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8 Things About Hotels I'd Love to See Changed
I've worked in the service industry since I was sixteen years old and realize how hard the work is, and how much the people who work in it are undervalued and generally underpaid. On a recent trip I stayed in quite a few hotels, a different one every day for a week, and realized they could be doing a few things that would make things more pleasant for guests, as well as make life easier for the good people that work there:
1. Put amenities in large refillable bottles.
I've stopped taking home those tiny bottles of shampoo and body lotion. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I'm no longer that cheap and don't mind spending a few dollars every couple of months to buy my own. I suspect most people that take them aren't merely using them as travel-sized bottles for their carry-ons. I've always wondered what happens to those little bottles if I use them once. Do they get refilled, or tossed away? I assume they're tossed, so I no longer bother to use them and bring my own. But for those who just have carry-ons, let's all make the switch to using large refillable bottles.
2. Give me a checklist with checkboxes asking me what level of service I want.
I am sure there are people out there that like it when someone knocks on their door in the morning, asking if they're in there so they can clean the room. And I am certain some people like it when they're watching television and relaxing in the afternoon and someone stops by to see if they need the minibar filled, then thirty minutes later, another person comes by to lift the top of the sheet from the bed and fold it down, otherwise known as 'turndown service.'
For those people, and for those of us who don't use all twelve towels in one day, give guests a checklist when they arrive, asking them which services they'd like and which they don't need. Then the service staff doesn't have to worry about bothering guests and guests don't have to worry about the staff coming into their rooms at all hours to put a chocolate on the pillow. Personally, I'd rather they leave a whole stack in the room upon arrival anyways.
3. Put instructions for connecting to the Internet, clearly stated, in each room.
If there's anyone out there that doesn't want or need to connect to the Internet when traveling, that's great. For the rest of us, it's our lifeline. I cry if I can't get connected to the Internet. When I check in to a hotel, I've probably spent the morning battling lines at the airports and flying all day or night, and I'm not in the best shape to remember a gazillion details or verbal instructions or passwords.
To save me a call to the front desk, and to save the person at the front desk from receiving the same call they probably get from 98% of the guests five minutes after they land in the room, put a plastic-laminated sheet near the desk that tells you 1) What the charge is for Internet connectivity, 2) How to get connected, and 3) What the networks and passcodes are.
4. Decide whether you want to charge a gratuity or tip, but not both.
I always thought a tip and a gratuity were the same thing; a gesture of cash in exchange for good service. That's the way it is in America, at least, and I'm fine with that. (Actually, I think it's not such a great idea—but that's for another post.) So how come whenever I order room service, on the bill are lines for 'delivery charge', 'gratuity' (added automatically) and 'tip'?
As mentioned, I get the fact that a tip is a tip. And as far as I know, 'gratuity' is just another word for 'tip'. As someone who rarely orders room service unless I have a very early morning flight (and believe me, anyone that has to deal with me first thing in the morning deserves something special), I understand that room service is a pain in the patootie for everyone involved, hence the marked up prices and appropriate charges associated.
Room service menus usually state something along the lines of "A service charge and 18% gratuity will be added to room service checks." That's fine and I'm down with that. So why is there a space on the bill to write in an additional tip? Or if not, why is the waiter hovering for a few minutes too long after they bring breakfast? (It can't be because they want to spend more time with me.)
If they're not getting that 18%, that's just wrong. (However I was under the impression that the hotel got the delivery charge and the waiter got the tip. If not, why are they separated out?) If the servers merit their worth, pay them that or include that in the bill.
5. Get rid of the tips for bellhops.
They work hard, but I often found myself scrambling for small bills to hand out to everyone who touches my suitcases. But as much as I tried, I would sometimes find myself single-dollar(s) deficient. Why not raise their pay and up the price of the room a few bucks and reward those gals n' guys for working so hard? Or for those who think that people won't work hard unless they're tipped (although I'd like to give them more credit than that), put a checkbox on our bill* when we leave for us to write in an appropriate gratuity. Or tip. (But both would be kind of a stretch.)
6. Put a coffee machine in every room.
The greatest joy in life is waking up, slipping on a bathrobe, and drinking coffee without anyone bothering you. I live for that moment every day. And when I check into a hotel and see a stocked coffee bar, I want to hug it and take it to bed with me. (And yes, I would buy it room service for breakfast in the morning.)
The coffee is usually just okay, and I know one can order an Aeropress or Handpresso and schlep that along. But as much as I would like to consider myself an annoying coffee snob, at 6:45am, I'm just happy to have something strong and warm in bed with me. (And I'm not talking about a plastic coffee machine…)
Even better is that you could make a deal with one of those capsule-taking espresso machines and sell the capsules as part of the minibar. I'm not a huge fan of some of the coffee that comes out of them, but I am certain that at least one company would love to have their machines featured in rooms for guests to try. What a marketing coup!
7. Get rid of the minibar service charge.
I understand why the prices are so high in the minibar; it's usually late at night, or you've had a long day, and it's just not feasible to go out into the night to find a 2 ounce bottle of whiskey. But what I don't understand is the 10% service charge added. Does the housekeeper get that money? If so, that's fine. But I doubt it. (And I'm happy to be proven otherwise.)
