The other thread made me think of a question that’s always bothered me.
Why don’t large motel chains have “No vacancy” signs? Nothing’s more frustrating than to pull off the freeway at 2am, get out of the car, walk into the Ramada, wake up the desk clerk, and ask “do you have any rooms?” Being answered in the negative and then repeating ad nauseum.
When it would be so much more useful to look for the sign, like in the good ole’ days.
What happened to those signs?
I work for a hotel, and while I’ve never heard an “official” answer, my WAG is that such signs are associated with the little “no tell motel, rent by the hour” places. Low Class, dontcherkno. I have gotten into trouble for posting a sign on the door, Sorry, No Vacancies.
As an aside, if you dopers find yourself in a similar situation, please don’t take your frustrations out on the night clerk. He/she has probably been hearing it all night and is almost as unhappy about it as you are!
Three good reasons I can think of.
One offical and two I have learned.
I worked for Red Roof Inns, Budgetel, Days Inn, and Hampton Inns starting out.
The handbook says it is up to the desk clerk to find acceptable alternatives to potential guests that cannot be accommodatd.
The theory behind it is goodwill.
It does work. When I was a night auditor we routinely called first thing after my shift started. If I had no rooms I found them. If I needed rooms I told hotels send tem MY way.
It also worked as most night auditors are lazy sellers. They tell people they are sold out as they want to do their paperwork.
I worked at a dumply Clarion and the Sheraton down the street was NEVER sold out but he routinely sent me guests as he didn’t want to sell.
Second “Unoffical” reason. Guests are stupil. I if I had to clean a room a maid skipped or went to the bathroom, remember in most places they are the ONLY ones there) I put a handmade sign saying “No Rooms” as I didn’t want people to wait for awile. I soon found out people with RESERVATIONS thought that meant them TOO. And they left mad.
Finally, WEIRDOS.
I would not rent rooms to odd balls. My theory was if I wouldn’t have them as a guest in my house they weren’t welcome as a guest in my work. I could simply say, SORRY SOLD OUT.
And when you work OVERNIGHTS you get many odd balls.
Do I think this is right? No. Would I like a no vacancy sign. YES. But hotel research claimes that people DO NOT want them. I don’t believe it but every hotel trade magazine says it is so.
It also says people like to be addressed by their names. I HATE THIS. Simply yes sir or yes ma’am is enuff for me.
In my city all of them have Vacancy signs. Maybe its a city law? We only have one chain hotel & that is Days Inn, I haven’t checked to see if they have a sign.
Markxxx, do they really turn on “No Vacancy” so they can do paperwork even if they have rooms available?