Bad Hotel, what to do?

Learn the cancellation policies of each hotel. If a problem, seek assistance from management. Most managers know the impact of unhappy customers. I've stayed in dreadful hotels, by chance, prior to reviews available on the Internet. I read reviews very carefully to learn of patterns described by posters that seem to have realistic expectations and fair reviews. Many fewer surprises now.

I think learning the cancellation policy is a good idea. The only time I disagreed with a RS hotel recommendation I had 5 nights booked and left after one. The owner/manager understood why and just took money for one night.

I agree with the previous poster that spending time reading reviews prior to making reservations is key. I think the first step, if you feel something is wrong with your accommodation, is always to present your concern to the management and give them an opportunity to resolve the issue. I can't imagine that if you have done careful research in advance, that any issues won't be able to be resolved quickly, otherwise you would be reading about it in the reviews from previous guests at that hotel.

Once in awhile, something happens that can't be anticipated. I arrived at a hotel (in the states) with great reviews that had a special occasion rock concert going on in its atrium. There was no room in that hotel that wasn't impacted. I didn't even open my suitcase. First action was to call the desk and ask when the concert would finish. It was going to be several hours later than I needed to get to sleep. Nothing the hotel management or myself could do about this situation. I simply picked up my bag, went down to the desk and told them I would need to be accommodated in a different hotel. They quickly found me an upgraded room(no additional charge) at a sister property and I was sound asleep within 30 minutes.

Hotels want satisfied customers. They will work with you to resolve difficulties.

Some years ago I stayed at a hotel in New York. There was construction in the hotel which impacted the noise and dirt level in the hotel. The hotel issued discounts to guests who requested them.

In London I reserved a room that proved unsuitable because of many stairs and nearby construction within the hotel. I asked for a different room, but ended up paying a higher rate for a much better room.

We have only had this happen to us once. We laugh about it now but . . . This hotel was given good reviews on Tripadvisor (who were these people???) and is a recommended hotel in RS guide. The first morning we had absolutely no water to our room. Management said to leave the faucet on for 5 minutes and there would be water. Nope, didn't work. Then they said they had a water delivery issue from the neighboring town. Several hours later we finally had water and it was brown. It took a while for us to get clear water. I suspect they didn't pay their water bill. Our last night at that hotel we had a serious ant invasion to our room and, no, we did not have food in our room. The hotel desk clerk was a very grumpy old man. The breakfast was abyssmal and this in a country known for its food. I wrote a review on TA. I was fair and noted the good point about the hotel (great view from our room) but also listed all the things that were wrong. Luckily we were only there for a few nights. And this hotel was not inexpensive.

As stated earlier, read the cancellation policies. Most hotels charge per night and if you leave early you only pay for the nights you stayed. Some hotels, and hotel chains, have early departure penalties. Others may be giving you a special rate for the length of your stay but if you leave early will charge a higher rate for the nights you stay.

All of this should be spelled out before you make the reservation. Read the fine print.

I once checked into a hotel in London for a week stay and after one night decided to leave. The manager wasn't happy but there was nothing they could do as they had no special cancellation rules.

If you're not happy with a room, as also stated earlier, bring this to the attention of the front desk. More than likely, they will do their best to make you happy. As long as you don't ask for the moon, they'll try.

Don't prepay for a room. Trying to get a refund is difficult. If you pay through a third party the hotel will not refund your money directly. You'll have to go through that third party. And they might have their own cancellation policies.

Margaret,

I have absolutely no faith in TripAdvisor. Last year we stayed in a great place in the Black Forest. It has one terrible review, but from the reviewer's description of the location, it's obvious the place she reviewed was not this place. I've reported the error to TripAdvisor at least two times; the bad review is still there.

By the way, the price advertised on the hotel's website for the same room we stayed in is 6€ per night less than what TripAdvisor's "partners" charge, plus we got a package deal (shown on the website, but not offered by TA) including spa entrance and saved even more (almost 20€/night).

I would actually look at reviews of a place from Booking.com. In order to leave a review there, you actually need to have booked your lodging through that website so at least you know that the person reviewing it actually stayed there. I'd still look over the reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites, but mostly to look for patterns of very distinct and recurring complaints about the same thing (e.g., if everyone is complaining that their room smelled musty, the noise levels were bad, water pressure really poor, WiFi never working) as those are things I would want to take into consideration when choosing a place to stay. Trip Advisor is also worth a secondary look simply because it's good to see a hotel's common areas and its rooms photographed by non-professionals. Your average Trip Advisor reviewer is not using a special lens to make the room look 2x bigger or brighter than it really is.