If not, just include whatever "service" goes into the work that's done filling up that lil' fridge that the hotel has to cover. Why is it separated out? (And please don't say that it's to cover the extra costs associated with stocking the bar. If the $45 for a half-bottle of California Chardonnay isn't covering the costs of that bottle, I'd switch to another wine.)
8. Keep up the good work with the fantastic bed and comfy sheets.
I love how hotels have dialed up their sheets and bedding. In fact, I stayed at one place and the sheets were so good, if I wasn't such an honest sort, I would have stripped the beds—at the risk of making the coffee machine jealous—and taken them home with me.
A few times I found it hard to get out of bed, and each night the idea of diving in to those lovely sheets and terrific mattress made all the difference in the world. As someone who spend nearly 95% of his time in his hotel room in bed, thanks for thinking of me.
*Yikes! This one is probably going to rile a few. As stated, I want those fine young men and women to get compensated for their hard work. Lifting luggage certainly isn't a walk in the park nor is standing out in the heat or freezing cold. And I would likely tip them even more if I could just write in an amount to add to my bill.
**For those eagle-eyed readers who point out the bottle of water on the nightstand, I don't usually drink bottled water but like visitors who come to France and ask me "Is it okay to drink the water?", I had the same questions about water in the states. But in spite of any reservations, I refilled it with water from the tap.
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146 comments
What a GREAT list – yes, yes, yes! The Hanover Inn (NH) started putting the shampoos in reusables (they use the wonderful Molton Brown line) several years ago and it's so fantastic. No more waste of little bottles. The minibar…does a bottle of water really need to be $5? Or how about INSTEAD of bottled water (the free one is always a nice touch), a simple water filter in every bathroom? Free drinking water! The internet…get rid of charges…really…in this day and age, wireless should be accessible in every room! And yes to the sheets and duvets and pillows…keep 'em coming.
I agree that the in-room coffee maker is a brilliant idea. However, I'm much happier when I find one that ISN'T situated in the bathroom and doubly thrilled when I find in-room coffee service that offers REAL creamers, not powdered awfulness.
I am with you, especially with the coffe, the minibar charges, and the comfy sheets!
I stay in hotels a lot and can agree with a lot of these points. Especially about the tipping and extra service charges. I try and stockpile dollar bills before traveling, but there's inevitably times when I have none and feel bad for whoever the person is who's getting shorted.
One thing I disagree with is the small toiletries. Some hotels are much better than others on this front in terms of quality. I always take them if they're nice (such as from the W with Bliss products). I almost never have to buy my own small bottles or go through the pain of refilling small bottles with my own products. It's also a great marketing tool as I've purchased the full size of some of the products after I've used them several times from the small bottles and loved them!
Here in the UK, the meanest B&B provides what's called a courtesy tray, with kettle, teacups, teabags, coffee powder, etc; it is even more ubiquitous than a private bathroom. I hate that Continental hotels don't have them; always have to pack my travelling kettle. Only stayed in one US hotel with a coffee maker, but then you couldn't make tea in it, or you could, but it tasted of coffee so was disgusting! I want tea first thing and can wait until breakfast-time for my coffee!
The chain we mostly stay in, Ibis, does now provide free Internet, but doesn't have a mini-bar. And it is supposed not to change the towels/sheets unless you want them to, but in practice it always does.
We don't have bellhops on this side of the Atlantic – you carry your own bags to your room!
Great points, David! I've stayed in a couple of hotels recently (in Laos, of all places), where the shampoo, conditioner and body wash were all in lovely ceramic bottles – which is a great idea. They look so much more stylish and attractive than plastic bottles, and it's reassuring to know that the hotel isn't going through piles and piles of plastic bottles each week (though they could always be filling them up from little plastic bottles….).
And completely with you about good beds and comfy sheets – I still remember a hotel we stayed at in Thailand five years ago that had the most divine bed I've ever had the pleasure of being acquainted with. I'd go back there just for that bed….
Great list. Some critical perspectives:
1. Minibars – hotels are not making much money on minibars and some hotels are starting to get rid of it. Its more of a service rather than profit centre. The margin on the items are astronomical but not enough is sold to generate meaningful profits.
2. Higher salary, no tips: tricky. Are tips disclosed for tax purposes? Increasing salary means more taxes plus perhaps less incentive to work hard, maybe??? Lots of politics behind this one…
On bottled water, something interesting. Last year Starwood Hotels passed an internal policy where all hotels are required to buy local bottled water, if available. So no more Evian/FIJI Water in US.
Those small bottles are not so practical. Its more than enough for one wash, but perhaps not enough for two
While there's no doubt that the little mini-toiletries were a coup for some marketer, especially when people take them with them and remember the name (if you think back, those things started out with little-known brands – "luxury" brands that people might not have otherwise bought, and it introduced those names to a public that wasn't familiar with them), the biggest reason behind them is, unfortunately not so pleasant. The changeover to minis from reusables that used to be in hotels, many years ago came after incidents (likely just urban legends, but you never know) where previous guests had topped bottles off with anything from bodily fluids to noxious chemicals. The throw-away minis became de rigeur simply to prevent such occurrences.
