Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Shoddy new build quality

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 29, 2021, 10:22 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Shoddy new build quality

Staying at a brand new Home2 Suites combo Hampton Inn. And the construction is horrible.
The microwave rattles the whole counter area when you use it. The dishwasher actually isn't attached (there are little screws on the top that aren't screwed in to anything). The floor in the shower is already curving.
I wonder how it will hold up over the years. Probably horribly.

Are new hotels like this in general? Just building quality getting shoddier?
hugolover likes this.
s0ssos is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 12:43 am
  #2  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Hilton Contributor BadgeMarriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Originally Posted by s0ssos
Staying at a brand new Home2 Suites combo Hampton Inn. And the construction is horrible.
The microwave rattles the whole counter area when you use it. The dishwasher actually isn't attached (there are little screws on the top that aren't screwed in to anything). The floor in the shower is already curving.
I wonder how it will hold up over the years. Probably horribly.

Are new hotels like this in general? Just building quality getting shoddier?
Which hotel(s)?

David
DC9 and writerguyfl like this.
DELee is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 4:29 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
How new are we talking?

Whether it's hotel rooms, offices, or apartments, it would be rare for a builder to check each and every item in a newly built structure. The first occupants are usually the ones who will find all the things that need to be fixed.

If this hotel has only been open a week or two, I'd bet these items are on some contractor's punch list. Or perhaps more likely, the hotel staff doesn't know about the problems because no guest has mentioned them.

(To be clear, guests shouldn't be responsible for reporting construction errors. But, that's just the reality of how many hotels are open...particularly limited/select-service hotels with smaller staffs.)

As for your questions, I personally wouldn't use one experience to generalize about all newly-built hotels.
writerguyfl is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 4:15 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 619
I experienced this once. A few years ago I stayed at the HIS Hamburg, NY the first week they opened and it was kind of a mess. At check in I noticed one of the card readers was already ripped off of the mounting that screwed in on to the desk, both of the wire baskets where you put clothes in the room were sitting on the ground since no one ever installed the tracks for them to roll on, the sliding barn door for the bathroom was dragging on the ground and had to be picked up to slide plus there were one or two other things I forget about. From talking with some of the staff, they tried to open ahead of schedule to get some of the summer Niagara tourism and figured they would fix/worry about the issues as they happened.

In terms of hotels in general, it's too broad to say since there is no standard regarding how they are built. Some franchise companies do the build in house via their own construction department (The one place I worked at where this happened it was truly a No Bueno with every corner cut that you could possibly cut. At 15 years old the property's hot tub was already removed due to shoddy work on the heater and piping/plumbing at installation, wall paper falling off the hallway walls, magstripe door locks that were outdated when they were installed and had/still have from what I'm told all kinds of issues with digital key usage, etc.) versus having outside companies do it.
writerguyfl likes this.
The Road Goes On Forever is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 4:59 pm
  #5  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Programs: Choice/Best Western
Posts: 28
This is a very common occurrence amongst newer cookie cutter chain hotels. Gone are the solid, concrete structures that last for decades in places of newer, faster and cheaper to build plywood structures with cost cutting everywhere. The faster they build and cheaper they spend on it, the more they will make. It also goes into play with furniture, bathrooms, etc that have the build quality of a light duty home over a commercial hotel. They even make prefab hotels that look and feel worn out after a coupe years. Cheap cheap cheap is the name of the game in many cases.
gburn07 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 5:00 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 309
I've been staying in Home2 recently, around CA.
No issues and decent breakfasts.
hotscot is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 5:21 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 619
Originally Posted by gburn07
This is a very common occurrence amongst newer cookie cutter chain hotels. Gone are the solid, concrete structures that last for decades in places of newer, faster and cheaper to build plywood structures with cost cutting everywhere. The faster they build and cheaper they spend on it, the more they will make. It also goes into play with furniture, bathrooms, etc that have the build quality of a light duty home over a commercial hotel.
Far easier to buy disposable since so many things need to be changed out by year 7, 10, 15 and 20 anyway assuming a mandate from the parent company doesn't require a change in item X sooner.
The Road Goes On Forever is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 6:58 pm
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Originally Posted by DELee
Which hotel(s)?
Hampton Inn/Home 2 Suites March Air Force Base

David
Originally Posted by writerguyfl
How new are we talking?

Whether it's hotel rooms, offices, or apartments, it would be rare for a builder to check each and every item in a newly built structure. The first occupants are usually the ones who will find all the things that need to be fixed.

If this hotel has only been open a week or two, I'd bet these items are on some contractor's punch list. Or perhaps more likely, the hotel staff doesn't know about the problems because no guest has mentioned them.
It opened the week before I stayed, a week before that parking lot was blocked off and construction vehicles still there (they are still there, just moved so there is parking).

But when you say a checklist-isn't securing the dishwasher basic?

In terms of generalizations, the only one I was thinking of is that Marriott extended stay hotels are better than Hilton ones, in design and build quality.
This hotel has a shower where the knob is directly under the showerhead. However because the shower is not long your hand still gets wet when you turn on the shower. It would actually be better to put the knob underneath the showerhead so your head wouldn't get wet, as it spurts outwards. Marriott does put its knob on the opposite side to the showerhead in Residence Inns but it is so far away your hand doesn't get wet. So, this is just stupid design.

I guess the other generalization is: is build quality worse when it was built during the pandemic?
s0ssos is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2021, 7:38 pm
  #9  
soy
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,692
Originally Posted by s0ssos
I guess the other generalization is: is build quality worse when it was built during the pandemic?
Don't think so, this is a long term trend.
soy is offline  
Old Oct 31, 2021, 11:37 pm
  #10  
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues & San Francisco
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco CA
Programs: UA, Hilton, Priceline, AirBnB
Posts: 11,007
This has moved away from Hilton- centric so I’m closing

As the discussion has moved into shoddy construction of newer hotels for any chain I’m going ahead to close the thread. Thanks for your understanding.


Squeakr

Co Mod Hh
squeakr is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.