All posts in Hotel rants

Recently I have used a number of hotel search and review sites and have recorded a video blog post which I will post on my You Tube channel soon. Anyway, I have found a few video hotel search and review sites including Hotels.tv and Hotelly and I am not overly impressed.

Staged, professional video hotel reviews

The sites themselves are fine, but, 90% of the video reviews I have seen are professionally recorded and are just like the hotel websites themselves. Featuring the nicest rooms, and when you arrive at the hotel it’s nothing like the photos and videos.

Some of the videos aren’t particularly good quality, and the dodgy music in the background puts me off. Where’s the commentary, the actual review. Creating a video, adding music, and a little bit of text on a screen is not a review to me.

User generated video reviews

What I want to see are real off-the-cuff video hotel reviews like the Shaftsbury Kensington hotel review I recorded last year prior to the Travolution Awards. I have no interest in watching promotional fluffy reviews and do not trust them.

It’s fairly inexpensive nowadays, unless abroad, to take out your mobile phone and use a service like Qik to record a video and publish it on the internet. You can then upload it to the likes of Travelistic, You Tube or a hotel video site.

So, an open question to readers.

What are your opinions on video hotel reviews, too professional and staged? Or, there’s a future for them providing that they’re user generated video reviews included. Please leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments.

Today I read an interesting post written by Simon on Travel Shorthand regarding hotels and the increase in hotel service charges. Like low cost airlines, hotels are looking at ways to generate more revenue at a time when consumers, I would guess are cutting back on weekend breaks.

Feeling looked after in the hotel

A year or so ago I wrote about my disgust at a room service delivery charge that cost more than the snack and drink itself. Last month at the Crowne Plaza in Liverpool I would have been charged £3.50 on top of my bill for room service.

What happened to staying in a hotel and being looked after?

Customers not forced to use hotel services

I agree with Simon that an extra charge for having a room safe or a restocking charge for the minibar would be an outrage, but to be fair you do not have to use these services unlike airline baggage charges which are compulsory if you want to go on holiday for a week or two.

That said hotels are in an unfortunate position that consumers have plenty of choice in pretty much any destination and will simply not re-book and leave negative reviews online. Reviews which could put other travel consumers off booking.

Hotel charges found on your travels

On recent travels I have not come across any outrageous hotel charges, other than very expensive internet access which I think is disgusting considering broadband access is so cheap. I am interested to read any hotel charges that you have found on your travels.

I am in the process of booking two hotels, one for my trip to London, and the other for Venice, and early next week I will be publishing a video blog post that will take a look at four hotel search and comparison sites that I have used to hunt down my hotel.

I thought it would be a good idea if we all shared our best along with our worst hotel experiences.

Best hotel experiences

» Spectacular views of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur from my hotel room window.
» Finding the cold €1 beers in the kitchen of my Berlin B&B, I’m easily pleased.
» Spending a night in a luxury hotel, something I very rarely do.
» Staying in the presidential suite on a Boat hotel in Prague

Worst hotel experiences

» Walking out of a badly managed and smelly hotel in the gorgeous Lake District.
» Spending the night in the smallest cupboard/room at a hotel near Covent Gardens
» Staying in a noisy hotel with a 3” gap at the bottom of the room door and a 6ft crack up the staircase
» Sydney hotel room view of a multi-story car park

It is certainly true that you get what you paid for, and I usually book budget hotels because I would prefer to spend my money on the holiday than the actual accommodation. Maybe it’s because I am getting older but I am finding that my opinion is changing to that I would prefer to pay for the comfort.

Please feel free to mention your best and worst hotel experiences in the comments.

Last week a group of friends returned from a weekend trip in London and I received a phone call telling me how poor the hotel was; badly managed, rude staff, horrible continental breakfast, and dare I say it, a dirty hotel. I have experienced this myself so I can relate to their rants.

Hotel standards need to be set

I think something needs to be done about the standard of the hotels in London for the Olympic Games in 2012, standards need to be set. Some of the hotels look like they’re run in a third world country, not London, a future Olympic city.

If the hotel doesn’t meet these standards they should be closed down.

London hotels don’t offer value for money

A lot of hotel staff are from abroad, so struggle to cope with the English language, they are badly paid so aren’t really motivated to provide good customer service. The price of a hotel in Beijing went through the roof, so, visitors to London are going to be disappointed if the same happens.

The top hotel reviews are over £160 a night, not exactly an affordable price.

I am interested to read what you think.