"As a traveler, I've been privileged. Not due to family wealth or a secret benefactor, but the fortune of falling into a travel writing career that has included 10,000 hours, and then some, at hotels and resorts around the world. These stays - sometimes comped, sometimes not; sometimes incognito, sometimes not - are turned into reviews, guides, listings, features, profiles, round-ups for print and online publications. Topics run the gamut, too, from service, amenities and facilities to design, architecture and technology."
"But like any job - privileged or not - quibbles harden over time into pet peeves, and hotel writers are not exempt. Over the years and miles, I've racked up my own shortlist of hotel writer pet peeves. They are drawn from the most common missed opportunities for hotels to lighten the load and elevate the travel, as well as answer a single question: Do I feel like a guest or a customer?"
"What's the first thing you do when a guest arrives at your home? You offer a drink of water. That's because water is the fundamental element of life - and therefore hospitality. Hotels that openly commodify water break this foundation. Some put a single free bottle in the room, but too many make it for sale. If it's in the minibar, the price can gouge even deeper."
More than 10,000 hours and two decades spent in hotels worldwide produce a shortlist of eight common pet peeves that erode hospitality and make travelers feel like customers. The list highlights small but meaningful missed opportunities where hotels commodify essentials and miss chances to elevate the guest experience. One clear example is openly charging for bottled water instead of absorbing the cost into room fees or resort charges to preserve the appearance of free hospitality. The recommendations emphasize restoring basic courtesies, thoughtful amenities, and unobtrusive service to make guests feel welcomed and valued.
Read at InsideHook
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