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Top 15 most annoying things about some hotels

Top 15 most annoying things about some hotels

I really enjoy checking into hotels and having a good stay. Finding that everything is as you like it is important. It’s your home away from home for a few days, so you want a relaxing time and some time to enjoy the facilities of your chosen hotel.

However, from time to time hotel stays are not 100% perfect and I have listed some areas where hotels have let me down in the past in my Top 15 most annoying things about some hotels or, to put it another way the “Things which annoy me about some hotels” list …

Noisy or non-functioning air conditioning

Worse than a window not opening, a hotel which advertises air conditioning and it barely manages to keep the room at 20C or rattles like a coffee grinder when you have it on. Some of the best Air Conditioning was in the US, where you could have the room at 10C if you so wanted.

 

Getting a smelly room

Sometimes you can be very unlucky and end up going into a hotel room and getting an unwanted smell. This could be a cleaning problem or it could be something like the previous occupant being a smoker or taking food back to the room the night before.

 

No provision of parking or local car park which is then validated

This is a real problem for me. If I’m staying at a hotel and there is no hotel parking the least I expect is that the hotel has a deal running with the local NCP or city car park and therefore validate the car parking for you.

Some of the best examples of this recently were at Future Hotel Bristol and The Bristol Hotel, both of which validated our car parking. I would return to these 2 hotels as a result!

 

Badly maintained bathrooms

Please enjoy our bathroom but ignore the rusty tap, the missing shower head and the mould around the tiling… also if the toilet takes 30 mins to refill that’s normal …. NO it’s not ! Having a well maintained bathroom is vital to an enjoyable stay.

 

No free WiFi in rooms / Crappy WiFi

There is nothing worse than checking in and then accessing your smartphone or tablet only to find out that there is a charge for WiFi. You may have paid a lot for your room, yet you are not given free Wireless Internet.

Even worse is when you have chosen the hotel based on the Free Wifi promise, you check in and the WiFi times out or fails to load even the most basic web pages. If I’m paying for an expensive hotel room I don’t want to have to pay $20 or €10 for WiFi.
Free WiFi is something I now look for in a hotel, if it’s not free I won’t stay.

 

Tea and Coffee Facilities

You come back after a day out and fell like a cup of tea for 2 only to find that you have to call reception to get more tiny UHT milk packets delivered to your room. Even worse is when no tea/coffee facilities are provided.

 

Finding things left from the last visitor

There is nothing worse than seeing evidence of the last visitor in your room, like a sweet wrapper under a chair etc. Once in Australia, there was visible evidence in my hotel that the pillows had not been changed. In that room, the evidence pointed to the previous visitor having a bad cold … at least I hope that’s what it was! (we swiftly left that hotel)

 

Housekeeping ignoring ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs

If you are in need of some rest and just don’t want to be disturbed, you hang the little do not disturb sign outside the door… some time later you get a knock or a “Hello, House Keeping” – Why? It’s on the door …. Do Not Disturb!

In one hotel we were disturbed exactly 1 hour after check-in … asking “Do you need more towels?” — what could I have done in 1 hour which would result in requiring more towels?

 

No electrical plug sockets near the bed

This is very annoying for iPhone charging especially if you use your smartphone as an alarm clock or radio… or indeed if you log onto Facebook at 2 am which some people do. Having a plug near the bed or bedside locker should be standard.

 

Uncomfortable beds or pillows

One of the things I really hate is a hotel which markets the room as having a double bed which is actually 2 twin beds stuck together and you end up falling down the gap. That bed split drives me mad.

 

Windows that will not open at all

I understand for health and safety you have to prevent people from opening the windows too much but when they don’t open at all it really feels claustrophobic – it’s nice to let some fresh air into your room!

 

A TV… with 4 channels

So we have a TV, let’s have a look BBC1, BBC2, UTV and a Local Channel … that’s all?
You may as not have it at all! I’ll read a book!

In the age of amazing technology, you should have more than 4 channels.

 

Keycards not working

There is nothing worse than returning to your room on the 23rd floor to find that your keycard no longer works. You get the red light and you end up having to return to reception. They usually ask “was this near your phone or other bank cards?” … that shouldn’t be the point. In the age of AI and advanced technology, a key card shouldn’t just de-programme!

