A hotel stay is supposed to be about comfort, convenience and a break from everyday life. But some travellers seem to leave their manners at home when they check in.
British etiquette expert William Hanson believes hotels can bring out the worst in people because guests sometimes see the relationship as purely transactional. Since they are paying for a room and services, they assume they can behave however they want — from being rude to staff to making excessive noise or leaving their rooms in a terrible state.
Hanson, who runs The English Manner etiquette institute in London, believes good manners should apply everywhere, including hotels.
Here are some of the hotel habits he believes travellers should avoid.
Britons are often reluctant to complain, even when something has gone wrong. Hanson believes this is one area where they could learn from Americans.
If your room has not been cleaned, a towel is dirty or something promised by the hotel is missing, you should say so. There is no need to be aggressive. A calm and courteous complaint is perfectly acceptable. Being polite does not mean accepting poor service.
A guest can simply explain the problem and ask the hotel to fix it. Saying, “I'm afraid there seems to be a problem with the room,” is far better than silently tolerating the issue and then writing an angry review later.
The important thing is to raise the problem respectfully and give the hotel a chance to resolve it.
Receptionists, concierges, porters and housekeeping staff are not simply extensions of the hotel. They are people doing their jobs, often under considerable pressure.
Hanson recommends paying attention to their names. If a receptionist introduces themselves, remember the name and use it when speaking to them. It is a small gesture, but it makes the interaction more personal.
This can also work in the guest's favour. If you are hoping for an upgrade or some extra assistance, being pleasant to the staff is a much better strategy than becoming impatient or rude.
Even if check-in is taking longer than expected, scowling at the receptionist is unlikely to improve the situation.
Good manners can sometimes result in better service simply because people are naturally more willing to help someone who treats them with respect.
A hotel corridor is not a playground or a place for loud conversations. Guests often forget that hotels operate around the clock. Someone in the next room may be sleeping during the day because they work night shifts. Others may be recovering from a long journey, caring for a baby or simply taking an afternoon nap.
Children running through corridors, people shouting between rooms, loud conversations and doors being slammed can disturb many guests.
Hanson believes hotel corridors should have the quietness of a place of worship. The primary purpose of a hotel, after all, is to provide guests with somewhere to rest and sleep.
The simple rule is to lower your voice as soon as you leave your room and remember that other people are behind those doors.
Hotel amenities can make attractive souvenirs, but there is a clear difference between taking a complimentary item and taking hotel property.
Small items such as cotton pads, nail files, sewing kits and similar amenities are generally provided for guests' use. Hotel slippers can also normally be taken home.
But towels, bed linen, bathrobes and hair dryers are not complimentary gifts. Taking a hair dryer is simply theft. The same applies to towels and robes.
Hotels are also increasingly replacing miniature bathroom bottles with refillable dispensers fixed to the wall. Apart from reducing waste, this makes it clear that the products are part of the hotel's facilities rather than take-home souvenirs.
Paying for a hotel room does not mean you can treat it like a dumping ground.
There is nothing wrong with a normal amount of holiday mess. Clothes, bags and personal belongings will naturally accumulate during a stay. But leaving rubbish everywhere, spilling food or deliberately making a room extremely difficult to clean shows a lack of consideration for housekeeping staff.
The same applies to room service. If you order food, follow the hotel's instructions for returning trays and dishes rather than leaving them in inconvenient places.
Housekeeping staff often have limited time to prepare rooms for the next guests. A little consideration can make their work easier.
Some guests feel uncomfortable asking hotel staff to carry their luggage because they do not want to appear demanding.
Hanson says there is no reason to feel guilty about using a service that the hotel provides.
At a good hotel, porters, bellboys and concierge staff are there to assist guests with their bags. If you are checking out soon and have several suitcases, call reception and ask someone to collect them. Of course, carrying your own luggage is not bad manners. But neither is asking for help.
Guests sometimes worry about being “too nice” or imposing on staff. There is no need. If the hotel offers a luggage service, using it is part of the experience you are paying for.
Hotel review sites are often dominated by negative experiences.
A dirty room, disappointing meal or rude employee can immediately motivate someone to write a review. But excellent service often goes unnoticed.
Hanson believes guests should also take the time to praise staff and hotels when they deserve it.
If a receptionist went out of their way to help, mention it. If the breakfast was exceptional, say so. If an employee made a difficult situation easier, acknowledge their effort.
Positive reviews are useful not only to hotels but also to the employees who provide the service.
Hotel etiquette is ultimately about consideration. Paying for a room gives guests the right to expect good service. It does not give them the right to be rude, noisy or disrespectful.
The best hotel guests are not necessarily those who spend the most money. They are the ones who understand that good service works both ways.
A quiet voice in the corridor, a polite complaint, remembering a staff member's name, leaving the room reasonably tidy and saying thank you for good service cost nothing.
Yet these small gestures can make a hotel stay better for everyone — guests and staff alike.
