To me, the clue is in the thread title - room.
Cleanliness would come a close second, but everything else is of little importance.
Comfy bed? I can fall asleep in an upright chair these days, so not so bothered about that.
Gadgets? Tend not to use them, my MacBook, dongle and portable radio is all I need. I looked at a big widescreen telly in one room and thought: "If that damn thing wasn't there, there would be a lot more space to put something down."
Fancy bathroom? Not really interested, there's rarely a window and it's not somewhere I spend more time in than I have to.
But again, there needs to be some room, so you can at least sit on the pot without one knee resting against the bath.
Decor? Largely lost on me.
No, the thing I like the most is space to move around in.
What floats your hotel room boat?
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In London I limit my prejudice to anything under £100 which doesn't leave you with a rash in the morning.
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Anything without a mouldy shower :-0
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...Anything without a mouldy shower :-0...
And the award for The Most Predictable Post of the Day goes to....:)
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 4 Aug 11 at 18:07
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Wee on the mould. It kills it.
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M'thinks one or two members are not taking this thread seriously.
I should have put a joke in the title, obviously.
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We're all wondering where you're off to Iffy?
For me it would be numerous sachets of coffee and milk unlike the paltry couple that's usually provided.
Free Wi Fi too is always a plus point.
The essentials like cleanliness and space I take for granted!
Pat
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...We're all wondering where you're off to Iffy?...
Anywhere with a bit of space and a clean shower.
The coffee point is a good one.
One of the things I like about most Marriott hotels is they have a little fridge in which I can put a carton of proper milk.
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If you need milk call for room service.
I completely forgot the most important feature.
A good cooked english breakfast (with the option of kippers or kedgeree) lots of fresh toast , good coffee and free newspapers.
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Steamed haddock with a poached egg on top. Crusty brown bread and strong good quality black coffee for brekkers.
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...If you need milk call for room service...
Done that in the past, but for the true 'at home' experience it has to UHT skimmed, so I take my own if I remember.
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>> it has to UHT skimmed
You drink UHT skimmed? Yuuuuuuuukkkkkk! I thought you'd have taken the hearty yorkshire approach (try not to get the udder in the tea when pouring).
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...You drink UHT skimmed?...
Only in tea and coffee, I now prefer it to fresh skimmed.
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I'm wary of drinking coffee brewed in a hotel room, tales of "interference" with kettles (one story of a condom in a kettle), prefer to Costa it when away.
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>> prefer to Costa it when away.
Yeah, I know what you mean but I find they get a bit sniffy if you stumble in starkers for an americano just after getting up and spark up a stogie while it's cooling.
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>> and spark up a
>> stogie while it's cooling.
You have, err, had a relapse have you?
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No of course not. Figure of speech.
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Of course, after all you don't smoke, do you.
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>> No
>>
You'd like one though, wouldn't you?
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Location.
It could be the finest hotel room in the world, but if its in Corby for example its still a scheiße-loch.
Hotels are only to allow you to be somewhere else.
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1. Clean/comfy Bed (spare pillows etc)
2. Clean bathroom
3. Nice smoke free smell
4. Telly with English language news if abroad
5. Silence at night.
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A view of the Mediterranean Sea
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Somewhere to sit other than the beds - two comfy chairs would be nice. Not near air con plants or kitchen extractor fans; quiet enough to have the windows open and also not get too many rural ponks, if in the country
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iPhone charger is a nice to have. Means i don't leave mine behind and saves me getting yet another when i forget to take mine.
Efficient check in / check out, nothing worse than when you've got somewhere to be and the generous 20 mins "just to be safe" you were counting on isn't enough. None of those kiosks either, they trip up past-it senior management types and cause a queue. Although that's a good opportunity to loudly huff and puff, you just know you're balancing karma in the world...
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A nice selection of quality tea.
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A branded teasmaid.
Something like a Goblin.
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So long as the beds comfy and does not smell and there's no pubes in there it will do for me.
Any extras you may get from the ladys of the night is a extra of course. :-)
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Hmmm, a goblin teasmaid. That's what Strauss-Kahn wanted wasn't it?
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>> Somewhere to sit other than the beds - two comfy chairs would be nice. Not
>> near air con plants or kitchen extractor fans; quiet enough to have the windows open
>> and also not get too many rural ponks, if in the country
>>
PONKS ??
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When I last stayed in London for business, colleagues were a bit upset when I mentioned I'd had problem getting the televisions working in my room - I had a lounge area too. It was an okay hotel but not brilliant - it was over £100/night but cannot recall the figure.