 

Complicated light switches

There have been some hotels which have had the most unusual lighting systems. There were so many light switches in one hotel, I had to click each one to find out what each one did. If you click the wrong one you end up waking any guest in the room up with every light in the room suddenly turning on.

 

Do you have anything to add to this list?

What was the worst thing you ever saw in a hotel? (Please don’t mention names)

Avon Valley Railway, Steam Railway near Bristol – Attraction Review

Avon Valley Railway, Steam Railway near Bristol – Attraction Review

While you are in Bristol there is a good selection of destinations and attractions you can reach. One of these is the Avon Valley Railway located at Bitton.

The Avon Valley Railway is a 3-mile long heritage railway based at Bitton station in South Gloucestershire. The railway follows the Avon Valley south-east from Oldland Common, through Bitton and alongside the River Avon towards Bath. The railway shares its route with the very popular Sustrans cycleway and footpath, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.

The Avon Valley Railway station at Bitton is an original Midland Railway station which was restored by volunteer members who now run this line. Car parking is provided for customers so there are no worries about getting there and parking. The Station building itself holds the Booking Hall and Ticket Office. There are many posters and signs from the golden age of steam in the station.

Your conductor or ticket inspector, dressed in an accurate uniform, allows you to board the train.

The Avon Valley Railway was a new experience for me having never been on a steam train from that era. The steam train had the individual compartments seating 4 adults.

The train only runs on a section of the line running from Bitton to Avon Riverside and then on to Oldland. This journey takes about 30 minutes. It is well worth it and was certainly a highlight of the area for me.  If you are looking for things to do near Bristol then don’t miss this, it is so enjoyable.

There is a restaurant on site but food can take up to 30 minutes on busy days, so probably best to get a drink and relax while waiting for your food.

The Avon Valley Railway was one of the highlights of a visit to this area of the UK. If you have a few hours to spare, then it is an ideal attraction for kids and adults of all ages.

Address: Bath Rd, Bristol, South Gloucestershire BS30 6HD, United Kingdom

Website: http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org

Map Location :

Avon Valley Railway, Steam Railway

Avon Valley Railway, Steam Railway

Future Inn Hotel Bristol – Bristol Hotel Review

Future Inn Hotel Bristol – Bristol Hotel Review

Future Inn Hotel, Bristol – Review

I visited Bristol in June as part of a trip around the south west of the UK. Bristol was day 2 of the trip, so naturally, I didn’t want to leave it to fate. Therefore via the Booking.com app, I researched hotels in Bristol. The Future Inn Hotel in Bristol had a good profile and good reviews, so I booked a 2-night stay here.

On arrival in Bristol we found the Future Inn Hotel and having parked in the short-term car park at the rear we checked in.
It was a very efficient and friendly check-in. We were advised as to where the actual car park was (shared with the Cabot centre) and a 3-minute walk back to the hotel. Parking was later validated which was excellent and added to the great value during the stay at the hotel.

The room was very nice, very good air conditioning (which was welcome during the summer of 2013) and a nice bathroom with an excellent shower and products. The comfortable room also had a nice street view but very little street noise which was good. No noise either from adjoining rooms or corridor which can often be annoying.

The breakfast was not included in my rate, so at an extra charge, I asked that it be charged to the room. It was well worth it; a well-organised buffet with very nice food, including a wide selection of cooked meats, pastries, cereals and fruit. Certainly enough to get you started for your day.

There is free WiFi available in public areas in the hotel but alas not in the room – that would have added to the hotel’s features. This was the only downside to the visit, as, for me, Wifi is something I need in a hotel.

Overall a very pleasant and comfortable stay and would certainly return if I was ever in the Bristol area again.

Future Inn, Hotel Address: Future Inn Hotel, Bond St S, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 3EN, United Kingdom

Future Inn Hotel Location in Bristol:

Future Inn Hotel, Bond St S, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 3EN, United Kingdom

Future Inn Hotel, Bond St S, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 3EN, United Kingdom