Hotel Power Outages
Jun 29, 2019, 9:31 am
#1
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Hotel Power Outages
What is your expectation of the hotel’s response to an extended power outage?
I was in a Fairfield in Cheyenne WY last weekend. I checked in at 4:00PM. I was in the elevator and the power went out. The transformer blew out front after a big lightning strike. The elevator went to the first floor and opened. Whew,
After 2.5 hours of sitting in my hotel room in the dark, I decided to go out with some friends for dinner, we asked the hotel clerk (she was the only employee in the building) if she had a plan to move guests if the power stayed out In the dark. She had no plan, not had her management. I was not really planning on spending the night in a hotel with no power.
Luckily, the power came on an hour later while we were out. But it got me thinking about what a proper response should be, and whether the hotel can safely have guests with no power overnight.
Surely others have experienced this. Is there a protocol? Would you stay in a hotel without power? When does the hotel decide to move the guests?
after the power came back on, there were a ton of electrical problems. I had to move rooms because the climate control in my room wouldn’t turn back on and the windows didn’t open. The young lady a the desk was the sole employee and there was no maintenance tech available to come over and reset the climate control systems. I thought that was weird as well. But that’s not really relevant to the discussion. I wonder when or if they would have decided to move the guests?
I was in a Fairfield in Cheyenne WY last weekend. I checked in at 4:00PM. I was in the elevator and the power went out. The transformer blew out front after a big lightning strike. The elevator went to the first floor and opened. Whew,
After 2.5 hours of sitting in my hotel room in the dark, I decided to go out with some friends for dinner, we asked the hotel clerk (she was the only employee in the building) if she had a plan to move guests if the power stayed out In the dark. She had no plan, not had her management. I was not really planning on spending the night in a hotel with no power.
Luckily, the power came on an hour later while we were out. But it got me thinking about what a proper response should be, and whether the hotel can safely have guests with no power overnight.
Surely others have experienced this. Is there a protocol? Would you stay in a hotel without power? When does the hotel decide to move the guests?
after the power came back on, there were a ton of electrical problems. I had to move rooms because the climate control in my room wouldn’t turn back on and the windows didn’t open. The young lady a the desk was the sole employee and there was no maintenance tech available to come over and reset the climate control systems. I thought that was weird as well. But that’s not really relevant to the discussion. I wonder when or if they would have decided to move the guests?
Jun 29, 2019, 10:09 am
#2
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You barely notice the power cuts when they happen in many African and Asian countries, as generators kick in almost immediately. After a point, you also stop noticing the power cuts themselves.
Jun 29, 2019, 10:57 am
#3
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I don't know of any inconvenience besides perhaps HVAC on a very hot/cold day, that would really interfere with a stay in this regard.
I could charge my phone in the car, don't need light to sleep.
Again, aside from HVAC, I'm not sure I would notice. Certainly wouldn't complain and absolutely would not expect to be reaccomodated or for there to be 'a plan' for power going out.
Maybe like above response, too many trips in Africa where hot water would be a luxury and there is power for 1 hour a day if at all.
Really wouldn't get in the way of any part of a stay in a hotel at all I don't see.
Jun 29, 2019, 11:01 am
#4
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If the hotel doesn't have emergency lighting, there's a safety issue.
Other than that, who wants to sit in a cold/hot dark room? What about taking a shower? Using a laptop or other device, including wifi?
Other than that, who wants to sit in a cold/hot dark room? What about taking a shower? Using a laptop or other device, including wifi?
Jun 29, 2019, 12:14 pm
#5
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Years ago I was staying at the Hampton Inn in Gillette, WY during a pretty nasty blizzard that took down power lines for majority of the city. I think we had 2 full days, maybe even more without power. Didn't ask, and didn't expect anything.
Jun 29, 2019, 12:26 pm
#6
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Don’t get me wrong, I certainly wasn’t expecting anything. But Cheyenne isn’t Africa, and it wasn’t a widespread power outage, just 2 Marriott properties.
i would not have been happy with paying full rate to stay in a hotel without power. I would have expected to be moved. The stairs were not lit past the 2nd floor, and what light there was, was simply because it was light out.
I guess I wonder if you would be happy paying for a hotel room in the USA without power, when the hotel across the street had full power.
Thanks for the responses. Still curious to know whether they could legally stay open without power given the circumstances (not in Africa and not during a blizzard).
i would not have been happy with paying full rate to stay in a hotel without power. I would have expected to be moved. The stairs were not lit past the 2nd floor, and what light there was, was simply because it was light out.
I guess I wonder if you would be happy paying for a hotel room in the USA without power, when the hotel across the street had full power.
Thanks for the responses. Still curious to know whether they could legally stay open without power given the circumstances (not in Africa and not during a blizzard).
