[Anonymous]

[SenatorGold]

Does anyone else have the experience which I usually have upon checking in at a hotel – and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a chain hotel or not and what status loyalty card you hold – that the first room you’re given usually has something wrong with it e.g. suffers from noise, has no view. or is less than spacious. I invariably find that immediately asking to change rooms results in one being given a far better room. I rather suspect that hotels operate a policy of waiting and seeing who will complain and ask to be moved.

Restaurants often do the same thing i.e. even in a less than full restaurant they will lead you to an undesirable table i.e. one situated close to the serving station or till or in a path of traffic. Having once observed the maitre d’ in a London hotel restaurant over the course of the evening repeatedly allocate the same less than desirable table, I gently enquired why he did so when there were far better tables available in the restaurant. He replied that his policy was to try to get rid of the undesirable table first. If no one complained, that solved the evening’s potential problem. When I asked him whether wouldn’t it be better to treat customers more generously by giving them a decent table in the first place, he said, no, it was easier from his point of view to see who would accept the less than desirable table.

It doesn’t really impress me as putting the customer first. Any hotel which gives me a superior room (and I don’t mean an upgraded room), without my having to ask to change rooms, stands out in my book.

[NTarrant]

Can’t say I have had too much trouble with hotel rooms, but restuarants are a different matter.

I have seen that you describe with the resturant before, also there is a tendency to give a table next to another person(s) when there are plenty of tables free around the resturant. I quite agree that it has nothing to do with putting the customer first, more like what is easier for them

[Swissdiver]

I tend to be rather proactive when it comes to hotels. In general, I shoot an email before travelling with my special requests (non smoking, large bed, high floor and if applicable upgrade request). Then upon check in, I ask the kind of room they allocated me, to make sure I’ll have what I want. Result? Seldom I have to go back to the reception…

For restaurants, it is another game as anyone can see what he/she has compared to the other clients. So it is somewhat different although, honestly, less important… That said complaining there might be necessary.

[MartynSinclair]

I get annoyed in restaurants when tables with a “reserved” sign remain empty all evening.

Hotels, I generally dont have a problem with rooms.

[RichHI1]

I am a Starwood platinum and I stick with properties where I know the Gm and res director so not a problem. For me the peeve is BA and AA and One World. I am AA emerald (EXP) and a multimillion flyer. My profile says medical condition no bulkheads unless suites. Yet every time I book on BA or AA website I get a row 1 seat which I have to change. The only exception is when there are suites and I get rows 2 or 3 and have to change again (1a or K on BA 747) and 1j on AA 777. At least AA make it easy to see seat availability before and during booking. BA system is very odd you can only see after you book and you cannot hold which means you always use phone booking when they would prefer you to use Internet. Very odd.

[ekond111]

….rule of thumb…if you book the most competitive priced room in advance…and your are not a member of the hotels stay scheme….you usually end up with a room furthest away from the lift….and it usually has a distinct odour …the room that is…not the lift…

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