The Things Hotels Still Can’t Get Right
With an 11 p.m. arrival and predawn departure, I didn’t need much from my $146-a-night Hyatt Place by the airport. Well, except for a glass of wine to take to my room.
The front-desk agent doubling as lobby bartender delivered not a house red or white but bad news: The Hyatt Place was out of wine. And club soda, and limes, and most of the beers on display. It was a minor annoyance, but one that travelers of all stripes are encountering at hotels this summer.
At a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Orlando, Fla., the pool was out of order for a day, the shampoo dispenser in the shower was empty and a sign on the breakfast buffet discouraged taking too much food because of supply issues. In Newport, R.I., reaching the front desk at my $500-a-night Marriott hotel was difficult, and the Starbucks didn’t open until 7 a.m. All in the span of a week.
Hyatt didn’t respond to requests for comment. Marriott declined to comment. Airlines get grief for service shortfalls two years into the travel surge, but hotels are struggling too.
If it isn’t shabby rooms from projects put off during the pandemic, it’s fewer amenities or lackluster service. We’ve heard a lot from readers on this topic. One told us that he and his colleagues have a competition to see who has a working ice machine on the hotel floor.
The winner buys drinks for the group. Hotel problems are particularly frustrating because we’re paying more for rooms on business trips and vacations. Hotel rates in the top 25 U.S.
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