The interesting thing I've found with internet service is that the more you pay for a hotel room, the more likely it is that not only will you have to pay for internet service, but you'll have to pay stupidly high premium for it. Most inexpensive motels and hotels of the 1 and 2 star variety offer internet for free – hit the 3 and 4 star level and you suddenly, despite paying far more for a room that might be prettier and bigger, but otherwise serves no additional function over that in a lesser hotel, have to pay ridiculous prices for connectivity.
I love the idea of leaving an opportunity to tip on the bill. I always feel awkward when tipping a bellhop, like it's demeaning somehow.
Is the "tip" as distinguished from "gratuity" meant to give you the opportunity to leave an additional tip if the service was truly exceptional, or if you're just feeling more generous than the 18% automatic gratuity allows? If so, I think they should clarify with "additional tip" or "additional gratuity". Otherwise, it sounds a little like they're trying to con you into giving more.
Good points. The crazy charges for minibars and room service drive me crazy, as does finding the internet connection instructions. The refillables are a good idea…if they're firmly attached somewhere like a dispenser. Otherwise, I see people walking away with them, shame to say.
I also tip maids (and ever since reading Nickel and Dimed, I do so quite generously–and was surprised that many people leave them nothing) and have the same problem with having enough small bills. I often skip the bell hops for the simple reason that I don't have tip money…well, that, and I've got a single rolling bag.
My own personal insane request would be that they put some cleaning wipes available somewhere. I saw something on germs and, er, bodily fluids in hotel rooms and have been bringing a small pack of wipes with me to clean door knobs, remotes, etc. I can't say it's made me not get sick, but I do use the room a little more soundly!
Yes! A big, resounding yes to all these suggestions. We just stayed a few days at the Villagio Inn in Yountville, CA, and I was delighted to see a Nespresso machine with at least two each three types of capsules. Sadly for us, though, we love our tea first thing in the morning and my pet peeve is that even when tea bags are provided, there's no kettle but rather a carafe to do a pour-through of nowhere-near-boiling water from a coffee-maker. Which always tastes just enough of rancid coffee oil to destroy the tea. I love the Brits with their courtesy — it often has some nice cookies (biscuits) for the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Something really annoying we've noticed over the past few years is how impossible the bedside lighting is for reading, and this is as poor at the higher price points as at the lower. Really, I don't think it's for hoteliers to make judgements on what I want to do in bed in the privacy of my hotel room — if I want to read, damn it, could I get a light that's not four feet away and at an absolutely useless height and wattage?
Having worked in the hotel industry, and also as an event planner, I am sorry to say that for the most part, these "tips, service charges, gratuities", etc. listed on your bill are not passed along to the staff. Only when you actually pass cash to a hotel employee (or a server or bartender at a catered event) can you be sure that it's theirs to keep. This is unfortunate, and a practice I have always taken exception to. Nevertheless, it is the norm.
David, I so enjoy your blog and follow it religiously. Your tongue in cheek humor is a hoot, and I always enjoy your description of the French people and their idiosyncrasies. Cheers!
This post is just one reason why this is one of the best blogs ever.
I stayed at Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Santa Fe in September, they had big bottles of everything and had a note with them that said that if you love the product you could buy it in their gift shop. Very smart. They didn't come into the room except when the guests weren't there (granted this is a small place, but still, it was a nice touch.) They also had a brita filter in the fridge for you to refill. Pretty awesome. Oh, and a French press, variety of teas, and coffee.
I would like to add removing the ridiculous $45.00/ night parking fee. Please just add that to the room fee and don't tell me! In Seattle, staying at the Sheraton downtown, our bill for parking our car was a staggering $55/day!
One hotel I stayed in had dispensers (similar to the ones that dispence hand soap by public sinks) in the shower carrying shampoo, conditioner, and liquid soap. This seemed to me like a great idea simply because of all the plastic waste it must reduce. It would also save the housekeeper much time as they certainly wouldn't need to be refilled too often.
And as for the gratuity for the room service waiters, the 18% that's automatically tacked on there probably goes into a pool for all waiters who worked in that position that day (or week) to share. And even then they probably won't see it for several weeks until it comes on their paycheck. That's why they're hanging back that extra minute, hoping you're extra pleased at the sight of something on their tray and slip them a couple bucks. . . because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
As someone who put herself through college and a few years after working at hotels (in all departments), I'll address your points:
1. Put amenities in large refillable bottles.
I'm not entirely sure I get your point here. :) If every single room in a hotel has large refillable bottles, the cost of your room is going to increase HUGELY. Not only are we talking about the cost of the bottles themselves, plus the product in them (which will be much more attractive for people to take, now that they're full sized and full of product), the time and staffing for people to refill all those bottles (usually 4 per room – shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer) will be astronomical. Either they will have to refill them in the room which will slow down housekeeping or they will all have to be removed and replaced every day. Multiply that by the average 300 room hotel and you're talking thousands of dollars in cost that is added to your room.
