Hotels – The Frequently Asked Questions
Are Hotels Safe
This is such a difficult question to answer because every single hotel throughout the world is different in terms of their security and no hotel, regardless of how high their security is, can guarantee 100% full security and safety. Many hotels throughout the world provide their own security and have large investment in security system to ensure the safety of their guests. However, there are other hotels that do not and are certainly not as secure as they could be. A lot depends on which country you are visiting and the neighbourhood where the hotel is located. Obviously, if you are visiting a country that is known for not be very safe, then it is in your best interest to do your homework and find out which areas are the best to stay in and try to choose a hotel that has a good security system in place. It is always advisable to spend a little more on a hotel that you will be safe in and have peace of mind during your visit.
Are Hotels Clean
No one would ever book a hotel thinking it would be dirty. When you book a hotel, the minimum you expect is it to be clean! Afterall, you are paying for a room, facilities, for a service to which you want to be clean to use. Most hotels have strict cleaning policies and clean rooms on a regular basis. Some clean the rooms daily, whilst others may clean the rooms every other day, every three days or weekly. When you book a hotel room, the hotel room ‘should’ have been fully cleaned before you arrive and check-in and be to a satisfactory standard to which you expect it to be. If it is not, you are fully within your rights to make a complaint and request the room to be cleaned before you enter. You could also asked to be moved into a different room, if one is available. The overall cleanliness of a hotel is obviously down to the hotel itself and you would expect a hotel to be kept clean to a high standard. Some hotels throughout the world are kept spotlessly clean but unfortunately, this is not the case for many. The crazy thing is, that the ‘Star Rating’ of a hotel, is not always given on cleanliness but is awarded for the hotels facilities. This means that a 1 or 2 star hotel could be much cleaner than a 5 star hotel. So, just because you book a 5 star hotel (to which you would expect to be spotless), it may not always be as clean as you think! A good way to find out the cleanliness of a hotel, is simply look at the reviews left by previous guests and you will generally find honest comments and reviews about the hotels cleanliness.
Are Hotels Cheaper The Day Of Arrival
Generally, hotels are cheaper if you book in advance. If you turn up at the hotel on the day and try to book a room, you will normally be charged the premium rate. The reason for this, is very simple and that is because you are a captive audience and seen as desperate. If you book in advance, the hotels know that you have a wide choice of other hotels to choose from and this is why the rates are so much more competitive, as they want you to book with them.
Are Hotels Pet Friendly
Not all hotels are pet friendly but many are! As you can appreciate, hotels have got to take their other guests into consideration, so many hotels choose not to allow pets to stay in their hotels. However, a large number of hotels throughout the world are now ‘Pet Friendly’ hotels and they will usually this on their websites. If they do not display that they are a pet friendly hotel, it is always a good idea to contact the hotel and ask them if they allow pets at the hotel.
Are Hotels Strict About Occupancy
Obviously, hotels do not want ‘undesirable’ guests staying in the hotel, as it would not be fair on the other guests staying at the hotel and would certainly not be good for their reputation. The problem is, the hotel cannot possibly know what type of person any one individual guest is when they book a reservation at the hotel. If any person who is staying at the hotel starts to cause problems, then they will obviously be dealt with. However, many hotels do have strict policies in terms of groups of people such as Hen Parties and Stag Do’s. There are also policies regarding children and more and more ‘Adult Only’ hotels are now becoming available. Lots of hotel may have policies for large group booking.
How Hotels Are Rated By Stars
There is some confusion surrounded the ‘Star Ratings’ of hotels and how they are awarded. The truth is, there is no set universal or International standard or rating system, which means that a 5 star hotel in London, may not actually be the same standard as a 5 star hotel in Turkey. Yes, you would certainly expect the standards, services and facilities to be the same but they may differ. The problem is, that in different countries, they award their hotels differently and it is different organisations, institutions and governing bodies that award the star ratings. In some countries, hotels even award themselves stars, so they can often be over generous in they allocations!! However, on the whole, throughout the world, 5 star hotels, 4 star hotels and 3 star hotels are pretty similar in the facilities they provide.
The star rating of a hotel, is actually awarded for many different factors such as amenities, location, comfort and more so, the facilities it provides and has nothing to do with its size or even its cleanliness. Yes, that is right, you could actually stay in a much cleaner 1 or 2 star hotel than 5 star but you just wouldn’t have the facilities.
For example:
1 Star: A 1 star hotel would general be a basic room without any facilities and may have a shared bathroom.
2 Star: A 2 star hotel would normally offer a basic room that would have a television and maybe a bar or a restaurant.
3 Star: As you would expect, a 3 star hotel offers its guests a little more include a wider choice of room options, en-suite bathroom facilities with toiletries, maybe coffee & tea making facilities, television, bar, restaurant and maybe fitness facilities such as a gym or swimming pool.
4 Star: A 4 Star hotel offers its guests a little more luxury, with more facilities for its guests. It will offer multi room choices with en-suite facilities, including suite rooms, toiletries, TV, Mini bar, Safe, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Iron and Ironing board, gym and fitness facilities, swimming pool and spa facilities, concierge, restaurant, bar(s) and more.
5 Star: 5 star hotels are notoriously famous for their luxury and include all the luxury facilities of a four star hotel but then the list is endless with additional items. All five star hotels vary and some offer a much wider choice of facilities than others. Some of the additional facilities of a 5 star hotels could be: Bathrobes and slippers, chocolates on your pillow, butler service, towels by the pool, shuttle services, Jacuzzi baths, valet parking to name but a few.
How Hotels Assign Rooms
You hear so many different stories of how hotels assign room and many of them are from people who actually work in hotels. The really confusing part about this, is that many of the stories vary, which only confirms that all hotels are different in how they assign their rooms. One thing that seems to be consistent throughout all the stories though, is that when a guest making a booking for a specific type of room, then that it what they will be allocated. However, there is no guarantee on the location of the room unless a specific location has been booked or requested. Many hotels will assign rooms to their guests several days or weeks before they arrive and not upon arrival (unless you walk in on the day and book the room). Another factor many hotels take into consideration when allocating rooms is if the guest is a frequent visitor or in their loyalty programme. The duration of your stay is also taking into consideration when assigning a room. This means that it has nothing to do with how you look as to what room you are allocated. However, they can obviously make assumptions as to what type of people will be coming from the booking details. Many hotel receptionists say that if they are treated nice and like the person checking-in, then that is how they will make a decision as to whether they will upgrade them to a better room!
Related Pages:
Hotel Booking Secrets – Hotel Deals