What hotel guests really want may surprise you

What do you really want when you check into a hotel?

The lodging industry thinks it knows. The pollsters do, but too often they ask the wrong questions. One recent survey suggested guests crave more technology. (It was sponsored by Oracle.)

Another claimed guests desire free Wi-Fi, breakfast and parking. Well, duh.

In this post-summer vacation period, a lot of us are scratching our heads about our last lodging experience and asking, “What were they thinking?”

And that includes me. I’m still baffled by the “family friendly” hotel I visited in Oregon a few weeks ago, which offered an impressive selection of artisanal teas, but no laundry facilities. Who said, “Add expensive tea, lose the washer” in the guest survey?

To find out what guests really want — and determine why hotels won’t offer it — I asked you, dear readers. Your answers suggest an enduring disconnect between guests and their accommodations. But never fear, I have a workaround.

First, let’s get real. You wouldn’t ask for a room with power, indoor plumbing or a phone line because you assume those are included. It’s the same with wireless Internet and adequate power outlets.

“It’s 2017, and we’re all connected,” says Peter Battaglia, who works for an investment company in Chatham, N.J. “Wi-Fi should not be an add-on or a loyalty perk.”

He and many other guests say there should be plenty of power outlets at waist level next to the beds and desks. Also, a hotel shouldn’t force you to join its loyalty program to access the Internet. Imagine if it asked you to sign up for its loyalty program to use the air conditioning or bathrooms.

“For me, the most important items are a small fridge, microwave — and tea,” says Kathleen Walls, a frequent traveler and guidebook author who lives in Middleburg, Fla.

This is not an uncommon wish list, yet many rooms are still outfitted with a profit-hungry minibar with pressure-sensitive shelves, instead of a refrigerator. Move an item, it automatically charges your room. There’s no microwave. And they feature a selection of mediocre coffees and a coffeemaker that’s difficult to use and only makes a beverage one tiny cup at a time. If you’re traveling with kids, are on medication, want to bring your own food or prefer tea to coffee, you’re out of luck.

Another area of concern: lights and mirrors. Rooms, and especially bathrooms, are often poorly lit. The magnifying mirror generates an unusual number of complaints. When the light bulbs burn out, they often don’t get replaced.

“Some hotels have them, but they are in such weird positions that they are unusable,” says Janet Keeler, a frequent hotel guest and fellow travel writer based in Tampa.

By far the top request is the condition of the room. “Clean, clean, clean,” says Ellen Hillery, a travel consultant from Medway, Mass. “I don’t even mind if it smells like bleach.”

Fancy amenities such as upgraded bedding, the latest electronics and expensive-looking soaps won’t make guests look the other way when they see something unpleasant.

“Squeaky clean,” clarifies Nicole Landreneau, who works for a Web design company in New Orleans and travels often. “The carpet shouldn’t look like it hasn’t been cleaned since 1912, and bathrooms should have no mildew or mold. No bugs!”

And then there are the hair dryers. So many travelers I interviewed mentioned hair dryers that I could write an entire column on these amenities alone. I will spare you. But Roberta Morgan, a retired nurse from Albany, Ore., makes a point that several hotel guests echoed.

“I don’t just want a working hair dryer,” she says, “I also want wall outlets so that a person can charge all the devices and still use the hair dryer.”

So are travelers not telling them what they want, or are hotels not paying attention? It seems the answer may be both. But hotel guests have partial control. We can tell hotels what we want, both with words (sharing our feedback) or deeds (only doing business with hotels we like). The rest is up to your hotel.

Christopher Elliott is a consumer advocate and editor at large for National Geographic Traveler. Contact him at chris@elliott.org or visit elliott.org.