Barnorama All Fun In The Barn
Take it from somebody who has actually worked in hotels, all of these facts are true. Although some of these may be a bit gross, have no fear. There are simple tricks to help you make your next stay in a hotel great.
To start things off, if you want a cheaper rate, don’t go through the third party websites to book your room. For one, it costs the hotel a lot more money, and therefore it will usually cost you more. The only time you really want to use these sites is the day of your stay, as the hotels will open up a special low rate only available to those sites in order to increase occupancy by beating out the competition.
If you want to check-in early, think again. Hotels are usually busy places and it takes time to get all of the rooms cleaned. This is why there are specific check-in times. Demanding an early check in may result in a half-assed cleaning job, therefore leaving you exposed to whatever the previous guests left behind. Gross.
It’s gross, but yes it’s true. High-end hotels will typically clean everything, but most hotels will only do the bare minimum. It’s all about the bottom line. Throw the top blanket off of the bed and just use what’s underneath. That is usually your best bet.
This is why they say you should bring a can of Lysol with you to hotels. Okay, maybe they don’t say that, but you really should. Newer hotel remotes will be made with special anti-bacterial plastic, but unless it says so, you can guarantee that you’ll be sharing germs with the Cheetoh-eating 5-year old who slept in the hotel room before you.
It’s all about speed for the housekeeping crew, so many times housekeepers will just use the same cloth to wipe down everything, including your water cup. If it’s glass, take a pass. Only use pre-wrapped plastic cups. This is the best option.
Have you ever seen anyone cleaning the pool furniture at a hotel? Didn’t think so. It’s because it rarely happens. Always put down a towel before you pop a squat, it’s much more hygienic this way.
Have you ever seen the signs that say Valet isn’t responsible for damage or theft? Well, that protects them from giving a shit. Actually, they want to take care of your cars, however they are usually understaffed and under extreme pressure to move fast. Therefore they drive fast… and reckless.
Cancellation fees can get you into quite a bit of a pickle. Most hotels wont let you cancel within a certain period, but they typically don’t mention anything about moving the dates. Now, it definitely screws hotels over a bit when you do this, but it can save you a lot of money. It all depends on whether you want that on your conscience or not.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never personally seen this work in any of the hotels that I’ve worked at, but it makes sense. Hotels are there to meet all of your needs, and if you have a problem with something, they will do anything to fix it. So, if you want a free movie, just call and ask. If you’re a good negotiator, this will be pretty easy, especially since you’ll catch the front desk agent off guard.
Do yourself favor and talk to the concierge. Not only are they a wealth of information, they have coupons for everything. Businesses owners walk right through the doors of hotels and drop off promotional deals for the concierge. If the concierge fulfills a certain amount of referrals, they will get a kickback. But usually, the coupons that they will give you will save you quite a bit of money. Do this every night you are there and you can shave a lot of money off of your final bill for the trip.