Questions tagged [hotels]
For questions related to "hotels" specifically rather than "accommodation" generally. See also the "hostels" tag.
544
questions
85
votes
18answers
39k views
How to cope with too slow Wi-Fi at hotel?
So many hotels I stayed at (3~4 stars ratings) provided too slow Wi-Fi. The speed is somewhere around 2~3Mbps, and it frequently falls down to <200Kbps.
However, once you find that your hotel ...
85
votes
7answers
20k views
How to avoid hotels with bellhops in the USA
Many guides to tipping in the USA include a specification to tip a "bellhop" at a hotel, which is apparently an employee who expects to be paid separately for the "service" of accompanying the guest ...
75
votes
6answers
26k views
My hotel “blocked” 5,000 dollars when I arrived and now is taking again the money
I'm staying in San Francisco for 2 weeks. When I arrived I gave my European debit card to the hotel, and they (at least, I thought so) withdrew the 5,000 dollars I owed them for the whole stay.
...
74
votes
7answers
63k views
What is a continental breakfast and what other types of breakfasts are there?
When I look for an hotel I often see the "continental breakfast" expression when they refer to their breakfasts.
I looked up the expression on Google and found:
a light breakfast, typically ...
71
votes
4answers
25k views
Why do some hotels ask you to leave the key at the reception when you go out to come back later?
Sometimes when I check in at a hotel I am asked to drop the key at the reception before leaving the premises, even if I will stay longer.
When this happens, I normally do like they ask me, but ...
70
votes
9answers
9k views
What kind of things can you take from a hotel?
Hotels normally provide a big amount of sets (well, depending on the quality, but however, many!) that can help you feel more comfortable there.
So for example you can get towels, slippers, candies, ...
69
votes
4answers
22k views
What is a “French bed room” in German hotel terminology?
I have booked a hotel room in Germany.
On the reservation confirmation, it says:
Room category: 1 × French bed room non-smoking
What is a French bed room?
65
votes
6answers
25k views
In US hotels, what happens if you skip checkout and just leave the hotel?
Every time I check out of a hotel, they ask me if my stay went fine, let me review my incidental charges and ask if they should charge the credit card used to check in.
But what if I simply walk out ...
64
votes
5answers
11k views
Should I not use double things in a double room if I have booked it as a single guest?
Some hotels physically don't have single rooms even if they can be booked so. The towels, soap, shampoo and so on are always for two guests. I'm not a wasteful person, but I wonder if I'm allowed to ...
63
votes
8answers
11k views
Why are some hotels asking you to book through Booking.com instead of matching the price at the front desk?
It's happened to me a few times when I've wanted to book a room the same day. I've researched the prices on various hotels before visiting a hotel. At the front desk I present how many days I want to ...
60
votes
4answers
20k views
Are hotel “safes” really a joke to open?
I have seen all kinds of videos on YouTube demonstrating trivial methods of opening hotel safes, the kind that are in the room. In one video the guy opens the safe with a potato.
Are these videos ...
58
votes
11answers
18k views
How do I insist that American hotels accept my employer's credit card for payment, instead of asking for personal credit card upon check-in?
I work for a state government body in the United States. As a part of my work, I occasionally have multi-day travel. My hotel stays are paid by my employer and are tax-exempt.
I frequently run into a ...
55
votes
2answers
11k views
Navigating the layers of American hotel beds: where are you actually supposed to sleep?
Silly question perhaps but I'm a bit puzzled. The bed has a mattress, mattress pad, sheet 1, sheet 2, a thin white blanket, sheet 3, duvet with a removable cover and some more decorative stuff.
In ...
54
votes
4answers
11k views
Does declining housekeeping deny housekeepers of their income?
Whenever I stay in US hotels I typically decline housekeeping, as I don't want to cause them to have to do extra unnecessary work. But today I wonder whether by denying them the opportunity to clean ...
50
votes
4answers
10k views
Host telling me to cancel my booking in exchange for a discount?
I booked through booking.com about 2 months ago, made a prepayment and everything. The place I booked has free cancellation up until 2 weeks prior.
Now, the host has e-mailed me offering me a ...
50
votes
6answers
14k views
Is it normal to walk around an (American) hotel in pajamas?
I recently spent a weekend in a hotel with a bunch of friends and colleagues. To help cut down on costs, some of us shared rooms.
I like reading before I go to sleep, but my room-mate was tired and ...
