If you’ve never stayed in a hotel before and are wondering what you should do or how you should behave, well there is just one rule: have fun – it’s a vacation. Yes, even if you are on a business trip, part of travelling away for a business trip is about having some fun after the meetings are over. If you are on a vacation, then the hotel accommodation part is the vacation within the vacation. It’s a place where you get to have people serving you and a place where the only rule is to treat other guests, the same way you would like to be treated. So here are seven things to remember when you are a guest at an inn, a hostel, or even a bed and breakfast.
Recycling Jokes
Unless you’re Jerry Seinfeld, keep your jokes to a minimum. Not because you’re not that good at it, but because the hotel staff have probably heard it a thousand times. Retelling it to them one more time is just making them force laughter to be polite. If you really want to get good service leave the jokes at home.
Trip Advisor Strategies
When you write a review on Trip Advisor about your experience and hotel accommodation make sure it’s a real honest review and not a way to get back at the staff for not laughing at your recycled jokes (see above) or because they wouldn’t give you a complementary free night.
Don’t be too hard on them
Not everything is going to be exactly perfect the way you want it to be. If you want your monogrammed pillows with exactly your initials, then you might want to bring those with you, unless you’re spending five digits per night. Other than that perfection comes from being in a great mood. That way even stormy skies look great, otherwise even blue skies will look gloomy. Give the hotel staff a break on the nitty gritty.
Use the Room
Most trips incite public displays of affection (PDA) in the lobby. Keep that to a minimum or none at all. There are other guests who are enjoying the hotel for the hotel’s sake and would not appreciate having to explain to their four year old why your hands are being naughty. That’s what the room is for.
Smoking in Non-Smoking Rooms
So many people do this, it’s not funny anymore. They book a non-smoking room, because the smoking rooms are already fully booked, or they themselves do not like the smell of stale smoke, then they smoke in the non-smoking room. This is in poor taste because it leaves a stench behind for the next guest, and it somehow gets to the neighbors who are trying to enjoy clean air. If you have to go down to the bar or across the street to have a puff.
Mind Your Manners at the Buffet
The buffet has an unwritten rule that says you eat what you can and not any more. Just because it s one price for all, doesn’t mean one should waste the food by loading up then not finishing. What’s worse is that you load up and doggie bags it. Come on, really, did you bring your dog on vacation? Eat as much as you can, by all means, and leave the rest for the others. If you think you may feel snackish later, try the convenience store by the concierge’s desk.
Tip Jars are meant to Accept Tips
Believe it or not many people dip into tip jars for change thinking that is just small amount. That’s not nice. That tip jar is for the staff to share. Everything there, which is not a lot to begin with is for the boys and the girls working hard so that you can have a good time. They have to share that, and it doesn’t add up to much, so remember that. If you need change, check with the concierge, they will be glad to hook you up. Oh, and by the way, tip him for that.
For more details please log on to Hotel.com.au.