2. Give me a checklist with checkboxes asking me what level of service I want.
Housekeeping knocks on your door in the morning because they HAVE to get rooms made up in time for the next round of incoming guests to check in on time. It always amazed me that people would turn away the housekeepers in the morning and tell them to come back later, but those were the first people who would complain because they couldn't check in on time (or early) because there weren't any rooms ready. Hotels prioritize room cleaning so that people checking out that day (room turnarounds) are done FIRST and staying guests are done next. If you're checking out that day, be prepared to let housekeeping come in the first time around.
As for the rest, if you don't want bar service or turndown service, tell the front desk when you check in. They can tag your room with housekeeping and you won't be interrupted.
3. Put instructions for connecting to the Internet, clearly stated, in each room.
This I agree with. :)
4. Decide whether you want to charge a gratuity or tip, but not both.
The hotel gets the delivery charge to pay the salaries of the people dedicated to room service, the cost of the carts, the cost of dish covers, etc. The "gratuity" goes to the room service crew (the delivery server, like most servers, has to share his tips with other room service staff). A tip on top of that is not required, but there's room to add it just in case your delivery server gave you extraordinary service and you want to add more. Most people don't – and my advice is that if you want to add more to someone who went above and beyond, do it in cash, so he doesn't have to split it with bussers and the setup staff.
5. Get rid of the tips for bellhops.
Never gonna happen. My advice? Before you go travelling, make sure you have at least $20 in $1 bills handy. Annoying, but there you have it.
6. Put a coffee machine in every room.
I agree here 100% :)
7. Get rid of the minibar service charge.
Also agree. Just roll everything in together.
8. Keep up the good work with the fantastic bed and comfy sheets.
AMEN. Hotel beds and sheets have gotten so much better.
Spot on, David.
I agree – particularly with the coffee. It drives me nuts when I'm in a fancy hotel across from London's Hyde Park and I either have to get dressed or send for room service coffee.
Another pet peeve – again in the UK is the internet charges. They charge 15-20 GBP per day for the internet. Not only that, they make it a pain to use my iPhone and my computer because there is no wifi. I started carrying a travel wifi router to overcome this. I would prefer that they just add the outrageous 20 GBP to my bill and provide free wifi throughout the hotel.
The last thing that I want to do after a 12 hour work day is have to dink with the internet setup.
Great list. My pet peeve? Tipping when someone corrects something that should have been right in the first place. If the hair dryer works, then it comes with the room. If it's broken and you have to wait for someone to bring up a new one, then you're expected to tip that person. I'm all for tipping for personal service, but this one baffles me.
The improvement in mattresses, sheets, and pillows in recent years is truly great. Now if only they could ban polyester from all towels…
I could NOT agree with you more about your first two points. Having travelled extensively for work as well, the wastefulness of constant servicing, refills of small plastic bottles, and unnecessary laundering bothers me to no end and there is no reason for it. I've seen lately some hotels include signs in the bathroom urging you to put towels on the bathroom floor that you want changed, but everything is still presented as optional. If you had some sort of "opt-in" system, like letting housekeeping know yourself if you need servicing and not just assuming that everyone needs everything every day, it would no doubt save hotels tons of time and energy and help the environment in the process!
And re: the point above about people stealing large bottles of product, one idea could be to even install the refillable bottles in some kind permanent fixture like the showers in gyms of the olden days or in-sink soap dispensers in public bathrooms, though perhaps a bit classier. It would be a one-off cost, but savings would come by being able to buy in bulk and housekeeping not having to re-stock nearly as often. And the cheapskates among us can still bring their own small bottles and refill them if they still need a souvenir.
not the grammar police but is the title of this post a little off? i think it should be "i'd" instead of "i've" but i dont know i am still on my first cup of coffee
Oops! You're right. I have an appointment with an eye doctor, but it's not for a few months. I need new glasses (or a new brain), so thanks… dl
I too have been a frequent work-traveler for extended durations of time in all sorts of places. On one such trip I stayed at the Four Seasons in the French Quarter followed by the scariest, and moldiest motel in Mississippi the next night. Falling asleep in a cozy, comfy bed knowing there will be good coffee in the morning really does make travelling for work so much more tolerable.
With respect to bottled water – the EPA has more stringent drinking water quality standards than the FDA and with more teeth to enforce them. Does the water in L.A. taste the greatest – surely not. However as a rule of thumb, tap water will be consistently more regulated than bottled water anywhere in the U.S..
Agree, agree, agree, agree. I was particularly struck by the person who mentioned tipping the housekeepers. I always make an effort to do this because I feel they often get overlooked – deliberately or not. Recently in Jordan, I sought out the housekeeper to give him a [small] tip in the morning, and when we got back to our room in the evening there was a tableau on our bed of artisticly manipulated towels – several swans and a big, upstanding loveheart in the middle! The best bit was that he had intertwined one of my scarves that I'd left lying around into the loveheart. Some things you just can't pay for!
This is absolutely BRILLIANT.