50
votes
6answers
35k views
What is the purpose of this cloth in hotel?
What is the purpose of the cloth across the bed? I see it at many hotels and it does not seem to serve any purpose other than make it look nice. Any idea what it can be used for?
Ps. The purplish ...
48
votes
6answers
15k views
Is there a reason for heavy doors in hotels? [closed]
Almost every hotel I've been in has had an enormously heavy door that bangs when it closes. Now, I've been to many homes, offices, and retail outlets with solid doors that have a definite pull-back ...
46
votes
8answers
13k views
Can a hotel cancel a confirmed reservation?
I booked a hotel a yesterday though Booking.com for a special occasion in Barcelona (I'm traveling from another European country). The booking isn't for another few months.
The booking includes:
...
46
votes
6answers
82k views
What happens if you cannot pay for a hotel?
What happens if you cannot pay for your hotel stay because you accidentally run out of money (can happen) or your credit card was blocked (much more likely)? I assume you cannot arrange the money on ...
44
votes
4answers
12k views
How does Expedia manage to sell a room significantly cheaper than the hotel itself?
I was recently booked in to the Hyatt Ziva All Inclusive in Puerto Vallarta booked direct through the Hyatt website. The room rate was approx. $650 per night.
This evening, I was casually browsing on ...
43
votes
2answers
10k views
Hotel booking: Why is Agoda much cheaper than booking.com?
I noticed that Agoda.com often offers significant cheaper prices than booking.com when comparing prices (looking at the same hotel, same room type, same dates...).
I wonder why that is considering ...
43
votes
1answer
7k views
What happens to the unfinished open soaps in hotel bathrooms?
Inspired by what I (and many others) thought this question would be about:
What happens to all the half-used (or more likely 5% used) soaps in hotel bathrooms?
You check into a hotel. You open a ...
40
votes
5answers
22k views
What is the hotel room card slot inside the room for?
Several hotels I've stayed in lately (in the Middle East if that matters) have a card slot just inside the door of the room, and it appears that the lights/AC in the room only work if you have one of ...
40
votes
5answers
2k views
Is there any way of evaluating the quality of a hotel's internet connection in advance?
I'm on the road a lot for work. I tend to end up staying at a lot of budget chain hotels that offer free wi-fi. So far so good. But sadly, not all wi-fi is created equal. The past few weeks I've been ...
39
votes
6answers
13k views
Can a mixed-Muslim unmarried couple share hotel rooms in Indonesia?
I am a muslima with Moroccan passport, and my boyfriend is European. Do you think that we might have problems sharing a room in Indonesia? We do not plan on going to Aceh. We will mostly go to ...
39
votes
13answers
12k views
How can I deal with extreme temperatures in a hotel room?
Recently I've been on a business trip in Germany and I had a temperature problem in my hotel room.
Since it was an attic room without air conditioning the temperature rose to uncomfortable levels ...
38
votes
2answers
143k views
Can a hotel kick you out if you let an unregistered guest share a room with you?
We are going to an event and because of this event all hotels are fully booked. Now a friend wants to join us, but can't find accommodation. We are okay with him crashing in our hotel room, either on ...
37
votes
9answers
55k views
I have discovered that the hotel room toilet is blocked, but too late. What should I do?
Ok, I have used the toilet after holding myself for too long because of a long haul flight and I am not comfortable using the airplane's lavatory. The problem is, after releasing all the damn load, I ...
36
votes
5answers
19k views
What are the rates posted on hotel room doors / in the lobby for?
When I'm travelling, I often see hotel room rates posted on the back of the hotel room door (typically in the US) or in the lobby, behind the check-in desk. These rates are typically eye-wateringly ...
35
votes
4answers
13k views
Why do hotels often not allow you to swim after dark?
I have seen many times, usually when the hotel swimming pool is an outdoor one (maybe that has something to do with it) that you are not allowed to swim outside certain hours (e.g. 10am to 8pm), even ...
34
votes
8answers
24k views
Can I get a hotel room in the US when I am 18 years old?
A friend and I would love to visit Seattle next year. By then, we'll both be 18 years old. Is it possible for us to get a hotel room for about a week, even though we aren't 21 years old? If not, is ...
34
votes
4answers
6k views
Large shelves with food in US hotels; shops or free amenity?
