Hotel Tips

I have put together a list of things you should know, tips, whatever you want to call them for when you are a guest at a hotel. Now, I have not worked at a huge hotel like ones in Vegas or anything like that before. These are tips for smaller hotels, ones that take more business travelers then leisure guests. So these are tips for those kind of hotels. When it comes to huge 5000 rooms hotels.. I got nothing. BUT  Here is the most important thing you should know about any type of  hotel: NEVER PISS OFF THE FRONT DESK AGENT. HE OR SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE YOUR STAY MISERABLE OR WONDERFUL. THE NICER YOU ARE TO THEM THE BETTER THEY WILL TREAT YOU.

• You do not need to come down to the front desk to check out. We already have your credit card on file, we took it when you checked in. You signed when you checked in. You got your receipt under the door around 3:00am the morning of your check out. You do not need to come down to the front desk and say " Yeah, hi I am ready to check out of room_" then I will say (while giving to a dirty annoyed look) " Did you get your receipt?" and you say "yes" Then that is your copy. You don't need to bring it down to me and show me. You don't need to sign it. You don't need to give me the keys... Just go. Thanks.
• Your room keys do not save your personal information on them. Its impossible. There is no way for it to be saved or even coded on to your keys. That's all I'm going to say about that. Its stupid for anyone to even think that therefore its stupid for me to type about. Next...
• There is no such thing as a "lost and found" department. You leave something in your room housekeeping will have it. Ask for housekeeping. You leave something at the pool, in the lobby, business center. Well hate to tell you, your shit outta luck.
• If you had a problem with housekeeping, breakfast servers, maintenance whatever. Remember that the person standing behind the desk is not the person that caused the problem. They stand at the desk all day, they didn't forget to clean your room, they didn't make the pool to cold for your liking. However they are the person that can make things happen so that you leave happy when you check out. Giving you your money back, giving you more points on your reward card whatever it may be. Again, its very important not to piss off the front desk agent. Because I personally will treat the guests well if they have respect for the person who is helping them. To Guests that understand that I am just doing my job, and those who remember that I am not the one who caused your problem. Be nice to me I'll be nice to you. Be an asshole to me, Ill be an asshole to you.
• When you call a hotel, listen to what the say when they answer the phone. When I answer the phone and say " Thanks for calling ____ this is Holli how can I help you?" Its really annoying when you answer back " Uh yeah hi is this _____?" annoying.
• If a travel agent books your room for you and when you arrive at the hotel and say your room is a smoking room when you wanted a non smoking room. Remember that your TRAVEL AGENT booked the room. The hotel does not even see your reservation until the day you check in. We did not move you to a smoking room we don't even open up your reservation until you are physically standing in front of us checking in. And more times then not if the hotel is close to selling out and all the have is a smoking room the agent is going to book you into it just so that you at least have a room. And a lot of times the Agent does not tell you its a smoking room. We hate to have to be the ones to break it to you but we also hate to be the ones to be yelled at because of a mistake done by your agent. And what have we learned so far.. Be nice to the front desk agent. They can help you.
• Just because you booked your room 4 months in advance does not mean you are entitled to a 8:00am check in. It does not matter when you booked your room. Check in time is at 3:00 ( Or whatever the check in time may be depending on the hotel. ) There is a reason hotels have check in times. Housekeeping needs time to clean rooms from the people that were in it the night before. If the hotel has rooms ready that are the room type that you are booked into they will check out in. But getting pissed off about it is not going to make check in time 8:00am

This may sound a little bitchy and if some of you are thinking " I'm the guest I'm right now matter what" Let me tell you something in hotels the customer is not always right. Again you be nice to me I'll be nice to you. You be mean to me, I will be mean to you..but in a way that seems like I'm being hospitable.  =)