#6 – Can we please have kettles in the room instead? Because you can make tea or coffee with a kettle, but you absolutely cannot make tea in a coffepot (yes, I was that desperate in NYC. I spat it out and threw the rest down the sink!). In-room kettles are standard in the UK and fairly common on the continent, but damn near impossible to find in the US. :(
I agree with most of what you've posted, although many of the hotels I use already follow a lot of these practices. I know when I was traveling as part of my job, many of us would bring back the mini-bottles of toiletries and someone in the office would take them to homeless shelters. This was before the restrictions were in place for carry-ons, but it still seems like a good use of the those bottles.
re: the internet, yes, I agree, they should make it easier by leaving a laminated card in every room letting you know what the network name, password, and daily charges are.
I'm deaf, so I have my own set of frustrations. Since room service and other hotel services don't have direct numbers and you have to dial a number from the in-room phone, I can't call them through telecommunications relay services for the deaf, so if I need anything, I have to walk down to the front desk myself. I wish they'd provide some sort of web-enabled service that lets guests send text messages to the front desk, Housekeeping, room service, etc.
I agree with all of your points, especially coffee and shampoo. I used to stay at Radisson hotels regularly for business travel, they provided an in-room capsule coffee machine beginning with an N which was heaven, though only 3 capsules, so I would pack a few extras from home just in case.
I recently stayed in one of the Soho House hotels in London (Chiswick), although a members-only hotel, they do allow non-members to stay too, and at reasonable rates (for London), they just don't publicize it much. I loved that there were full-sized shower products, a full-sized french press for coffee, a proper teapot, homemade cookies, and best of all, a half pint of fresh milk in the fridge.
I am with you on the little bottles (and every other point!).
The issue addressed about raised costs for bigger bottles can be addressed by securing the bottles in the shower.
I have stayed in hotels where the shampoo/shower gel was installed like the soap dispensers in restrooms and attached to the walls. You have shampoo on hand, it can be refilled, no waste.
The coffee machine is such a nice touch. And, as you said, a marketing idea!
Maybe some more hotels could pick it up.
Not to pile on the gripes, and mine may be a small frustration, but I frequently travel for business and am charged a $16-20 "amenities fee," including a paper, use of the internet, and use of the gym. However, frequently this internet only includes Ethernet (really? it's 2011!), I read the news on my iPhone, and never have enough room to pack my gym clothes. In addition, I use a MacBook air and am without an Ethernet port (a few hotels have tried to tell me that I am just unable to find it and have sent someone up to show me where it is). If this fee is just for the amenities described, why am I unable to opt out? No, I don't want to work out. Make my room key unable to access the gym, just as it is unable to access the room next to me. Etc, etc. I've paid for my room, which I expect to include the amenities of the hotel building, why do I have to pay extra?
I typically pack my own shampoo, lotion, etc and take the small bottles daily and bring the stash home and donate them to our local homeless shelter. The shelters love these items because they are greatly appreciated by their clients who are constantly on the move.
When it comes to tipping room service I have always assumed that the "tip line" is part of all receipts in a hotel or restaurant and doesn't need to be filled in when a gratuity is already on the bill. I will tip if I ask the waiter to come back with more of something, especially when I forgot to ask for it when I place my order.
As Erin stated above, I really wish they wouldn't put the coffee maker, coffee, and condiments in the bathroom. It's kinda gross.
What it really comes down to for me, especially since we stay at very good to extremely nice hotels is that I just don't want to be nickeled and dimed for everything. If I'm paying $300-500 a night for a room I want to feel like I'm getting value for my $. Don't charge me $10 for internet, raise my room rate and absorb the cost. If you're going to require me to valet park, please don't charge me $68 a day (yes, this was a charge I got last year). I'm not cheap, but I don't want to feel like everything is an added charge.
David, in case you've never seen these, amazon.com sells GoToob containers for travel that are the "cats meow" of travel gear! A bit pricey, but leak-proof, soft, label-able (is that a word?) Just search Amazon…they are on my "what I'M lovin' right now" list!
Turn down service is also completely unnesscessary. :)
You know, I never even thought about all those plastic bottles before. I always opt for the don't wash my sheets unless I stay for a week and all the other energy saving options. The reality is that I just want to be left alone!
I guess because I have such sensitive skin I never use any of the products in hotels, but now that I think about it…
What a waste.
Someone upthread already mentioned donating the small bottles to homeless shelters. After I amass a few hundred (I know, I know) bottles, I pass them off to a friend who works with homeless teens.
When I would travel in other countries, I'm always impressed when they had mini-refrigerators in the rooms. Here, in the US, I never saw them in the Hiltons/Marriotts/similar hotels in the large cities; smaller cities, yes. I would often have to rig up the ice bucket for refrigeration if there was none. And back when there were minibars, it was tricky trying to remove everything to fill with your refrigerated items (real milk for coffee) and then going back to put things back so that no one will charge you for them.
I also can't stand having coffee machines in bathrooms, especially when I need to make coffee after my husband does his morning rituals.
