Travel Weekly recently surveyed travelers (a combination of business and leisure) to see which hotel amenities are the most important to them when choosing a property. I agree with most of these, but think they missed the need to have a mini shop with snacks and sodas somewhere near the check-in desk. Since I’m not a coffee drinker, it’s important to me to be able to grab a water or soda before settling into my room.
Anyway, see if your own personal “needs” are met with these hotel amenities:
1. Complimentary Breakfast – I guess everyone enjoys being able to grab a quick breakfast in the lobby and enjoy it with 50 of your new best friends (many of whom are still in their PJs). I tend to agree, it’s one of the main reasons I love to splurge on Club Level when I go to Disney or Universal. In most of Europe, breakfast is included in the room rate and can range from basic rolls & coffee to a huge spread.
2. Good Shower Pressure – Yep…high on my list too. I have moderate shower pressure at home and always look forward to having it better when I travel. It can be a real treat!
3. Internet/Free Wifi – It always blows me away that so many US hotels charge upwards of $12.95 per day for WiFi access! All over Europe, even the smallest mom & pop hotels (some of my favorites!) include free WiFi. I think this is worth a revolution…who’s with me?
4. Plenty of free parking – OK, I get it that some City-Center hotels simply don’t have the space for parking and need to charge…And I am certainly willing to tip a valet well for good service…but it sure is nice to have the option to self-park your car for a reasonable fee, if not complimentary. (And don’t get me started on the latest announcement from Disney.)
5. 24-hour Front Desk services – Not very high on my list….I’m usually safely stashed in my room before too late. But, I can see how it could be annoying for a tired business traveler to pull into a hotel after a long drive and have no one there to check them in.
6. Non-Smoking facility – OK…shoot me, but I love having a totally non-smoking hotel at my disposal. Hawaii has a law forbidding smoking inside any hotels (with a few resorts that grandfathered in some smoking areas to cater to Asian tourists) and if it is good enough for them, it’s good enough for me! Sorry smokers!
7. Swimming Pool – More important to me is a hot tub/whirlpool spa. Pools are terrific for burning off energy and entertaining the younger set. I’ve probably thrown thousands of nerf footballs and counted up to million to see how long my son could hold his breath underwater. But traveling can be tiresome and relaxing in a steaming hot whirlpool is a delight for this momma.
8. Bar with Happy Hour – Not really my thing, but when traveling with colleagues, it’s nice to have a central location to recap the days’ events and unwind before bedtime.
9. Air Conditioning with in-room thermostats – Absolutely! I like to sleep in a cool room with lots of blankets.
10. Coffee and Tea setup in Lobby – Sure, that’s nice, but it is even more important to have the in-room coffee pots. I’ve noticed that more and more resorts are forgoing their coffee service and putting a Starbucks in the lobby so you can have the privilege of paying for your morning caffeine – and having to get dressed before you can enjoy your first cup. No thank you!
Did I leave out any of YOUR favorite hotel amenities? What makes you crazy if you find it missing from your room?
