I can't stand the automated dispensers. The soap things never seem to work for me (if you see someone frantically waving his hands in the vicinity of the sensor, it's probably me), and the faucets are even worse -- I use DEN a lot, United terminal, and it seems like a quarter of the sinks just don't work at any given time. The towel dispensers are horrible, too: they seem to be programmed with what must be a paper-saving function that pauses for like three seconds after dispensing each sheet. It makes it really annoying when one needs several sheets.

By the way, while we're on the topic, I am sure that there have been many forums on this, but I must make a confession related to soap:

My name is mecabq, and I am a kleptomaniac when it comes to hotel soaps.

I take them and hoard them for no particular reason. I have enough at home to probably fill a bathtub. It's not because I am poor or frugal; in fact quite the contrary. I sort of like the souvenier value to remind me of where I've been, I suppose, and I guess that's one less thing (two, if you count the shampoos that I also take) that I have to worry about forgetting to buy. But I even use the lousy ones (like from Courtyard and the old Hyatt before they upgraded to the pleasant, creamy ginger-scented soaps) when I am at home and save the nice ones (like L'Occitane from the Four Seasons and Hermes from Le Meridien, which I suspend my boycott of French products so that I can take, and those from boutique hotels), although I have no idea what I am saving them for (maybe when I don't get to travel all the time anymore? -- let's hope that day never comes). I even have a system -- a certain pouch in my suitcase in which I deposit them each day. I am currently in the Middle East for two months, and I had to buy a new carry-on suitcase to bring home all of my lavish toiletries (among other shlock I've bought). (My suite at the Sheraton in Bahrain had some gorgeous ones labeled as from London -- a pleasant surprise. Plus two bathrooms, so double the loot!) The nicest I have ever obtained are from the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai. (The ones from the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok were surprisingly poor -- everything had a strange, almost fishy scent that did not appeal to me. Of course that didn't stop me from bringing home a ziplock bag-full.) I am planning a trip to the Burj Al Arab, which is supposed to have nice ones, too. In fact, I am sure that there is a website out there somewhere analogous to seatguru.com, which reports on all of the amenities at all of the hotels in the world to aid in the selection of a property.

I know, this is totally irrational. But I also know that I am not the only one.

P.S. I also hoard, and never use, the amenity kits that they give you on long-haul flights. Also for no reason whatsoever.