These are little things... but at least for me they are important:

*Having the zip out checkout system through the t-v in your hotel room work. It really can be a pain in the cat's tail when you are rushing to check out and the system is not working saying "Sorry, you must go wait ina long line to check out." So I end up calling the front desk and checking out.

In fact: my most recent stay at the NYC Millenium Hilton says "You can zip out checkout by checking otu channel 20. I go there... no button for zip out.

*I wish the hotels would start putting those little bottles of mouthwash and bubble bath in the bathrooms again... I hate carrying my big bottle of mouthwash and I lik eto have clean breath. And sometimes I like taking a hot bubble bath. The Millenium Hilton had Neutrogena Bath something and I assume it's bubble bath.

*MY BIG ISSUE: LEAVING A 'DO NOT DISTURB SIGN ' SO I CAN PUT IT ON THE DOOR. I can't earn frequent sleeping miles when housekeeping bangs on the door so early.
I bring this up because once upon a time, in my first trip to Hong Kong, the flight was in five hours late, I was fried so I went to the hotel, checked in, went tot my room, stripped, flopped on the bed and was off earning double snoring points in seconds.
Then early in the morning I in half sleep see this little shadow in a white dress running around the room, I sit up and it's this housekeeper who's probably no more than 18 or 19. I screamed, she screamed, they brought security and she said "Oh you forgot to put the do not disturb sign on the door.
It's not nice to wake the CATMAN out of his beauty sleep. I can be a real tiger!



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MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!!!

Beware green bath gel that looks just like green mouthwash. Sheraton Wall Centre Vancouver has green bath gel--as I learned the untasteful way!

Speaking of those little bottles of stuff on the vanity, I always take the unopened ones home. Figure I paid for them and then I give them to homes for abused women, kids, etc. They especially like the sewing kits.

Clear telephone dialing instructions, and costs involved. "Dial 9 for local call, 8 for long distance", what about 800/888/877 lines? Often, I can not find any instructions.

If TV checkout is not working, try to 1) either drop off your room key/express checkout form in an express checkout box at the lobby or 2) if an express checkout box is not available catch the eye of someone at the front desk and hand them your keys/form and tell them to check you out at their liesure.

Maybe it's the engineer in me, but I'd like some sort of instruction/plan for the lights in a hotel room.

I mean the sconces over the bed have switches on them but do not work unless the switches by the door and under the curtain are both on...but since they've replace the bulb with a flourescent that takes 10 seconds to warm-up you'll never know when the combination is right as you keep switching to every combination in rapid succession to try to see a spark of light......


You'd think an layout/instruction behind the door would be possible....

Similar to your comment David, I've woken up in the middle of the night to my laptop beeping at me because it's battery was dying since I had turned off a light switch without realizing I had also turned off the outlet my laptop was plugged into.

I spend a lot more time in Days Inns than I do at a Sheraton, as I'm often travelling to small towns. I love the complimentary shampoo, etc. because I can use them in the Days Inn, then refill them at home for my next flight.

The soaps are a different problem - Caitlin and Victoria like having soaps that are "their size", so they never survive until the next trip.

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

What's missing:

Phone books that tell you what exchanges are local calls.

What's not missing:

A dozen little advertising cards scattered throughout my hotel room. I can't think of anything that makes me feel less at home than having ads all over the place. I hide them after I get to my room - and fairly often, they are returned to their places daily by housekeepers.

Item that was unique;
I have run into a few Marriotts and Crown Plazas that have detailed dialing instructions and a listing of local on-line services access numbers, saving me from making a call.

Items that disturb me;
Electronic keys that don't work when you first get to your room.

You'd think that hotels in a chain would be consistent with the use of a 8 or 9 for local calls. Seems that one week it's an 8, next week a 9, then a 9 back to an 8.

A/C and heating units that don't/won't consistently work.

Phone lines that are toooo short to reach the business desk (NOTE: Fairfields are nice and looooong!)

Hotels that won't drop your paper at your door and then make you run down to the front desk.

Maids that take your soap and half used shampoo each day and also ones that don't replace the used bathroom linens with new items. Seems that they must think that one only uses one towel and washcloth a day.

This might seem petty, but I would love for all hotels to give you a listing of available TV channels, either on the back of the remote or on a separate card. Going thru every channel might seem like fun for you surfers out there, but if I'm looking for a specific show--I'd like to find it easily.

dgolds ~ If I'm staying in a room for more than a night or two, I will often take all of the advertisements/tourist books/etc and throw them in the bottom dresser drawer, but I can't say I've ever had a maid put them back while I was still staying in the room!

What's funny is that problem is actually worse at the nicer hotel chains ... Hyatt is particularly guilty of this at times!

flyguy- my wife also takes and donates the lttle extras!

NJDavid- I sure agree and on of the worst cases was last year in Bangkok. I could not get the air con up to a functional level. For three days I tried to get them to look at the problem- again and again. Finally I caught the cleaning guy in the hallway one morning and after a few moments of difficulty since ny Thai is not the best, he demonstrated that you must press HARD on the console and then keep the electronic button pressed for about 8-10 seconds in order to reset the temp at a lower/highewr level! Finally did get a reasonable temp and I suggested to the hotel that they post a card in Thai/English etc in each room to indicate to guests that this was the case! Don't yet know if they did!

extra towels....

one bath towel & one hand towel just aren't enough if you shower more than once a day and/or have long hair!!

I don't like all the advertising, but what is appreciated is a decent map of the area, showing restaurants, shops, etc.

LOL TexasFlyer regarding the Sheraton Wall Centre in YVR. I almost made the same mistake the first time I stayed there.

I know some hotels have them, but what I would like to see is "healthy" selections in the room service/restaurant menus. Something as simple as spaghetti in marinara sauce would be great. It sure beats fetuccini alfredo.

I agree baobab, it would be nice to have a decent map of the area with the location of area restaurants.