Okay, genuine question, do you like to stay in hotels? Because I do, very much. Well, mostly on vacations, because what can be better than the feeling of not having to worry about anything – fresh bedsheets, towels, you leave a little mess in the room before going out and you come back to a perfectly tidied room. So all you need to do is just enjoy and relax.
However, sometimes, staying in a hotel can bring a lot of misunderstandings upon arrival – just like this one Reddit user who had a not-so-pleasant conversation with one of the guests. She had misunderstood the hotel policy, spoke rudely to the receptionist, and after realizing it was her mistake, she was embarrassed and walked off.
More info: Reddit
Being rude to staff won’t prove your point if it’s already wrong – more likely, you will be embarrassed instead
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
This woman shared that since the pandemic, the hotel where she works offers daily housekeeping only by request
Image credits: Liliana Drew (not the actual photo)
A guest started bawling about how every hotel cleans rooms, and despite the receptionist’s explanation that they also do that but she had to request it, she continued huffing in disbelief
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
After a while, the guest started speaking to the receptionist as if to an idiot, asking if she can at least have a clean room to go into
At that point, the receptionist understood the misunderstanding, explaining the rooms are already clean and that during their stay, guests need to request additional cleaning
Image credits: u/Amanda_Jamesss
She understood her mistake, mumbled something, and hurried off
Recently, a Reddit user remembered one funny exchange she had with a guest where a lady misunderstood the cleaning policy, spoke rudely to the receptionist, and after realizing her mistake, stormed off. The post caught quite a lot of attention and collected more than 1.5K upvotes and almost 200 comments.
The author shares that the incident took place in a hotel when a guest came to check in. She explained that, since the pandemic, they don’t have automatic daily housekeeping, meaning that nobody will go to her room to clean the next day, only if she asks for it. Well, that’s when the guest went berserk. She started screaming that no hotels do that and that it’s nonsense.
The receptionist again explained that they are going to clean her room but she just has to request it, and then asked what would be the convenient time to do this. The guest’s reaction didn’t change and she kept staring in absolute shock. Then, she started speaking to the OP like as if to an idiot, asking if she can have the room cleaned now before she enters it.
After a while, OP finally understood where it was coming from. She starts laughing, explaining that the room is already clean and she meant the additional cleaning during their stay. The author adds that the guest thought she got a dirty room and needed to request to clean it. After she finally realized her mistake, she put the blame on being tired and hurried off.
Community members laughed at this situation and shamed the rude guests that they also encounter at hotels. “Honestly. The number of grown adults who freak out about not having another adult make their bed for them every day is alarming,” one user wrote. “This is a constant cause of argument in the hotel I work at. They don’t pay attention and listen at check in and then they come down upset because their room wasn’t cleaned,” another added.
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
For more insights, Bored Panda got in touch with Alex Miles, who loves to travel and is the editor at OffMetro, a travel based blog. He kindly agreed to share some noticeable trends in the hospitality industry impacted by the pandemic, the most unique or surprising hotel policies, and the importance of effective communication in hotels in creating a positive guest experience.
“The pandemic’s impact on the travel world and the hospitality scene in particular—was like a tale rife with unexpected twists!” Alex starts. He shares that during his globetrotting jaunts, he has stumbled upon a plentitude of changes in hotels. Some of them have upgraded their sanitation standards to superhero levels, wielding disinfectants like caped crusaders.
But as he says, there’s a catch – the capes are those trendy hotel masks, not quite stylish but so effective! Also, contactless check-ins now reign supreme, turning once-beloved reception desks into a ghost town where room keys materialize like magic! “It’s all quite the spectacle!”
Now, speaking about unique hotel policies – “buckle up for a wild ride! There’s this one hotel we encountered that employed an undercover ninja housekeeping team—they sneakily tidy up rooms only when guests leave, much like silent shadows in the night. It’s like a secret mission: one minute, chaos; the next, pristine order!” Alex emphasizes.
“And let’s not forget the ‘Green Choice’ option, where declining housekeeping earns you environmentally friendly badges and sometimes even a pat on the back,” he shares. “It’s a strange world out there!” And if you are looking for a hotel in New York – check out these tips for booking a hotel in NYC.
And finally, speaking about effective communication in hotels, Alex notes that clear communication can transform a rocky misunderstanding into smooth sailing. “If hotels would provide a user-friendly treasure map (metaphorically speaking, of course) detailing all the ins and outs of their policies upon check-in, it would be a game changer. It’s like handing travelers the key to understanding and preventing them from getting lost in the labyrinth of hotel rules.”
He also adds that “a little verbal treasure trove of information from the staff wouldn’t hurt—like a friendly pirate guiding you through choppy waters, explaining the lay of the land in their hotel realm. In my opinion, communication is indeed the treasure map to guest satisfaction!”
So guys, what do you think about this story? Have you encountered any rude guests? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the comments section!