markzz2

Checked in last night after a epic trip across the world. My profile used to state "No connecting doors" but now seems to not get noted.

I had my bag delivered and noticed the door, staring at me..... I thought it's only 2 nights I am sure it will be fine.

Just could not face going to the front desk and trying to sort out an alternative room I was that tired.

Now I am more tired. All night long the toilet next door has been flushing on and off. Coughing disturbed me several times and at 4.30 am the coffee maker spluttering and conversation. Not loud or unreasonable conversation, just sweet bed talk (I could hear every word like they were in bed with me!).

I am exhausted and have now arranged a move, the front desk could not be more helpful, but it is so annoying.

It is 2011, why is there not a better insulation between the doors. I can see the light under the door so no thought has been put into the noise issue. Why do hotels have so many of these stupid connecting doors? I am sure they do not get that much demand.

Why do I never remember to check when I arrive when they are giving me my key?

So a plea to Hotels everywhere. Please do not allocate me a room with connecting doors.

Please look into a design that has better insulation, and please have a door that fits (and does not let light in underneath from the room next to me!)

Rant over!

NYBanker

This should be a more focused on attribute. Indeed, in many (though I can't say "most") cases, some noise seeps through the connecting doors.

I'd go so far as to make connecting rooms their own category (or parallel categories), similar to how hotels used to tackle smoking rooms. When I travel with my family, I will either get a large suite or two connecting rooms (depending on the property). Most hotels are unwilling to guarantee connecting rooms, though they will usually guarantee bed types or used to guarantee non-smoking rooms (when smoking rooms were also available). Invariably, in some situations, non-connectors will be forced into connecting rooms - but ideally that should be after all the non-connectors have been given out (both for the benefit of the non-connectors and those who wish to connect!).

When I need connecting rooms, I often call the hotel directly on the eve of my cancellation window and speak with the rooms division (or front office) manager and ask them to guarantee connecting rooms. If they balk, I usually ask them to cancel my booking - and voila, they are guaranteed!

Once as a single traveler, at the RC-Cleveland, I was in one half of a connecting set. On the other side, a couple was really going at it. Professional style - and it just didn't stop. After half an hour, I called the desk - simply to get a different room for me (I had just checked in and only had a duffle bag, which wasn't unpacked). They were insistent on going to the offending room to ask them to stop - which I said I didn't want them to do - the people weren't being unreasonably loud, and sex is something that is allowed in hotel rooms after all. They did move me to another room, but based on the hotel's dialogue with me in the morning when I went to check out, I suspect they did knock on the other door. They should have complained to the engineer who designed the doors, not the passionate couple.

CJKatl

On, my naive traveler, markzz2...

If it's any consolation, your asking at the front desk would, IME, make no difference. You're just saving yourself going to the room and finding out the desk clerk lied. IMO, it's less aggravation not to have the desk clerk lie on top of not getting the room you requested.

My typical one in every four or five check-ins:

• Me: "Have the feather pillows and comforter been removed?"
• Desk Clerk: "It says here it's been done."
• Me: "I called earlier and asked VVV to check. Did VVV check?"
• DK: "It says here it was done."
• Me, calling from room: "The pillows are feather."
• DK: "It says here the pillows are foam."
• Me: "It says on the pillow tags that the stuffing is down feathers."
• DK: "Well there's nothing I can do now."

Of course, once they are pushed and get a phone call from Marriott, they change their tunes.

My point to you is putting your request into your profile and calling ahead of time do not have any impact on whether you actually get your request. The best solution to ensure this is to stay at Hilton properties. They NEVER ignore my request. Marriott, on the other hand, thinks seeing on the computer that someone asked someone else to ask someone to do something means it gets done.

nissan720

My worst connecting room story was when the connecting door on my side did not even have a lock or door latch in our door! Staying at a Marriott for 7 days.

Of course we called the front office and they said there was no way for the other room to open their door. But still it was very uncomfortable to have our 1/2 of the connecting doors sitting about 4 inches open so we piled luggage and anything else that was not bolted down in front of it.

HereAndThere

I am amazed that Marriott doesn't pay attention to the noise issue with connecting doors. Top notch hotels in the chain such as resort hotels and the JW brand have connecting doors without noise insulation. The only attempt at noise reduction I have seen was a hotel that had a thin strip of foam insulation around the door frame, but had nothing at the bottom of the door so sound still traveled between rooms. I always ask for a room without a connecting door as I hate listening to neighboring TV, parties, conversation, etc.

But why are these doors are not insulated? It wouldn't be that expensive nor complicated to come up with effective insulation. Maybe Marriott Concierge can offer an explanation for the status quo? Maybe guests don't complain often?

tourist

Being a European who travels a lot in the US, I blame this more on the general low construction quality and noise unawareness in the US than on the hotel business.

I am utterly amazed that so many residential buildings and office buildings in the world's only remaining superpower have paper thin walls, lights visible between doors and door frames, inefficient and noisy air conditioning units and TVs everywhere blaring all the time. Gosh, your wonderful nation have sent men to the Moon, why do your buildings resemble extrapolated doll houses?

My standard request for US hotels, including Marriott brands, is: I don't really care that much about the view or the bed configuration, but please, please, please give me a top floor room without interconnecting doors far from the elevators and with quiet neighbors.

I agree that the demand for connecting doors must be much less than the supply. Hyatt, in particular, seems to have a lot of duo-rooms.