Jun 29, 2019, 2:38 pm
#7
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Back around 1995, I arrived around midnight at the beautiful Boone Tavern Hotel in Berea, Kentucky. There was a utility crew working next to the hotel, and when I walked into the lobby, I was surprised to find it lit only by a candelabra. The desk clerk checked me in, handed me a glass candlestick, and apologized for the elevator being off. The crew was replacing a large transformer and had scheduled the outage.
The Boone Tavern being an unrestored affair, they were still equipped to handle guests with or without electricity. It made for a quiet night.
The Boone Tavern being an unrestored affair, they were still equipped to handle guests with or without electricity. It made for a quiet night.
Jun 29, 2019, 6:26 pm
#9
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im not sure there is a requirement for backup lighting in the hotel room (though that would be nice). It is required in hallways, stairs, and at all exits.
Jun 29, 2019, 7:26 pm
#10
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Wouldn't this depend on local laws, regulations and ordinances? I would hope that emergency lighting would be required in public accommodations (and multistory large multifamily housing units, whether rental/condo/coop) in the USA. Of course, room lighting wouldn't generally be required, but I have noticed that some countries (Japan, for instance, which is earthquake prone) require that the hotel provide a flashlight in every room.
Jun 30, 2019, 2:58 am
#11
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If a transformer has been knocked out, you can bet that the whole neighborhood will be without power. What do you expect the hotel to do about that? The best thing you can do is find a local pizzeria with a gas-fired oven and wine and dine by candlelight until power is restored!
Jun 30, 2019, 8:11 am
#12
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Wouldn't this depend on local laws, regulations and ordinances? I would hope that emergency lighting would be required in public accommodations (and multistory large multifamily housing units, whether rental/condo/coop) in the USA. Of course, room lighting wouldn't generally be required, but I have noticed that some countries (Japan, for instance, which is earthquake prone) require that the hotel provide a flashlight in every room.
Jul 1, 2019, 7:03 am
#13
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Actually ,looking around my office, they are also on the walls in the office.
Jul 1, 2019, 7:34 am
#14
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Only had this happen once: in San Antonio at a Residence Inn. I was out of the hotel when the outage occurred and walked back in at 6PM after work. It was summer and they didn't know when the power was coming back on, so they were moving guests to other Marriotts nearby. Fortunately downtown SA has a jillion Marriotts so availability was not an issue. I was appreciative that they had proactively solved the problem before I arrived, so I just packed up and moved to a Marriott a 10-minute walk away. I didn't ask for or expect any further compensation, but later I noticed the RI added some goodwill points to my account (like 10k).
This was an isolated outage at the Residence Inn. If the entire city was without power, they'd obviously have to come up with another plan. Had it been winter where A/C isn't an issue, staying there might have been an option. In the summer, it was not.
I've also stayed in hotels in countries where power outages happen at predictable intervals (Nepal, etc.). If it's a small hotel, you just do without. If it's a medium-sized hotel, they might have the lobby and restaurant/bar on a generator but not the rooms. I just chalk that up to being part of the experience I guess...
This was an isolated outage at the Residence Inn. If the entire city was without power, they'd obviously have to come up with another plan. Had it been winter where A/C isn't an issue, staying there might have been an option. In the summer, it was not.
I've also stayed in hotels in countries where power outages happen at predictable intervals (Nepal, etc.). If it's a small hotel, you just do without. If it's a medium-sized hotel, they might have the lobby and restaurant/bar on a generator but not the rooms. I just chalk that up to being part of the experience I guess...
Jul 1, 2019, 7:49 am
#15
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I guess I would ask... why not?
I don't know of any inconvenience besides perhaps HVAC on a very hot/cold day, that would really interfere with a stay in this regard.
I could charge my phone in the car, don't need light to sleep.
Again, aside from HVAC, I'm not sure I would notice. Certainly wouldn't complain and absolutely would not expect to be reaccomodated or for there to be 'a plan' for power going out.
Maybe like above response, too many trips in Africa where hot water would be a luxury and there is power for 1 hour a day if at all.
Really wouldn't get in the way of any part of a stay in a hotel at all I don't see.
I don't know of any inconvenience besides perhaps HVAC on a very hot/cold day, that would really interfere with a stay in this regard.
I could charge my phone in the car, don't need light to sleep.
Again, aside from HVAC, I'm not sure I would notice. Certainly wouldn't complain and absolutely would not expect to be reaccomodated or for there to be 'a plan' for power going out.
Maybe like above response, too many trips in Africa where hot water would be a luxury and there is power for 1 hour a day if at all.
Really wouldn't get in the way of any part of a stay in a hotel at all I don't see.
Um I might not have a car to charge my phone, and if someone needs to use say a CPAP machine, they’d be in trouble. If the hallways and stairs aren’t lit there’s a safety hazard. And if I paid good money to stay in a hotel, whether it’s in the US or Bangladesh, I would expect there to be power. In Bangladesh the generators pop on and your fine.