Trueblood Rants About Hotels
Though I am often a complicated man, I have simple needs when it comes to lodging. I don't care whether there is a swimming pool or premium channels on the tv. I don't pay attention to thread count on the sheets. I don't expect the staff to be overly obsequious. At minimum, I feel a hotel should provide the following: 1. A clean, quiet and reasonably comfortable place to sleep. 2. A sanitary and operational bathroom.3. A reasonably competent staff. I feel that these are fair expectations. Yet, only about 50% of the hotels I've stayed at in the past several years have met these modest standards. Here's a rogue's gallery of my worst experiences, with the geographic location and the price per day. Downtown Milwaukee, WI $175 per day Room lacked soundproofing, which sucked as a very loud party was going on at the ground floor. At around 1am, room started to reek of cigarette and marijuana smoke from other people in the hotel. Smell came through the vents. Room lacked decent window coverings, and as my room faced east, it was bright as day in my room at the crack of dawn. Toilet plugged up and overflowed after my modest deposit. Shower wouldn't get warm. At checkout, the clerk shooed me out the door after I started to complain. I emailed the GM of the hotel twice and was ignored both times. I did not pursue further action, as I was working at a tourism-focused ad agency and I was afraid it might jeopardize potential new business pitches.
Downtown Wichita, KS $200 per day Fan was extremely noisy and could not be turned off. I am a light sleeper so this was basically a disaster for me. I was charged for the stay despite repeatedly telling the clerks that the charge was supposed to go on a corporate account. Pleasant Prairie, WI $60 per day Room smelled like a public swimming pool and got worse as the night went on. Coral Gables, FL $110 per day Room was infested with cockroaches. Toilet and sink barely functioned. Clive, IA $120 per day Toilet had very weak flushing mechanism. Shower didn't work. Beachwood, OH $90 per day Clerk got seriously nasty with me after I politely asked him for directions.Coconut Grove, FL $200+ per dayHotel charged me for a six-day stay despite being told repeatedly the bill was supposed to be charged to a corporate account. They took a long time to fix the problem, causing me serious financial inconvenience. On the other hand, here are some great experiences I've had at affordable hotels. North of Atlanta, GA $60 per day Clean room, amazingly comfortable bed, quiet area. Warsaw, PL approx. $70 per day Restored Art Deco boutique hotel. Outrageously lovely room.
Downtown Reykjavik, IS approx. $85 per day
Huge room with comfortable beds, refrigerator, and balcony. Awesome breakfast buffet.
Downtown Minneapolis, MN $80 per day Nice and quiet room with ideal location in a city that is usually more pricey. When it comes to hotels, price seems to be no guarantee of quality. For the amount guests are paying a night, minimum standards should be met. It is also shocking to me that staff does not proactively address obvious problems with the room. I should not have to sleep in an east-facing room that lacks adequate window coverings. I should not have been assigned a room that smelled like a public swimming pool. I should not be sleeping in a $200 per day hotel with a nightmarishly loud fan. An establishment that even slightly cared about their guests would address glaring problems like this. But that's what it comes down to : the hotel doesn't care. All they want to do is gouge you, and then they couldn't care less if they see you again. Even if you badmouth them online. They know new victims will be walking in the door eventually.
Downtown Wichita, KS $200 per day Fan was extremely noisy and could not be turned off. I am a light sleeper so this was basically a disaster for me. I was charged for the stay despite repeatedly telling the clerks that the charge was supposed to go on a corporate account. Pleasant Prairie, WI $60 per day Room smelled like a public swimming pool and got worse as the night went on. Coral Gables, FL $110 per day Room was infested with cockroaches. Toilet and sink barely functioned. Clive, IA $120 per day Toilet had very weak flushing mechanism. Shower didn't work. Beachwood, OH $90 per day Clerk got seriously nasty with me after I politely asked him for directions.Coconut Grove, FL $200+ per dayHotel charged me for a six-day stay despite being told repeatedly the bill was supposed to be charged to a corporate account. They took a long time to fix the problem, causing me serious financial inconvenience. On the other hand, here are some great experiences I've had at affordable hotels. North of Atlanta, GA $60 per day Clean room, amazingly comfortable bed, quiet area. Warsaw, PL approx. $70 per day Restored Art Deco boutique hotel. Outrageously lovely room.
Downtown Reykjavik, IS approx. $85 per day
Huge room with comfortable beds, refrigerator, and balcony. Awesome breakfast buffet.
Downtown Minneapolis, MN $80 per day Nice and quiet room with ideal location in a city that is usually more pricey. When it comes to hotels, price seems to be no guarantee of quality. For the amount guests are paying a night, minimum standards should be met. It is also shocking to me that staff does not proactively address obvious problems with the room. I should not have to sleep in an east-facing room that lacks adequate window coverings. I should not have been assigned a room that smelled like a public swimming pool. I should not be sleeping in a $200 per day hotel with a nightmarishly loud fan. An establishment that even slightly cared about their guests would address glaring problems like this. But that's what it comes down to : the hotel doesn't care. All they want to do is gouge you, and then they couldn't care less if they see you again. Even if you badmouth them online. They know new victims will be walking in the door eventually.