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Televisions ? How many for goodness sake ? :-)
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>> Televisions ? How many for goodness sake ? :-)
In my split level suite in the Venetian Hotel in Vegas we only had three. One in the toilet, one in the bedroom and one in the lounge.
We had three phones, two fridges, a fax machine and electric blinds and drapes.
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When I had more than one TV it was only two televisions though. One in the lounge and one in the bedroom. I just happened to mention I'd had difficulty getting any of the televisions to work and the other three just paused and looked at me and asked what room I had.
They were a bit miffed as we were all paying the same corporate rate.
Hotel looked like it should have been the headquarters for MI5 or something to me though. Guomon Tower in London. It was the nearest hotel we could use to the course that wasn't a budget hotel. I think it was £120-130 per night B&B. And not worth the money IMO.
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>> In London I limit my prejudice to anything under £100 which doesn't leave you with
>> a rash in the morning.
>>
My last stay in the smoke cost me 90 quid......not somewhere I'll be rushing back to in a hurry though
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The last time I was in London the hotel cost me 2p, so I can't comment. I tend to stay in university digs anyway there.
For me a good room will have simple unfussy decor, decent lighting, enough room not to feel cramped, feel safe and be reasonable modern. Plug sockets are essential.
Free or cheap WIFI is a bonus.
To me the most important thing though is it has to feel clean.
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Quite like Holiday Inn - not the most exciting, but you kind of know what you are going to get. When travelling on busines tend to stay in IC group hotels - good corporate rate and good reward programme.
When its with the family often stay in travelodge or premier inn - some good deals to be had in the room sales. Have bagged a few £9 rooms in the past - cant see that even covers the cost of cleaning the room, so like to do my bit and spend a few quid in the bar (if they have one)
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I used to like the IHC group also, but more recently I have been disappointed, especially in France, where I have found their service and cleanliness seriously lacking.
In the UK they tend to be fine but I find it annoying that even in top brands such as the Intercontinental in London, that you have to pay for internet access. The tray charges for room service really hack me off as well. (Great hotel, amazing restaurant and superb cocktail bar.)
I am also a platinum member of their priority club, so in the past I used to get upgraded, for example better room, goodies in the room like chocolates or bottle of mineral water or wine. This now very rarely happens.
I have slowly been looking for independent hotels in the areas that I go to and have been using them instead and I have not been disappointed yet.
(I will make the exception for the Crown Plaza Birmingham who went out of their way to feed and water me and the family after we got there significantly after the restaurant closed due to the M40 being closed and we had booked dinner bed and breakfast - service beyond the call and gave us a free drink also).
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A list of phone numbers of local prostitutes.
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They are always written on the flyleaf of the Gideons Bible.
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>>Quite like Holiday Inn
I recall staying at one opposite Euston station. SWMBO stepped out of the shower just as someone else let themselves into our room. He was sufficiently embarrassed to hot-foot it to reception, closely followed by me. The female member of staff proceeded to try and give me a lecture on how they respected customer's security. My cynical response, backed up by the intruder, resulted in the silly little girl being reduce to tears, so I told her to go and find someone responsible, that didn't help.
Shortly afterwards, John Peel on 'Home truths' described his problems at a recent stay in an un-named establishment. He stated he'd never had a "HOLIDAY IN" that place before.
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>> I recall staying at one opposite Euston station. SWMBO stepped out of the shower just as someone else let themselves into our room.
I arrived at a Marriot hotel very late one night, checked in and was given my room key. I went to the room, opened the door, put the light on and stared at the person in bed who was staring, bleery-eyed back at me. I don't know who was more surprised.
Went back to the reception and reported that my room was already occupied. "Well we don't have any other rooms" was the reply from the receptionist. "Ok, I'll go back to the room and sleep on the sofa then, shall I?" I replied.
They ended up giving me a room from a member of staff. More like a broom cupboard with a bed. Complained to Marriot HQ who weren't interested. At least Hilton had the decency to give me a free fully paid up weekend in a Suite in the Hilton of my choice when they messed up a room booking.
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...I arrived at a Marriot hotel very late one night, checked in and was given my room key. I went to the room, opened the door...
Something similar happened to me at the Marriott in Ayr, Scotland.
The room was obviously occupied, although the occupier was out.
I was upgraded to an executive room on the top floor.
It was big, with an enormous bed, a sofa, table and a couple of easy chairs.