Sheets are getting thinner — yet keep me warm. Love that. On the other hand, I still have no idea what those decorative "runners" / "accents" on the beds are for. I will make a point to make sure I don't get them.
I try to tip well. Thanks to everyone who said that cash gets to them faster. I had no idea. But the "gratuities" vs. "tips" was what made me stop tipping on room service. I also assumed that gratuities on the bill meant "service compris".
If possible, I usually make my requests on the websites of the hotels when I book a room, e.g., rooms as far away from the elevators as possible (I hate hearing the bells and low hums of the elevator and the people talking outside of my room).
Above all, I check travel sites and yelp for reviews of hotels before I book. It's valuable knowing what other people complain about so that I'm not surprised / not that angry. In turn, I pass on my tips and observations (e.g., don't stay in the west rooms facing the trash area, or you'll wake up 4:30am in the morning on Thursday, which is trash day).
Great ideas! I am wondering if the reason why they don't have coffee machines in the rooms is because of fire regulations. I used to work for a corporation in Dallas and even though the building was new and state of the art, the fire marshall nixed coffee machines in all of the break rooms :(
A great big Amen to all eight – I love feeling taken care of at a beautiful new space, but I don't want to be fussed over.
And I, too, vote for the wall-mounted dispensers on the wall of the shower. I'm trying to switch over to all solids in the bath, but I keep seeing those three-spouted beauties and being tempted to stay on the liquid side forever…
I'm glad you mostly drink tap water.
If you've any level of concern for the environment or international peoples, I've got to urge you to never buy a drop of Fiji Water again. Fiji Water bought exclusive rights to the fresh water on the islands, and the locals have to buy water from the company; they've propped up a military dictatorship that allows them to continue this access. Mother Jones has a thorough analysis of the company's deplorable behavior: http://motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/fiji-spin-bottle?page=1
"I still have no idea what those decorative "runners" / "accents" on the beds are for."
I think it's just to add some color to the bed. A lot of hotels have switched to white comforter covers because people associate white with clean (and indeed, it is easier to spot dirt on a white cover), but an all-white bed looks rather stark.
I recently stayed at an established hotel in San Francisco, just off Union Square, which allowed me to opt out of housekeeping services on a daily basis. For each day I chose to forgo housekeeping I received a $10 voucher that could be used in the hotel restaurant. The vouchers could be used one at a time or combined — so at the end of my stay I enjoyed a great dinner that was well worth the total cost but tasted just that much better with a $30 discount!
SO true! Especially the Internet one. Its never easy!
excellent post. i really hope someone in the hospitality catches wind of your recommendations. i'm also wondering if the bed you loved to dive into was at the grand velas ;)
I've noticed in a few of the chi-chi hotels we have stayed at the past few years (and that, I assure you, is very rare) that the little bottles are refilled. I occasionally take one or two for emergency backups, or if they are particularly nice and I want to hunt down a retail version.
As for the mini-bar, we have never used one, except to house our own perishables. Occasionally we leave something behind, and imagine the confusion when the next guest confesses to consuming something that wasn't supposed to be there!
Hi David! I hope you enjoyed Austin.
I am with you 100% on the gratuity issue. I actually love ordering room service, but the already-added 18% PLUS the tip line makes it confusing and socially awkward to the point where I feel uncomfortable. About the coffee issue, I've noticed a trend in hotels doing away with coffee makers, so I ordered a little appliance called a "Hot Shot" which heats water instantly. I haven't used the Hot Shot yet, but it's small enough to fit in a carry-on and I plan on taking it the next time I get a good deal at some hotel that's too fancy for an in-room coffee pot.
Kudos. Astute and accurate for the times.
Great comments. Bedding trend – great. Gratuity plus tip, wtf?
My main gripes are not being able to see to read and no water from the shower head. I'm thinking a marketing a small kit for travelers with a 150w incandescent bulb, a non-restricted shower head, and maybe a small refillable bottle for a late night libation. Would you buy this from the Sky Mall?
I usually tell the front desk upon arrival that I don't want any maid service during my stay and that works 90% of the time. I just don't like people in and out of my room.
At the Ace Hotel in Portland they have large refillable bottles of shampoo, soap and conditioner and I recall they were in pumps bolted to the wall so it wouldn't be possible to snag them. I appreciate that!
I'm with you! Going to a hotel is supposed to be relaxing, but often leaves me feeling a little perturbed! I'd like to add bathroom drawers. If you are staying longer than a couple days it's annoying to have all your toiletries overtaking the counter space.
SAJ – Amen to that. As a native Fijian I couldn't agree more. Fiji Water should be boycotted as they are indeed assisting the military dictatorship and causing our people harm in more ways than one.
As a Hotelier I agree with most of David's point except the re-fillable option – which although would be fabulous is not practical logistically & financially.
Thanks for an awesome blog David which is greatly appreciated here in the Fiji isles.
Re: Tips/ gratuities:
1. It's likely that your room service waiter is only getting a portion of the gratuity. It's probably getting split with other members of the kitchen staff.
