sancarlosbob

It seems like when I check into a hotel about 2/3 of the time I'm put in the nearest room to the elevators, regardless of the chain.

Now, I know that someone has to be in the room (if the hotel's full), but what's the story with this?

Is it hotel policy to fill up the less-than-attractive rooms first? Is it to put low-rate guests in less-desirable rooms (tho most of the time these rooms are booked thru the hotel website). Or ... is it that I look like someone who wouldn't mind getting a lousy room?

It's pretty frustrating to get to the room, typically after extended travel, and have to march back down to the front desk and ask to be changed, which they just about always can do. At one recent visit, I *asked* when I checked in if they could put me somewhere not near the elevator. They smiled, nodded, and put me .... one room away from the elevator.

Any opinions?

dd992emo

If you travel that much and are a member of the hotel's program, you should have a profile to fill out on their website. At HH my profile says "High floor away from elevators" and that's what I get 99% of the time.

VelvetKennedy

I always ask for a room NEAR the elevator. I'm a deep sleeper and by the time I've arrived at the hotel after a long day of travel I've usually walked far enough. Often they still put me way at the end of the hall, though, so no, I don't see any rhyme or reason to it. Also, I can say that even as a Platinum or Diamond depending on the chain, I still often get crappy rooms and have to do the back-to-the-front-desk march. I think that more often than not, the person at the front desk is simply unaware of the state of any given room they assign.

At the Embassy Suites in NYC, for example, the floors are laid out in a huge circular hallway around the atrium. You get off the elevator and if you are at the wrong end of the floor (the low numbers), you have to walk all the way around the entire perimeter before you get to your room, which is back by the elevator, but inaccessible from that direction. The front desk seems to have no knowledge of this and would consistently try to put me in the rooms furthest from the elevator even though I'd request close to elevator, but I'd refuse anything that wasn't x15 or higher (515, 615, 715, etc.). It happens over and over at different hotels.

My theory is that since the people at the front desk for the most part don't stay in or look in the rooms, they really just don't know what they're giving you other than a room type and whatever info they see on any floor layout they might happen to look at.

The maid could probably pick a better room for you than the front desk can.

noturbulence

Exactly the same experience here and when I think back over the past years, I believe I did have to return to the front desk at least 50% of the time requesting a quiet room away from any noisy elevators (the ones constantly making a "pling" sound on opening or closing being the worst offenders), even in hotels where I had stayed several times before.

I my experience stating room preferences in your booking or program rarely yield any meaningful results, but it may help if the agent checking you in is a bit more experienced and actually knows the hotel which translates into someone not having a "trainee" badge or looking a bit lost operating the system. But then, sometimes I had the feeling even senior hotel staff - and especially in upscale 5 star type hotels - simply do not care and think they can get away with ignoring your request unless you really come back down to the desk again and then leave it to one of their colleagues to sort it out.

drat19

Hilton chains have a code of "SHH" that they can add to the Remarks/Spec Requests section of your reservation.

Another tactic I've used is to call the property directly earlier in the day when the day shift (read: manager is still on duty) is still on (mid/late afternoon usually works - morning check-outs and housekeeping are just about done by then), have them pull up my reservation to confirm it, and ask if my room has been assigned yet. If yes, ask them to look at the hotel map and determine if it's away from the elevator and/or vending, and change it if so. If not, ask when tonight's room assignments will be made so that I can call back, or have them assign it now. Usually a "joking/laughing" tone of voice where you say, "Heh, I'm on the road all the time and it just seems to happen to me a lot, can ya help me out here?" is all it takes to make a successful pre-emptive strike on this.

skylady

I have found earplugs to work quite well to subdue the sounds of the elevators. I am frequently near elevators, and am able to sleep through the pings. It's the screaming in the hallways that will break through the barrier.