Courtesy of www.hotelchatter.com
The New Year is practically upon us and once again, we are looking for ways to fix ourselves up in 2012 by making a lengthy list of New Year's resolutions. (#1. Attempt to stay in more hotels than last year, #2. Try not to purchase any more Selena Gomez songs, no matter how catchy they are).
But why should we be the only ones working on some self-improvements? Therefore, we thought we'd lend a helping hand to hotels by drafting a set of New Year's Hotel Resolutions. We know, we're too kind!
1. Working WiFi: That WiFi should be free is a given, but this year we've had numerous experiences with WiFi—sometimes free, sometimes pay-for--that just did not work very well, if at all. We know that many hotels will claim that maintaining a WiFi network is expensive, we get that, but no hotel would let their TV reception stay scrambled or let their minibar refrigerators stay broken, would they? To us, WiFi is just as important of an amenity as TVs and minibars. Probably more important.
2. Reasonable Room Rates: Yeah, this is what we wished for in 2011 and for the most part, we were pretty content with room rates, especially when we found further discounts on Facebook and Twitter and by using some last-minute rate sites or the app, HotelTonight. But we have noticed a disturbing uptick in rates in the last few months. Let's hope it slows down after the New Year.
3. Just Say No to Political Dictators: Arab Spring showed us that ruling days for dictators around the world are numbered. So there's no reason why hotels should keep putting them up and putting up with their awful behavior.
4. More Cool Art: We've been going all art student serious with our For the Sake of Hotel Art series and honestly, it might be our favorite "class" ever. Keep adding cool new art please!
5. Affordable Hotel Options for the Olympics: London, we're talking to you. Try to keep rates affordable for those of us not named Elizabeth, Charles, William, Kate, Harry or Pippa, will you?
6. Paper-less or Desk-Less Check-Ins: We stayed at several hotels this year that bypassed the traditional front-desk check-in and instead helped guests get to their rooms via hand-held tablets or self check-in kiosks. While we all need the human touch every once in a while, being able to avoid a tiresome front desk line after a long day of travel just feels so good.
7. More Techie-Tastic Rooms: We were thrilled that the Novotel in Paris teamed with Microsoft to create a techie-tastic room. We're just bummed the temporary room will shut down after Valentine's Day. So let's make this a "thing" in 2012, huh?
8. Put More Power Outlets in The Rooms: Let's face it. Hotel guests are traveling with a minimum of two gadgets that require plugging in. (We actually travel with four.) So the need for more power outlets in the rooms is very real. Extra bonus points for hotels who put them in functional places like armrests.
9. Use Color Liberally: We fell in love with the bright rooms of the just-opened Saugauro in Scottsdale and we wouldn't mind if all of our hotels rooms were this happy-looking. Ok, maybe not all the time but hotels could definitely expand beyond a lone bright-colored chair or bed pillow.
10. A Worthy Reality Show Face-Off: We are perhaps most excited for two hotel makeover TV shows that are set to air this spring--Hotel Impossible on the Travel Channel, starring Anthony Melchiorri and Hotel Hell on Fox starring the mercurial Gordon Ramsay. We hope to God these shows are everything we could dream of--tears, awkward moments, embarrassing incidents, scandalous hotel scoop--and more.