2. I think the idea of the gratuity/ tip distinction is that the 18% is the baseline for offering a service that's a convenience for you and an added hassle for the staff (not unlike similar gratuity charges assessed by restaurants for large parties of diners. It's to make sure the staff doesn't get totally stiffed.) The tip is discretionary- your opportunity to acknowledge service that's better than minimally passable, and to express appreciation directly to the guy who showed up to bring you breakfast without you having to change out of your fuzzy bathrobe.
3. Someone else pointed out that salary/ wages are taxed, but tips may not be. Of course you're supposed to declare them, but lets be honest, most people do not declare all the income they get from tips. It's one of the ways people in the service industry survive. I actually go so far as to deliberately tip in cash whenever possible so the person providing me a service can pocket every penny if they so choose.
Many years ago I stayed in a hotel in Boston that was 'green'. So over the tub/shower were dispensers with shampoo/conditioner/body wash. Over the sink soap/hand cream and body lotion. They did provide a small bar of soap and a request that you use towels more than once.
In the lobby by the lifts were bins for glass/pastic/cans and paper. Apparently in the first year they saved over $1million!
If I could just have taught them not to shut the windows and switch off the vicious aircon they would have saved even more money!
I also detest the promise of tea/coffee making facilities when all that is provided is a coffee filter. Love the Ibis hotels in the UK with a proper ketlle and mugs – shame they don't have them in Europe.
BTW have you access to the currrent BBC show with Michel Roux trying to turn a group of people into decent service staff? It is a fascinating study into all that is wrong in the UK – but nice to see how some of them blossom and grasp the concept that service can make or break a restaurant
Number two made me think of David Foster Wallace's essay about his cruise ship holiday, and how creepy it is when you come back to find your room cleaned and a chocolate on your pillow… every time you leave the room.
Great list…I do take the little bottles of soap and lotion, and I save them in a box at home and donate them to a local homeless shelter…they are very much appreciated.
As an ex-road warrior, I so agree with every single word you said. Boo on the high end hotels who forgo the coffee machine. And just leave my room alone, one trip a day is sufficient unless I let you know. And as far as tipping the guy who brings me my chicken noodle soup with a glass of wine at night when I'm already in my jammies, I tip. I want him to remember so that the next time I request room service, it's prompt, right and for the convenience, i'm okay with it.
I for one would love to see hotels add a little mini market in the lobby with actually useful things instead of tacky post cards and overpriced coffee mugs with their logos on it. What a great service it would be if they offered things like juice, crackers, milk all at reasonable prices. I know the bottom line in a hotel is to make money, but the best way to do that is to provide valuable services to their customers. With three kids, it is so frustrating to drop $20 so my kids can have a bowl of cereal, with milk and a glass of juice for breakfast. Or to have to eat some nasty free "continental" breakfast that is day old bagels and congealed eggs. The hallmark of hospitality is service.
And I am SO with you on the tip thing. You check into a nice hotel – you tip the valet who parks your car, the bellhop who takes your bags, the wait staff, the housekeeper, the bellhop who takes your luggage out for you, and the valet who brings you your car. Wouldn't it just be simpler to charge me a little more and pay their staff better?
#4 and #5 make me so glad I live in Australia, where people get paid a good enough basic wage that tipping isn't a part of the expectation. I'm so much happier controlling my own luggage and things anyway!
That said, I think I'd willingly go for tipping if it meant that hotels in Australia had free internet. Almost none of them do, it seems…
I love staying at the Fairmont Hotels – at least in Canada. They are not allowed to take "tips" (that little something extra). They must have seen your list somewhere lying around. You don't get a mini bar stocked unless you ask for it to be. They all have coffee pots and a variety of coffee and teas. If you belong to the President's Club (which is free… you just need to bother to sign up) all internet access is free and usually wireless service all over the hotel. I could go on and on and on. They do have the little bottles of shampoo and I do appreciate how many of the NH hotels refill theirs with a lovely product – but, I do believe these little bottles are refilled at the Fairmont. They are not sealed. After staying at the Paliser in Calgary so many times, The Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper and the Banff Springs… all in my lovely home province of Alberta… with the Hotel McDonald in my city – I can't praise them enough. And, I do not work for them or get any discount for singing this song. I really like NH when I travel Europe and find their quality of service "usually" exceptional (unless they have just bought out a hotel and are still retraining lazy staff) :)
But, I do not travel for work. I only travel for pleasure… so, probably have not hit the huge variety of hotels you have.
David, I'm totally with you on this one : "The greatest joy in life is waking up, slipping on a bathrobe, and drinking coffee without anyone bothering you. I live for that moment every day".
Love it :)
People need to tip the maids! My mother is a maid at a hotel and is rarely tipped, though she definetly works harder than bellhops and room service servers. I don't know if its just a Canadian/American problem, or if its everywhere, but a couple dollars wont hurt you. My mother comes home tired each day, it is not an easy job.
Its a very small thing you can do, and trust me, its much appreciated :)
If you're going to have ethernet, then provide cables long enough so one can surf while lying in bed. Those desks are rarely comfortable. And honestly, wifi throughout isn't all that difficult to arrange.