There was no mould in the shower, so my happiness was complete.
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Did you put your shoes out for cleaning?
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...Did you put your shoes out for cleaning?...
Wouldn't risk it - lots of envious people about.
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Indeed, and also the risk of being woken by hysterical laughter I suppose.
:-)
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned a fridge.
I hate those 'corporate things'. Very expensive and I never touch them...allegedly they have sensors if you take their stuff out they try to charge you! We always put our own booze in to chill, although it's normally chilled already! (Boy Scout training)
Hence our liking for the 'Blue Moon' in Amsterdam. A nice empty fridge, view across a small park to the Rijksmuseum, and a rooftop terrace on which to breakfast/enjoy the view/get stoated, anytime, anyday, anywhere!
A view is always important to us. Whenever I book a room I ask for a view...Union Sq, St Pancras, Eiffel Tower, or just a field with sheep in. Even Piccadilly Station from the 7th floor of a corner room in the Mint Hotel Manchester. (one of our more uninspiring weekends away..sorry Lancastrians).
A decent shower, although SWMBO always prefers a bath. Yuk.
Nice carpet. I can do without tv, radio, ipod dock. Just a good quality, clean carpet please.
But NOT in the bathroom.
Bedside lights. So I can read the papers early on a morning without disturbing the somnolent.
Last edited by: legacylad on Thu 4 Aug 11 at 22:27
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I have stayed in hotels for work and decided to drink a can of coke say. And then replaced it the next day instead of paying stupid money.
I once ate a Mars bar as well.... and the local Tesco did not have any Mars bars at all. Not out of stock! Cartel? :-)
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Crickey and they say the Scots are tight ! I used to work with a bloke who would go to these self serve salad buffet type things and would "glue" lettuce leaves round the edge of the bowl with salad cream to raise the height of the dish so he could get more in it. I could imagine him rushing out to replace a can of Coke before the chambermaid got wind of him having drunk one !
Fair enough.
:-)
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Tight?
Was in Ikea in Southampton last Friday morning. The car park was full of cars loaded up with tents, the families inside the Ikea cafe stuffing down plates of the 99p for 6 items breakfast.
The extraordinary thing was they were stealing all the sachets of sauce and the little tubs of milk by the dozen, presumably for the weeks camping!
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Some people actually do need a slap.
:-)
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>> presumably for the weeks camping!
Cheers, I hadn't thought of that ;)
I've always kept a good supply of Mcdonalds' tissues in the passenger door bin for blowing noses, wiping childrens faces, mopping up spilt drinks etc - I replenish the stock every couple of months when I get dragged into one.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Thu 4 Aug 11 at 22:52
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I have only ever been into a McDonalds once...purely on the grounds of their packaging blowing freely around certain environs..which is not their fault. Only the subnormals who don't understand the concept of litter bins.
It was in the La Defence district, and I was very, very, drunk.
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Or people who leave chewing gum in the urinals.Or don't flush the toilet muckey B.S.
There are plenty of subnormals who trow litter next to the bin.
In Singapore instant problem when caught.
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>> "glue" lettuce leaves round the edge of the bowl with salad cream to raise the height
>> of the dish so he could get more in it.
That's a good tip; thank you.
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>What makes a good hotel room?
An ashtray, extensive 24hr room-service menu and a same-day laundry service.
If it has those, it probably has everything else I want.
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A Corby trouser press is high only the list, if only because it's dead easy to make cheese toasties in it.
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You are joking! I'd not eat anything that's been most things in hotel rooms!
.*******
EDIT: The ****** above were not a swear word or similar! Dave! :-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 5 Aug 11 at 00:38
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Having stayed in hundreds of hotel rooms over the years in many countries the main conclusion is that, apart from the really exceptional establishments, one hotel room is very much like another.
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>>>>A Corby trouser press is high only the list, if only because it's dead easy to make cheese toasties in it.
Ewwwww! ;-)
Last edited by: zippy on Fri 5 Aug 11 at 01:09
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Having stayed in many hotels that are used by flight crews I was always wary of what state the kettle was in.
It was often stated the kettle was used to boil smalls in :-(((((
The small ring of damage in the carpet was where an electric dip stick was used to heat water in a mug ( thus avoiding using the kettle).
Finally, avoid the floor level that flight crews are assigned to.
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Room to move around freely is nice. I used to want tv with lots of channels when we didn't have one at home, now I don't bother turning it on except for the weather forecast.
