People often only find out whether a hotel is good or bad after staying there for a while. However, experts say that there are four warning signs that can indicate a terrible hotel experience within just a few minutes of checking in, even before you open your luggage.
According to a report from the US Travel + Leisure magazine, Jesse Neugarten, founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club, and Jimmy Yoon, points information manager at the ticket search and booking platform point.me, shared what they pay attention to and warning signs when staying at hotels.
Neugarten mentioned that one of the first things he notices is the smell in the hotel lobby. If there is a strong scent of air freshener, there is usually a reason behind it.
The expert explained, “They might be masking odors like mold, smoke, musty carpets, or other unpleasant smells. A clean and well-maintained hotel shouldn’t need to mask its odors.”
Yoon shared a similar experience he had in a hotel room. He stayed in a room labeled as “non-smoking” but could smell strong tobacco odor. He later discovered an ozone machine operating in the room, which is not supposed to be running when guests are present.
Both experts pay attention to the hotel staff upon arrival. Neugarten mentioned that he doesn’t mind waiting a few minutes during check-in, but there should be someone there to greet guests upon arrival.
He said, “If the front desk appears understaffed or overwhelmed, then the housekeeping and maintenance departments likely face similar issues, which you will usually notice during your stay.”
Yoon pointed out that the condition of public areas reflects many issues. Overflowing trash cans, dirty hallways, or room service trays left outside for hours or even days, all indicate poor management of the hotel.
For luxury hotels, he expects to see staff welcoming guests and assisting with luggage, while in budget hotels, an unattended front desk is a clear warning sign.
Yoon advised people not to rush to unpack upon entering the room, but instead take a few minutes to inspect it. He mentioned he goes straight to the bathroom for inspection. Finding hair on the floor, dirt in the shower, or any traces left by the previous guest are warning signs.
He said, “If one corner of the room is dirty, it’s reasonable to assume that areas not easily checked are also not properly cleaned.”
He also recommended checking if the thermostat and air conditioning are working properly, flushing the toilet, and testing the water pressure in the shower. The worst scenario is discovering a malfunctioning air conditioner in the middle of the night, forcing a room change, especially after unpacking your belongings.
Neugarten also suggested checking the air conditioning, but for different reasons. He believes the condition of the air conditioner is one of the most intuitive indicators of room maintenance quality. If the air conditioning is noisy, ineffective at cooling, or takes a long time to cool the room, it likely indicates poor maintenance.
He said, “The maintenance cost of HVAC systems is high. Therefore, if a hotel is careless in this aspect, it might be the case in other areas as well.”
High overall ratings of a hotel do not always reflect its current condition. Neugarten recommended sorting ratings by time, from newest to oldest, instead of relying solely on the average scores over the past few years.
He said, “You’re booking the hotel as it is now, not its average standard over the past five years.”
He usually looks at recent low ratings (one or two stars) rather than the majority of five-star reviews. He said, “Positive reviews often sound the same, while negative ones can reveal potential issues.”
Yoon mentioned that besides traditional rating websites, he also browses online travel communities and forums because posts there are generally not artificially manipulated and are not driven by profit motives.
Apart from understanding if a hotel has issues, people also want to avoid overspending or unpleasant experiences when staying at a hotel. Previously, hoteliers revealed the six most common mistakes made by guests, which could lead to unnecessary expenses. (Read more: Hoteliers reveal guests’ six biggest mistakes that may cost them extra money)