To want to be able to sleep when I’m staying in a hotel.

[Hangerbout]

I work away from home a lot, so have clocked up a lot of experiences in hotels. AIBU? Here are the problems:

1. Bedrooms too hot. Air con default at 23 degrees appears to be the norm now, with restrictions on how low you can go (which is usually above what I need in order to sleep). Last week, the default was 25 degrees. Surely hotel chains have read the research that bedrooms need to be cool?
2. Beds too narrow or short. One time, the bed was so small I had to sleep diagonally.
3. Bed backboards affixed to inferior stud walls, resulting in waking up every time the person in the next room moves in their bed.
4. Hotels not informing customers they are hosting migrants, homeless families and what seems to be recently released offenders: thank you for all the noise in the middle of the night.
5. Doors that look like they’ve previously been crow-barred open. Cue trying to sleep with one eye open.
6. Gyms only open at 7am. Like, that’s too late.
7. Breakfast from 8am. Like, that’s too late.
8. Severe restrictions on the shower temperature options. Thank you for the luke warm shower! Likewise, a lack of industry wide standard shower fixings: I don’t want to solve the shower equivalent of a rubic’s cube when I’m pressed for time. Oh, and the shower head maximum height being set at ‘hobbit mode’. Thank you for the crick in my neck.
9. ’DOG FRIENDLY’ everywhere. Cue me not being able to breathe in a room formerly occupied by a dog due to allergy. But that’s ok because ‘customer wellbeing’.

Thank you for hearing my woes.

I think you’ve had unusually bad luck if this has happened to you more than about once OP.

I have stayed at loads of places including premier inns and never had this. I avoid travelodges due to bad reviews. You are staying at some seriously shit places. Not all hotels are like this.

Bulk booking discounts, sector discounts and most importantly you can see where all travellers are at once, syncing with your insurance providers for quick extractions where needed.

Agreed! Although for me it's because it makes the air so dry I end up with an itchy throat or coughing all night.

Premier Inns used to my go to. Past couple of years have had nothing but terrible experiences- tatty dirty rooms, and bad customer service. Charging for early check in in advance then there being no rooms available and not refunding the charge. And they are pricier now than a lot of 4 star hotels.

Hot hotel rooms with windows that don’t even open a crack and the air con is useless.
Hotels with foam mattress toppers that heat you up to 5000 degrees and must just soak up sweat. I avoid all Radissons and Hotel Indigos because of these.
Getting shitty rooms if you book as a single person. I always book as the default 2 people now.

I absolutely loathe rainfall shower heads. I don't want drenching from above and I don't always want to get my hair wet in the shower. A shower head you can use at an angle and remove from the bracket every time, please!

You're probably better off asking them that...

At a guess, I'd suggest several reasons:
Living there everyday rather than a one off night or two - makes it seem like "home" and therefore acting as if they own the place and don't need to consider others.
Being largely men, especially young men who seem to be rowdier than women when in groups.
And possibly, cultural differences regarding acceptable noise levels. The UK is a particularly considerate, quiet place compared to many. It takes people a while to realise and adjust. And if they're young men, they often don't care...

What the hell are you talking about? I’ve retired after working since I was 18 thanks.

That’s what i was thinking! The person in the room next to you is rocking your bed when they turn over?? Grim.

It was kind of a rhetorical question because of the implicit xenophobia. I wasn't looking for outright xenophobia but thanks

I've just come back from a couple of nights at a brilliant hotel (EXCEPT for one massive downside*...I'll get to that).

It was refurbished about 3 months ago
-Bedroom had brick walls (no noise from floor above/nextdoor)
-The desk had a bright lamp AND plug sockets with USB thingys
-Each side of the bed had light controls AND plug sockets with USB AND there were little nightlights that you could switch on just by lifting a lip/lid
-The TV remote had batteries and all the channels (incl radio) were tuned in
-The shower (OMG the shower!) was a dream. The controls were by the entrance (so you didn't scald/freeze). The rainshower and adjustable one each had an on/off button with the appropriate symbol on it AND the thermostat had a small red and blue line to indicate which way turn.
-The fridge had a little bottle of fresh milk for the tea/coffee
-Aircon worked quietly (room at 19 degrees)
-A discrete hinged tab to pull out instead of a clunky doorchain

*The 2nd floor room overlooked a bus stop, near traffic lights. Unbeknownst to me until Monday. a lot of electric buses have massive fans in their roof which make a ridiculous amount of noise when braking/waiting for lights to change (we're talking 18 ton roadsweeper levels of noise).

Premier Inn/Holiday Inn Express/Hilton Garden Inn are my "safe" budget brands but surge pricing does seem to be making them more expensive these days.

It's a hotel...

I hate when you get a room with the potential to adjoin the room next to it - the noise that travels through the flimsy doors is unbearable. It’s like those strangers are sleeping next to me. And being too hot is terrible as is being too cold.

If you’re travelling for work most people need to be left before or around that time

And?

You must be staying in real budget cheap hotel shit holes. I have never encountered this problem even with cheaper hotel chains.

Choose better hotels?

Ditto. I always chose either Travelodge, Premier Inn or Holiday Inn when travelling in the UK (preferably ones that look relatively newly built within the last 25 years or so!). They always have thermostats for the heating, decent showers, hot water, etc., are are pretty consistent with room sizes, quality of beds/linen, breakfasts, and room facilities etc.

I absolutely hate the "lottery" when dealing with older hotels, small private hotels, etc. Some are brilliant, but some are very haphazard and reviews aren't always reliable as some hotels have VERY different room qualities within the same hotel. If I can book a specific room in a small private hotel (one where their online booking actually shows you lots of pictures of the actual room, list of facilities etc), then I'll often book it and usually happy with it, but few do that and it's just random whether you get a decent room with a view or a crappy box room at the top/back with a view of the wheelie bins!

Indeed, 8am is far too late for workers, especially the likes of contractors who may actually start at their workplace at 8am so need breakfast 6-30 to 7-00, and also travelling people who want to be up and on with their journey before the rush hour traffic and school traffic congestion. 8am is only really OK for those on holiday who have lots of time.

The expectation is that hotels cater for what guests want - which is generally breakfast earlier than 8 if they’re catering for workers not people on holiday.

8 is late at weekend IMO let alone a work day! even with a short commute that's too late to start eating.

I get that but the point I’m making is that not all hotels can easily get staff that can start so early. This is part of the hospitality sector crisis

Chains like Premier Inn seem to manage so it must be possible.

I didn’t say it was impossible.

Then what point are you actually trying to make? I’m confused here.