subject: How To Politely Complain At A Hotel [print this page] Travelers have expectations when they book a hotel room. They expect the room to be clean, and they expect good service. When this doesn't happen, sometimes it's effective to complain and sometimes it's better to let it go.
The following are some helpful hints for when it is necessary to complain at a hotel. It's never a good idea to yell or become angry. Instead it's best to calmly explain the situation.
First of all, find the right person to talk to. Hotel workers aren't going to be able to do a whole lot unless they are the manager or assistant manager. It's best to just ask for the general manager right away rather than to waste time explaining the problem to someone else.
Of course, if the problem is something small such as no towels in the bathroom or no toilet paper, a simple call to the front desk is probably all that's needed. It's not fair to waste the manager's time with such a petty issue.
Remember to be as patient as possible. The problem will probably not be resolved immediately, especially if the hotel is very busy. In some cases, however, the problem will be addressed right away.
The staff members at hotels are there to help, not create problems. Although it may seem like no one cares about the issue, most of them do care.
The problem was most likely directly caused by some other employee, not the person addressing the issue. So keep calm and try not to take it out on the person being helpful.
It just might not be possible for the hotel staff to fix or address the problem. If this is the case, then try to understand and go with the flow. There might be other hotels with open rooms to stay in, or the problem might not be impossible to live with for one night.
Remember, changes to the plan are what make vacations and trips memorable. It's not really so bad if the room service wasn't perfect or if the room isn't exactly the way it was described
Sometimes it's a good idea to ask for a back up plan if there is not a lot of time. For example, if the toilet is plugged, use the toilet in the lobby. Or, if the air conditioning won't work and there is no one around to fix it, ask for a new room.
If the problem is not fixed within reasonable time, keep asking. Don't become so annoying that no one wants to help, but do remind the receptionist of the issue if he or she has had a reasonable amount of time to address the problem.
If the problem is not or can't be resolved during the actual stay, then jot down some notes and maybe even take a few photos. Then, from home, it will be easier to explain to a manager what the problem was rather than going strictly from memory. By this point, it might even be better to let the problem go.