Diligently reading through some reviews and knowing exactly what to expect if you do cancel your reservation by being up to date on the hotel's cancellation policies is plenty. Call your credit card company and ask them if there is anything that they would be able to do for you if you wanted to dispute a hotel charge. But be realistic - if the hotel website states they offer breakfast and breakfast only turns out to be a hard roll and a cup of coffee and you chalk that up as a bad experience and want to move down the street to the hotel that serves eggs, the credit card company is not going to do anything for you because you didn't think to ask the hotel in advance what breakfast consisted of.

And don't book 2 hotels in advance and then cancel one at the last minute. That is really lame and hurts the business owners and other tourists as the hotel starts charging more for its remaining vacant rooms if they think they are in high demand.

Den, doing your homework before booking a hotel is the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises. I use reviews from multiple sources - not just TA - because I find those on booking.com and venere.com a little more legitimate and consistent. Regardless, just as I'd never use just one guidebook, I'd never use only one source for hotel reviews.

Bruce said:

I read reviews very carefully to learn of patterns described by
posters that seem to have realistic expectations and fair reviews.
Many fewer surprises now.

This is important as well as there are too many rants from One Post Wonders, and equally as many from tourists who expect 5-star amenities and services from budget accommodations. Look at the track records of the posters, their expectations, and the sorts of things they complain about. Those things can be minor inconveniences and no reason for a meltdown.

Booking multiple locations is no answer as you're often held to a MINIMUM 24-hour cancellation deadline before a stay, and some require cancellations even earlier. If you've booked 2 and decide to stay put at #1, you'll be on the hook for #2 for canceling on the same day.

Homework is most of the battle, and I'm happy to say that since the advent of internet reviews, I haven't booked us a single room that has been more than maybe a mild disappointment, and even then not enough to bother us much. More often, there has been a little something extra which pleased us more than expected!

I'm curious: how have you handled your hotel stays in the U.S. to date? Booking abroad isn't any different, really, than booking for trips closer to home as far as risks of a room you can't live with, cancellation policies, etc.

We checked in to the Hotel Anichkov in St Petersburg which had very decent reviews. The next morning I awoke with bedbug bites all over my shoulders arms and stomach. I booked another hotel asap, went to my current hotel receptionist, told them my story showed them my bug bites and asked them to call me a taxi. They refunded my money and my trip was not ruined. If you find a problem then deal with it IMMEDIATELY. Don't let the issue just sit an fester.

Read the reviews first. This doesn't automatically mean you will have a problem-free stay, but it will indicate that the hotel is a reputable business. A reputable hotel should handle any problems professionally - either by fixing the problem or allowing you to cancel additional nights. Check your cancellation policies carefully. Oftentimes they are 24 hours, so in your hypothetical 4 night stay where you leave after 1 night, a 24-hour notice policy may mean you pay one additional night even if you leave. Most places will work with you on cancellations for valid reasons, but if not be aware of what the policy says.

Also, carefully make sure the hotel has what you need. I've seen people have "problems" that are really them not looking into the hotel. Want room service? Many places don't have it, so check if that's important to you. Air Conditioning is not always provided, so check if you're going somewhere hot. Have trouble walking stairs? Make sure there's an elevator. Need a bathtub (not shower)? Confirm. Wi-Fi? Traveling with a friend and not a romantic partner? Make sure the beds are able to be separated. That kind of thing.

When you first get into your room, check everything! Pull the comforter back and check the sheets. Plug in the hair dryer and see if it works - high/low, hot/cold. Turn on ALL faucets - hot, cold, water pressure. Does the shower work? If you can't figure out how to make the shower head come on, ask now in the daylight and someone can show you (6am and naked is not a cool, calm, and collected time to discover these things). Do all lamps and fixtures work? Does your door lock? Can you work the A/C or heat? Can you work the windows? Let management know ASAP in a calm and polite manner and give them a chance to respond in a calm and polite manner. Yelling at them after breakfast that you couldn't take a shower and your bed had no sheets and one lamp didn't even have a bulb and your window wouldn't open and you sweated - wide-awake - all night won't incline them towards not charging you for at least some of your unused days.

In addition to the last post, about the best you can do is read reviews on Trip Advisor, Booking.com, and wherever else; take them with a grain of salt; know the terms and conditions of your contract; and hope for the best.

"If you can't figure out how to make the shower head come on, ask now in the daylight and someone can show you (6am and naked is not a cool, calm, and collected time to discover these things)."

Oh my...Eileen, I burst out laughing at this because yep, that happened to me. Only at night. Had to get dressed but finally figured it out when I calmed down a bit. So yes, I do that first thing now. I used to figure out the flush on the toilet but they seem to be more standard now.

I do read TA reviews and believe some but also take some with a grain of salt. I did book a hotel recently on a Road Trip based on TA reviews. When we got there the hotel had screwed up the reservation so no room was available and we had to drive 60 miles to the next hotel with vacancies. Frankly we were all relieved since I did not feel 100% comfortable when I saw the cast of characters in the parking lot.

