these are a few of my favorite things...

shaving cream and a razor, creamier lotions for the winter, better coffee, better qtips and all hotels should provide cotton balls!

lala

I am supprised nobody dig up this discussion on the use of shower caps or dorritos bags. :-)

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr.../001847-3.html

[This message has been edited by SFOLIS (edited Dec 17, 2003).]

I end up at Hiltons 99.99%

I'd like the shoe kit. I always seem to need a touch up at 11pm.

Consistent shampoo & soap - hate the cheap stuff, but I use the same Neutrogena stuff they use. If I knew what I was going to get, I'd know if I needed to pack my own.

I think they (Hilton) all have internet access these days, even if you do have to pay for it. But it replaces a lot of mapping and services if you have the time to hunt for them.

I want a real city map in the room without having to remember to purchase one at the gift store when I check in. By the time I remember to get one, they're closed.

I wish more Hilton's had valet car service.

I'll second the overnight dry cleaning and laundry service. That would greatly reduce my luggage.

Stop putting the mirror over the desk! Put a cork board, or a 3M Post-it board there instead.

The best amenities I've ever had were at the Conrad in Singapore: razor and shaving creme, toothbrush/paste, cotton swabs, the usual mouth wash, shampoo, conditioner, shower cap, but also a loofa mit, a generous bottle of shower gel that didn't reek to the high heavens, bath salts and decent glycerin soap.

Eye make-up remover pads would be awesome! Domestically I've never had a problem with an iron/board not being in the room. Can't image otherwise. I do like the Westin's pillow options -- give me feathers every time! More consistency with bathrobes would be nice, too. The only place I've ever gotten cotton balls is the Millenium Hilton in NYC. Nice touch.

I want free wireless Internet everywhere I go.

I don't care about anything else (a bed would be nice, though).

American Hotels:

1. Something to heat water to boiling point (in other words, a kettle).

2. Some PG Tips or Yorkshire Tea Bags.

3. Room service like the rest of planet Earth that doesn't stop answering the phone at 10PM.

Hotels in general:

I second the comment on the concierge. The concierg at a 5* hotel should be a walking talking sphere of influence.

[This message has been edited by Internaut (edited Dec 18, 2003).]

Well, if we're going down this road...

Any hotel that did teadirect loose leaf teas, with a selection of Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong and Orange Pekoe would get my business in an instant

One thing that US hotels tend to do better with in-room hot drinks is to give you a percolator rather than grim instant stuff. It's just a shame I'm not a big fan of the light roasts you tend to get over there...

One other thing: why on earth to otherwise nice hotels ever use double beds? Anything smaller than a queen is ridiculous, except for maybe in two-bedroom suites where you want to put two doubles into a small second bedroom.

And if a hotel room only has ONE bed in it, it had better be at least a standard King!

I second! One of the more do-able requests on this thread that would really help!

I enjoy the Green Valley Ranch Casino and Spa just below Las Vegas (Henderson)

free shoe polishes at night
Gilchrist and Soames bath products and separate tub and shower
turn down service with new towels, bottled water and music set

4 diamond hotel

free (fast, ethernet-cable or wireless) Internet-access in the room (like, to my surprise, I did find this nov/dec at SFO Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn) - while other hotels, like the SFO airport Marriott ($9.95/24hrs) and the SOF airport Westin ($15/24hrs) still ask a lot of money per 24 hours access.

• Free internet access in room
• Mouthwash
• Qtips
• Good city map / guide
• 1.5l of water

------------------
truly yours. airOli.
March 1st 2004: Morgestraich Do!

Better TV screens. I just got a new one and it makes the ones I see in the hotels I stay in 100 nights a year look pitiful.

Oh, and video-in on the room TV. I know hotels want to make money on PPV but I have a serious DVD collection I'd like to see someday.

Oh and while we're asking for the impossible.. TiVo.

These are the amenities that i've gotten, from the hotels that I've stayed at, which I've really appreciated.

-toothbrush/toothpaste; shaving cream/razor (W Chicago City Center)
-free broadband Internet (various Hyatt hotels)
-a free bottle of water (Mandarin Oriental SF)
-shoe horn (surprising how so many hotels don't have these any more)
-complimentary shoe shine (Park Hyatt)
-bigger cups; I hate having to refill my glasses of water (W Chicago City Center has nice big cups)
-a set of silverware (I've yet to see a hotel that has this already in the room)
-free espresso machine (Swissotel London)
-bath robe (most hotels have this now)
-soap dish (I hate leaving soap on the sink counter)
-a nice stereo/CD player (Park Hyatt SF has Nakamichi stereos)

Things I could do without:

-sewing kit
-shower cap
-mini-bars
-hotel services binders (bulky and take up too much room on the desk); would prefer just a folder

I am surprised at the number of 'business hotels' that give no thought to the business traveller --
-- pitifully small desks -- not enough space for a laptop, a lamp, and a tablet of
-- Internet hook up or extra outlet for the computer is located on the wall under the desk (I hate having to crawl under there)
-- desk is pushed up against the wall, or in such a position that you cannot see the TV while you are going through your thousands of dumb emails