Here's an easy one that hotels could provide without adding a whole lot of infrastructure: a concierge who really knows his sh*t.

A few weeks ago, I was at the Marriott at MSP. I asked the concierge for the best way to get to a particular neighborhood in St. Paul at rush hour. His response: "I've never heard of that neighborhood - I'm from Chicago, just workin' here for a few months." He was a pleasant guy and he handed me a nice map of the Twin Cities, but I already knew how to get there using the main highways. I was seeking a bit of local insight about whether I should avoid certain roads.

At a minimum, the concierge should know the city very well and the roads, businesses, and restaurants near the hotel like the back of his hand. At a mid-scale airport Marriott I don't expect a "full service" guy on a first-name basis with every ticket broker in town, but I do expect decent driving directions.