Imagine you have a handicap parking placard on your vehicle, but when you pull up to a hotel, the handicap accessible spot is taken by a taxi that is just idling in case someone needs a ride. You’d expect the hotel to ask the cab to move out of the way, yes? Apparenty not at one Fairmont hotel in California. [More]
hotels
Wipe Down That TV Remote Control In Your Hotel Room If You Hate Germs
By 6.20.12
If you’re the kind of person worried about what’s lurking unseen in hotel rooms, now might be the time to pack your travel Lysol and start making a plan of attack. A new study looking at surfaces in hotel rooms found that television remotes are one of the most heavily contaminated with bacteria. And then there are those housekeeping carts, which are veritable cross-contaminating trolleys for germs. [More]
Which Are The Best & Worst U.S. Hotel Chains?
By 5.24.12
School is almost done and the weather is getting warmer (or at least it’s supposed to be), which can only mean… well, it can actually mean an awful lot of things. But today we’re going to discuss which hotel chains people will look forward to staying in — and which ones they will be dreading — this summer. [More]
There's A Used Condom In My Room. Does The Hotel Owe Me Anything?
By 5.15.12
David and his wife were staying in a hotel over the weekend, and their lovely room came with a complimentary used condom on the floor. The staff on duty at the time swapped them into a different room, and promised that someone in charge would contact them in the morning. And that was the last they heard about it. He wonders: did they deserve a discount on their bill, a comped night, or anything at all for their trouble? [More]
Hotels Trying To Buy Time For Making Pools Accessible To The Disabled
By 5.4.12
Warmer weather is headed our way, and with the heat comes the desire to take a dip into a cool pool. But it’s not so easy for those with disabilities, which is why there’s a May 21 deadline for pools at hotels and recreation centers to be accessible. Some pool operators are pushing back against that mandate and asking for more time. [More]
Canceling Super 8 Reservation Somehow Leads To More Reserved Rooms
By 4.18.12
Reserve on the Web, cancel on the Web. Wouldn’t that make sense? Mike thought so, and he didn’t see anything indicating otherwise when he made his Super 8 reservation. But somehow, his reservation for one night turned into a two-night reservation after he canceled it because he was supposed to call the motel directly to cancel. Who knew that canceling a reservation could have the opposite effect? [More]
Hotels.com Customer Files Class-Action Suit Over Price Match Guarantee
By 2.22.12
On its website and in its ads, Hotels.com touts its Price Match Guarantee which says the company will match any lower published room rate — so long as the dates, hotel and room category match, and as long as the price match request is made before that hotel’s cancellation date. But one customer says Hotels.com’s policy isn’t so cut-and-dry and has filed a class-action lawsuit. [More]
You Can Qualify For Elite Status At Hotels Without Staying There A Million Nights First
By 2.17.12
The perks of being loyal to a hotel chain can make someone feel like George Clooney in Up In the Air — rolling in and out of locations with the greatest of ease and the least amount of hassle. But what if you’re not the kind of person who can rack up 75 or 100 nights per year at a hotel to qualify? There are ways around that hurdle. [More]
Priceline Upgrades You To Reportedly Bedbug-Infested Hotel
By 12.7.11
Ordinarily, it would be a good thing if Priceline upgraded your bid for a 3.5-star hotel to a 4-star bid. This sometimes happens when a classier hotel accepts your bid. It wasn’t much of a bonus for Lissa, though. She wanted to avoid a certain 4-star hotel because user reviews in various places complained of bedbug infestations, so she bid only on 3.5-star establishments. Of course, this bid landed her at the allegedly infested hotel. It took her several hours of customer service hell to get out of the situation, which is still better than being chomped on by bedbugs. [More]
16 Tips On How To Be A Better Hotel Guest
By 11.29.11
While most of the travel horror stories we cover on Consumerist involve airlines, the hotels, bed and breakfasts, inns and flophouses of the world are no stranger to regular readers. But one reader writes in to explain that the best way to get good service from hotel staff is to just be a decent human being. [More]
Three Unique Hotels That Feature More Than Standard Room And Board
By 11.14.11
A normal night’s sleep in a boring run-of-the-mill hotel room? Why bother, when you can slumber sweetly in a yurt perched on a cliff? If you seek the latest in extreme sleeping, you might want to check out a few of these unique hotels.
CNNMoney lists nine inns that are more than your average accommodations, including the below examples of inventive options. [More]
Lack Of Toilet Paper Leads Angry Hotel Guest To Do $2090 Worth Of Damage
By 11.11.11
When you have a problem with something missing from your hotel room, there are usually better ways to channel your frustration than by going on a rampage that results in more than $2,000 in damage. [More]
Homeland Security Teams Up With Major Hotel Chains To Fight Terrorism One Room At A Time
By 11.2.11
Just like last year’s program that once again made Walmart safe from terrorism, the Dept. of Homeland Security has announced a partnership that will remind us all to fight terrorism while stealing towels and toiletries from the hotel bathroom. [More]
Woman Who Stayed At Hotel For A Decade Finally Checks Out
By 10.31.11
A woman who first checked in to a Virginia Marriott more than 10 years ago has finally decided to move on. The company says she was the longest-term customer on record. The 79-year-old woman, who checked out after first moving into the hotel on Aug. 4 2001, chose to stay so long because the rate was cheaper than the $1,500 to $1,700 a month she would have had to dig up to rent an apartment in the nearby Washington, D.C. area. [More]
Hipmunk Now Finds Flights That Fit Into Your Schedule
By 10.26.11
Hey, busy travelers: If you’re tired of toggling back and forth between your Google calendar and the website you use for booking your flights, the folks at Hipmunk have come up with a way to integrate your schedule into your flight and hotel searches. [More]
Disneyland Hotel Workers Face "Electronic Whip"
By 10.21.11
Above ground, Disneyland is a world of wonder and enchantment. But getting the bedsheets as tight as the smiles on the workers faces takes a lot of hard work, and it happens underground. [More]
Hotel Books Guest Too Young To Check In: Now What?
By 10.20.11
Alex booked a flight/hotel package on the Allegiant Air that included a stay at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. The problem? He’s only 19, and you have to be 21 or older to check in there. So just call and cancel the reservation, right? It’s not that simple, because he’s afraid that the flight reservation will be canceled too if he nixes the hotel part of the package. [More]
Female-Only Hotel Floors Make A Comeback
By 10.14.11
A relic of the mid-20th century, women-only hotel floors seem to be on the rise. Depending on the hotel, the rooms tend to offer upgraded amenities meant to cater to female business travelers. A Washington, D.C. hotel that offers such floors connects guests to female networking events. [More]