Oh, and check the locations of the hotel on a map!!! A lot of them advertise as being in Rome or Paris or whatever when in reality they're a long way from where you want to spend your time. They're not being dishonest but tourists don't always understand that city limits can extend for miles outside of the center. That said, an attractive rate for something on the outskirts can cost you in time, hassle and daily transport costs to-and-from a remote location.

Some things to expect? European hotel rooms tend to be smaller - sometimes much smaller - than U.S. hotels, and lack things we take for granted such as air conditioning, reliable internet and elevators. It doesn't mean they're low-rent properties but that the buildings may be too old to accommodate upgrades for modern amenities. We've almost always had nice bathrooms, though, even if some have been on the diminutive side.
Get used to bathtub/shower combos with only half doors. It's all part of the adventure, and you'll only be there to sleep. :O)

I generally travel without reservations because I value flexibility. I make a list pre-vacation of potential places to stay and keep it on a spreadsheet in my iPod. When I'm on the road toward the next destination, I'll call ahead and ask about availability and price. If both are good, I'll book the room then.

I've had one time when my choice wasn't good. The reviews were good (not sure why?). We had planned to stay four nights. After one night, I checked out and paid for the one night - then I went back to my list and found another room that was perfectly fine a few blocks away.

I've had numerous times when I've either wanted to stay an extra day or, alternatively, leave a day earlier than planned for reasons other than the quality of the room. In those cases, I simply let them know as soon as I made the decision (often only the day before). It seems to have always worked out.

I'll book in advance for hard dates only - the first stop when arriving and last stop before flying home, maybe a couple of others. I've never cancelled those and I can't recall whether I chose to stay longer.

When checking reviews on TripAdvisor, booking.com and other sites, don't just read the first page and move on. Check previous years for the time period you plan to be there. Why? Look to the current posts on this forum regarding the heat in Vienna and Prague this August or the earlier posts re Paris in late June. Mild summers were the norm in the past but not so thus far in this decade. AC is very important these days for summer stays. On the flip side, adequate heat is just as important for winter stays. Don't rely just on rave reviews posted in spring or fall unless you are going in those seasons; these posters will not even know that the hotel or guesthouse is sweltering in summer or is like a meat locker in cold weather.

Thanks for all the good input! Read the fine print and research seems to be the key. I've wondered how a place can get high reviews then have a couple rotten apple awards? Guess it depends on a certain room having a problem or a staff member having a bad day or maybe a guest is just too picky. Ceidleh's comment about not being able to comment/review on Booking.com unless you actually booked via their site was interesting. I've wondered if owners ever post their own glowing review of their own hotel? I also liked the advise to check "everything" as soon as you get in the room, no surprises when showering or climbing in the bed! Thanks to all who responded!

When checking reviews on TripAdvisor, booking.com and other sites, don't just read the first page and move on.

Also a property does not exist in stasis. There will be renovations completed and maintenance deferred. The old and reliable GM left last year and the new one is either a shining star in hospitality management or straight out of Fawlty Towers. Mass transit patterns near the hotel have changed and are now much better or much worse. There is agiant construction project down the street and this is how the hotel is handling the noise. The project is now complete and the new building(s) addo r detract from the neighborhood adjacent to the hotel.

All other things being equal, I look for not just patterns but patterns in the past 3 months or so of reviews for that kind of stuff.

A zillion people from all around the world write reviews on Trip Advisor for all kinds of things, from hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, museums, and tours. Just because one review (out of 2) about one place one has visited is wrong seems a bit harsh as well as petty to then damn a complete website.

Sure there are flukes, mistakes and fake reviews both good and bad. With so many people using TA in so many different languages and in every country, I am amazed it works as well as it does.

I agree with Ms. Jo about Trip Advisor. I use it all the time but am careful to weed through to see what reviewers are really complaining about (if they are complaining), and what one person finds terrible, I sometimes find laughable or no big deal. The reviews that will give you a headache are on Paris hotels. I had to take an Advil before stumbling upon a great small hotel with all Excellents and Very Goods. Someone might rate a "terrible" to a hotel because they (gasp) keep the room keys hanging on hooks behind the counter. [Um, that's standard practice in a lot of small and family-run hotels in Europe.]

I digress. I try not to condemn an entire website or company (e.g., British Airways from another current thread) because of one experience. If a place is getting decent reviews across the board (Trip Advisor, Booking, Venere, Expedia, etc.) then odds are it's a good bet.

I think booking.com doesn't send the survey to the guest until they receive their commission from the hotel. I receive surveys 2-4 days after checkout.

