gets better results and all.
As far as a physical confrontation, though? I’m a little taller than 5’3", but not the right physical specimen to be much of a threat. That’s why I know the police non-emergency number by heart…
It could be that the staff in the places I stay are just asleep and the office is closed. I’ve seen people roll in at close to midnight and get a room.
That was one of the Shrek sequels. They never should have let Tarantino direct.
There was one case where it didn’t work very well for me.
It was a very small, boutique hotel in Paris. There were only a few rooms on my floor. I was alone in a very small room. The room next to mine was larger and held a party of four or so college girls. They were tourists who came back late every night and were very loud. The walls were thin so I could hear every word.
After the second night I complained to the front desk. So what happened that night? The girls came back late as usual and were loud as usual. The only difference is that this time I could hear them taunting me for complaining about them.
Earplugs, people. Industrial-strength earpluds. Don’t leave home without them.
As someone else suggested earlier, even party types need to sleep sometime. The only difference is that they go to bed late and get up late. Just get up at 6 or 7 and start making lots of noise right next to their wall.
That’s what I should have done. Oh well, it was more than ten years ago.
Obviously, the procedures of a “very small, boutique hotel” are going to be significantly different than corporate policy of a chain. Don’t get me wrong, I like boutique hotels sometimes, too- but there’s a trade off in service for staying at such a place usually. This is one such instance.
Holy shit! The incredible nerve of some people! (I mean him, not you.) I don’t think we would have gone outside, either, but we’re Canadian - no confrontations, please.
That’s when you’re GLAD to wake up to the smell of diesel exhaust - the alternative being, you know, death.
Speaking of the AC, why are all hotels and motels so friggin’ HOT? It doesn’t matter what time of the year we’re travelling, our rooms are always stiflingly hot. I hate to use too much AC and waste all that power, but we can’t sleep with sweat dripping off of us. Then there’s the issues with the AC - it works intermittently, or it sounds like a jet engine taking off all night. Opening the windows might help, but then you get more noise and light (and depending on the floor, less security).
Yep, we lock our lobby at ten, but the night window is available 24 hours a day. And sometimes, on a slow night, the urge to take a quick nap at 3 am is almost insurmountable, so maybe the auditor was in the office with her head on the desk!
At our place, the room is hot because the AC is off until you arrive and set it for your comfort. We want you to use the air conditioner, we just don’t want to keep it running when no one is in the room - the environment and our power bill are happier that way. (Individual heating and air units in each room.) So feel free to set the thermostat at whatever temperature you like, and don’t feel guilty! (And don’t worry if you forget to switch off on the way out - housekeeping will be in shortly, they’ll prefer working in a cooler room, and they’ll switch off on their way out.)
So, you’re saying the thermostats in the rooms are actually connected to something? We were speculating that they aren’t, because they don’t ever seem to do anything. 