I find that, in recent years, standards in French hotels have gone down while it is now much easier to find a good standard, reasonably priced room in the UK. I now carry a small kit of bits and tools to repair/bodge French hotel shower fittings. Wifi is now almost everywhere though and usually free.
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The hotel where we stayed in France this year wasn't the best.Wallpaper hanging of the wall could be cleaner.And the owner had a couldn't care less attitude.Didn't like the Brits and the Dutch the inpression we got.They looked after the French people.
Never mind once bitten twice shy.One of the best hotel we have stayed was in Florida,spotless good food and top service.
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>> Finally, avoid the floor level that flight crews are assigned to.
Worst. Advice. Ever. :-P
Some trolley dolly's are surprisingly willing, and capable! Great fun.
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>> Some trolley dolly's are surprisingly willing, and capable! Great fun.
....................and that's only the males!
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Suppose I should say that cheese toastie comment was TIC, but a damned good idea anyway. Think it came from Red Dwarf.
My list of essentials:
* Blackout curtains
* Shower with decent pressure and temperature control.
* Tea and coffee making facilities.
* Iron that's not covered in melted black goo.
* Quiet.
* Access to the Executive Lounge is always a bonus.
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>> * Blackout curtains
>> * Shower with decent pressure and temperature control.
Amen, brother. Amen. But I'd add a shower screen, rather than curtain. I always manage to flood the blasted bathoom with shower curtains. Clot that I am.
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A window that opens. If I wanted to join the submarine service I would have done.
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...But I'd add a shower screen, rather than curtain...
As I'm the forum expert on hotel showers....
Curtains are easier to keep clean, and cheap to change if they do get grubby, which is why hotels tend to use them.
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Very clean
Quiet
Double glazing or 4th floor
Blackout curtains
A decent sized shower cubicle with a power shower
Good quality biscuits for pre breakfast nibble
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In order of preference
Clean
Blackout Curtains
Comfy Large Bed
A Decent power shower
:-)
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One with a manager's special (ie free bar) is always a bonus :-)
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>>>>One with a manager's special (ie free bar) is always a bonus
Great fun and often done in the US where in some places drinks can be expensive. Not good for meetings the next day though!
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>> >>>>One with a manager's special (ie free bar) is always a bonus
>>
>> Great fun and often done in the US where in some places drinks can be
>> expensive. Not good for meetings the next day though!
>>
Yep great way of saving a bit of cash, and a great start to the night. Work the next day, you just need somewhere to hide! The first time we'd seen anything like that, was an interesting month :-)
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On a business trip to Mumbai a few years back I turned up at the hotel to find that not only had I been given a penthouse suite the size of my apartment for my weeks stay, but that I also had my own butler. I double checked at the reception to make sure there wasn't some confusion or that they weren't expecting a different Mr. Bagpuss. Also obviously double checked to make sure it wasn't going to end up costing a gazillion rupees per night.
Unfortunately I'm from the wrong social background to know what to do with a butler. The first thing he did was try to unpack my clothes. I'd been travelling around the backend of beyond in China for the previous 2 weeks so my clothes were not in pristeen condition to put it mildly, and I told him to leave it. In the end he made me a cup of tea, peeled an apple for me and appeared happy.
When I went swimming in the hotel pool he would fold up my clothes. I found it very unnerving and ended up trying to sneek out of the room when I thought he wasn't watching.
He did point out though that being in the suite entitled me to free cocktails in the Lounge which was nice, but difficult to coordinate with customer visits. There was also a bottle of wine in the room each day, complements of the hotel. I ended up taking them with me. The furniture in the room looked so disturbingly expensive I was actually afraid of damaging something.
How I ended up there will remain one of the great mysteries of life.
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>>>Butler!
I get embarrassed when the maid comes in to the room to do the bed on the odd occasion that I am still in, as I think that is something I really should be doing myself! :-)
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Maybe, zippy, it's a Protestant work ethic thing...
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Bagpuss - that is brilliant.
I've just had a night in a Radisson - it was all very acceptable, especially for £79. I normally work shifts, so made a mental note to replicate their idea of blackout curtains. I was most confused to awake at 09:00 to complete darkness.
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>> I get embarrassed when the maid comes in to the room to do the bed
>> on the odd occasion that I am still in, as I think that is something
>> I really should be doing myself! :-)
Why not invite her to join you, then you wouldn't have to do it yourself.
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What makes a good hotel room? - Runfer D'Hills