While booking hotels in the US (Dallas, TX specifically) I found that many hotels have an area that features shelves with food, fridges and freezers. I see no price tags with the products. Does this ...
33
votes
13answers
2k views
Is there any way to spend a night in a European castle?
I spent a night in a jail converted to a hotel in Switzerland, and it made me wonder if there is a real castle converted to an hotel in Europe.
And with "real" I mean the castle should have a ...
33
votes
4answers
51k views
What should I do if I forgot to turn in a hotel room key card after checking out?
I recently stayed at a hotel and received two room key cards to access the room: one for me and one for my brother. They are like credit cards with a magnetic strip to swipe into the door lock. My ...
33
votes
4answers
5k views
When should I book my hotel if prices are inflated due to a major event?
My problem: I recently booked a business trip about three months out, noticing slightly too late that there's a huge event (Formula 1 race) happening in town the previous weekend and all the remotely ...
32
votes
3answers
43k views
What is the etiquette around sex in hotel beds?
What etiquette is involved for copulation in hotel (not motel) beds?
There doesn't seem to be a lot of information about this around.
32
votes
3answers
12k views
People in the next room in my hotel are having noisy sex; I can't sleep! What to do?
The people in the next room are having sex all night! it is early morning and I can not sleep and my flight is in a few hours! Their bed is hitting the wall because of the action which makes a great ...
31
votes
4answers
26k views
Hotel Pool FAQ and Etiquette
For quite some time when traveling I was happy when I had access to a shower with non-freezing water, when my bed was not part of a shaky triple bunk bed in a basement and noise-level was low enough ...
31
votes
3answers
21k views
What are the signs of a bed bug infestation?
Bed bugs have become a real problem recently, with more and more places reporting outbreaks. What can you do to avoid being exposed to these nasty parasites?
If you do get exposed, what can you do ...
31
votes
1answer
37k views
What is proper etiquette on bringing one night stands to a hotel room?
somewhat related to "Can a hotel kick you out if you let an unregistered guest share a room with you?":
In the, alas, completely hypothetical scenario where I'm out in a foreign town and just happen ...
30
votes
5answers
8k views
Is it OK to play the piano housed in the lobbies of hotels?
I travel a lot and often find grand pianos in lobbies of hotels. Is it appropriate to just sit down and play them for a while (FWIW, I am good and play slow classical music. My playing will not ruin ...
29
votes
4answers
10k views
How is it possible for a hotel to have Wifi but no internet access?
I have been looking at a few hotel aggregators (hotels.com, trivago.com & hostelworld.com) & have noticed that many of them have separate options for "Free Wifi" & "Free internet access". ...
29
votes
6answers
10k views
May a hotel provide accommodation for fewer people than booked?
I booked a room in a hotel in Vienna for 3 people (2 adults and 1 child - 8 years old). I received an email from Agoda.com that confirms these details. The hotel sent me an email confirmation too, but ...
29
votes
5answers
112k views
Why do hotel booking sites ask for the number of people? Does it matter how many I say?
I was planning a stay at a hotel in Chicago for an overnight layover and checking prices on the hotel's booking site (in this case the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport) for a room with 2 double beds. The ...
28
votes
5answers
31k views
What are mini-bar policies for one-night stays in hotels?
I've had this question on my mind for a while now because I've never understood how this works. I began traveling two years ago for personal reasons and sometimes I've stayed in various hotels for the ...
28
votes
3answers
21k views
Is it ok to refuse housekeeping services at a hotel?
I'm about to stay at a 4-star hotel in Stockholm for 5 days. Is it ok to request that I don't want my room to be cleaned or the housekeeping staff to enter the room?
The reason for this is mainly ...
28
votes
9answers
6k views
Booking a hotel for unusual hours
My flight arrives at Budapest at 1:00, and the next flight leaves at the same day at 23:00. I need a hotel to leave my luggage and have some sleep during this 22 hours period. But, usual hotels can ...
28
votes
4answers
11k views
Buying hotel breakfast without having a room?
I'm wondering how common it is for hotels to allow people to pay for breakfast even if they don't have a room. In other words:
Come in the morning
Pay a fixed price in reception
Eat breakfast
Leave
...
28
votes
5answers
32k views
How do I find the cheapest date to book a given hotel?
I am looking for a site or service that allows me to search a hotel (or hotels, or a specific beach/location) for the cheapest date.
Most sites want you to tell them when you plan to visit.
I WANT ...