It's possible to fake a review (owner or friend can book the room, pay the commission, doesn't have to pay the hotel bill, receives the survey and writes a glowing review but I am fairly sure not many people do this). I watch Criminal Minds. A lot.

Lee posted a note to me above re: finding better prices directly with the hotel than the ones Trip Advisor shows with its partners. I was in no way suggesting one book thru Trip Advisor; I merely recommend reading the reviews (and then checking a few of the reviewers to see if they are generally grumps or if their normal standard is the NoTell Motel, or if they have generally reviewed places that you might generally find attractive. For instance, if someone totally dissed a hotel in France, but had only traveled to Orlando, Florida (as their only other view of TripAdvisor, and if their complaints for the French hotel is that no one spoke English, that the elevator and shower were small and the hotel's price was E90 a night....well, duh!! You get the picture.

Trip Advisor is a good tool....not perfect...but a very good tool. Not aware of another review site that offers the number of reviews from so many diverse people.

But, I NEVER book thru third-party sites...if I see a better price thru one, I contact the hotel directly to see if they can offer the same price. Often they offer something even better :)

I think booking.com doesn't send the survey to the guest until they receive their commission from the hotel. I receive surveys 2-4 days after checkout.

I think mine have arrived later than that, Zoe, but I won't swear to it.

What I like about booking.com (or Venere.com) is that can I book at any time of the day, and without the potential of language complications. Booking.com, in fact, was very responsive and helpful when the owner of a property we'd booked wasn't acknowledging the receipt of requested information we'd sent, and attempted to contact him themselves.

To answer your question, Den, yes, hotel owners, managers or persons otherwise gainfully connected have been known to post fake reviews on sites in which it is possible to sneak in under one or more assumed identities. I've caught any number of those during my time digging around in travel forums and review sites. That's why using a variety of resources, reading and sorting carefully are good practices.

A thought on reviews. It's not just whether a review is good or bad, sometimes it's what the reviewer liked or didn't like.

A great review based on the helpful concierge is wonderful, but it doesn't help me because I don't rely on a concierge to suggest what to see or do.

A complaint about the air conditioning probably won't bother me traveling north of the Alps in October.

A complaint about the breakfast not being "cooked to order" also doesn't bother me. Most breakfasts in Europe aren't.

If someone complains about not having an en suite, it doesn't affect me. I usually prefer a room with a bath down the hall. It's a great way to travel on a budget.

The items I'm most likely to care about are cleanliness and noise. If a place gets regular bad reviews on those, I'm likely to skip it.

I've seen people on TA give bad ratings to a hotel because the parking spaces were too tight for an SUV or because the TV didn't have enough channels in English. As previous comments point out, don't just take the average stars as the final word.

Many hotels will have one or two rooms that are duds for all but a specific needs customer -- I spent one night in a room in Rome on the ground floor that was a nightmare to me -- people stood talking right outside the door while waiting for the elevator, with its noisy mechanics clanking through the wall, bed was high and narrow, floor was hard and cold and so on, but the bathroom had no curb or tub separating the shower -- just a full length curtain separating the whole room in half, so I realized that for someone in a wheelchair this room would be just the ticket.

The front desk was just barely sympathetic when I requested to move to a different room, so I ended up calling Expedia and going through their phone tree to complain to a human twice, and they contacted the front desk, which now assured me that if I just left my things packed and sitting on the bed they would move me into a different room while I was out sightseeing. That's just what happened, and the 2nd room was delightful. The hotel had a great lounge, amazing breakfast buffet, free bicycles, bad network connection, but I wouldn't have come around to enjoying all of that if I hadn't spoken up about the first bedroom.

Like with so much else in life, there is a learning curve for using hotel reviews. You need to determine if the reviewer fits into the same niche as you, and you need to look at specific complaints to see if you care about the issues they raise. Some examples:

Many reviews on TA down grade places that have "no kettle" or "no tea making facilities in the room." Invariably those reviewers are from the UK or its former colonies. That may be important to them, but I couldn't care less.

Some times reviewers give clear evidence that they are accustomed to staying in 5 star hotels or that they are new to European travel. Some clues are complaints about small rooms, lack of concierge and lack of anyone to handle luggage. Not my demographic.
A hotel may have great reviews and great prices, but there are hints that it aims for the low budget traveler. Bathroom down the hall is a major clue, even if some rooms have en-suite. I like some comfort and a bit of charm, so that's probably not for me.

Knowing yourself, something you continue to improve at throughout life, helps you to make good travel choices.

Some people advise booking the hotel in two or more parts. The hotel has every interest in not having to do a full clean on the room, so will try not to move you. This is especially important for rooms booked on points, because if things don't work out you are essentially out of luck. If a cash customer you can often leave early for cause and, if needed, take it up with your credit card company.