It seems to me now that even higher end hotels are going the plastic and cardboard way for coffee cups and such. I long for the days of real dishes and real glasses.
Great post- and didnt realize that tip and gratuity are not necessarily the same thing!
And as someone who works for that fairly well known coffee company that dons a siren and star adorned crown..good coffee in each room with a press or pour over melitta and kettle gets my vote! Next time you are in Seattle, just send me an email, I'd love to arrange a tour and cupping!
I love the hotels that use large refillable bottles. However, I do collect those little bottles. I save them up until I have a large bagful of the lotions, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shower caps, and sewing kits and take them to my local safehouse for abused women and children. They really appreciate it. They really need it.
Regarding the bottle soaps– there is a non profit organization working with the hospitality industry to collect these soaps 'In an effort to prevent needless deaths from occurring, Clean the World distributes recycled soap products, along with appropriate educational materials, to impoverished countries worldwide, and to domestic homeless shelters.' You can check their listing to see what hotels or b&b's are participating
Always a great conversation here on your page David. Many thanks.
To the people that said that big refillable bottles aren't practical – they're the norm here in Japan. I've seen them in the States too, here and there. Usually there's a dispenser on the wall that has shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. It's totally possible to brand them if hotels want. Cuts down on waste, and labor too I think. Just top them off if they get, say, to around half full.
I hate needing a crowbar to get into bed and between the sheets. Please use fitted bottom sheets so that when the guest pulls out the tucked-in top sheet, they don't have to remake the bed. Also, a hot water pot for tea or cup-o-soup would be nice with a couple of nice tea bags to go with it. A ceramic (not plastic) mug makes tea or coffee taste so much better.
coffee, coffee, coffee. I can't agree more. and if they want t set up one in my bedroom at home at the same time, I wouldn't say no! x
You can find citrons at the local New Season's Market in Portland. I see them all the time in the winter.
I hope I don't have to spend as much time in hotels as you do, but if that is the case, then I would love to see them switch to ceramic floors, give out more towels, better coffee, etc. Your comments and observations are right on the money (as usual with you!) :)
i definitely think new and young hotels are starting getting these things right (or better) -it's mostly a problem with old establishments stuck in ideas of how it should be. I often stay in a hotel in London called the hoxton, which apart from the interior design always makes me think they really have got things right, and though it's not my favourite hotel, is incredibly user friendly and seem to have taken your whole list to heart. tea and cofffe in every room, fresh milk for free in the fridge, free (and super fast) internet and all local calls charged as normal (not the super crazy hotel prices), all things you might want normally stacked in a minibar is available in the reception for normal shop prices and the mood is very casual . the tipping system in the US always freaks me out -personally the worst for me is SLOW internet, and bad A/C – and i hate when the sheets are tucked under and your feet are like stuck in a sleeping bag!
oh and one more hate: rooms where you have to unplug the Tv or Fridge to find a power outlet. why is so hard to understand that most people need at least 2 outlets for phone and laptop???
As a tea drinking Australian, I expect to find a kettle in my room – it is standard in hotels here and in a lot of Asian countries as well. I am not sure what the danger is as most Australians have been brought up boiling kettles and making tea. apart from that I reckon your guidelines are pretty good.
Hello David, I hope you'll have the chance to visit Asia, especially SouthEast, and you can get to try our hotels. I will not say more except that your list will be the shortest ever, if there will be anything to complain about.
I love your blogs!!
I read or scanned most of the comments and didn't see a mention of the new Keurig machines for coffee or tea. We stayed at a hotel in DC where there was one in the room. Instant hot water, slip in your little sealed cup of whatever you wanted, and in seconds you had a warm, comforting drink.
Yes, the A/C is a huge problem. In this $300 a night hotel, the noise was loud, and there was a faint odor. After I returned home, I was sick for 2 months. Did I pick up a "bug" from a unit that was not properly cleaned or serviced? From then on, if there's any odor in the room, I ask for a change before I unpack.
We could all complain about hotels here, but oh, my gosh, France has some of the worst! Staff is rude, elevators tiny, rooms dark with few windows, noisy, and more negatives. However, the Nevons in L'isle sur la Sorgue has the most delightful owners, at least when I was there. Makes up for every bad hotel.
As a guy from civilized, continental Europe ;-), I live in a country where restaurants, hotels and similar business units display "All included, prices & taxes". Really what you will pay.
When service has been great (or even simply fair), I would live an extra "tip". When very basic or bad, I would not leave any extra.
The US system for restaurants and hotels is a maze for customers like me. You start from a displayed price, sometimes quite reasonnable, then you end up with a bill that is 20 or 25% higher, adding taxes, gratuities, tips, service charges or whatever. I don't find this customer friendly, it is simply unfair and illogical.
I mean, a meal in a restaurant is basically 2 things: food & service. Plus extra costs to pay for the owner, like taxes, rent…
No need to get a MBA to combine it in a clear, "all included" price" (and indeed, by law, all restaurants do this in my home country).
I don't mind paying an extra $20 when my pharmacist brings me medicines at home in the evening, This is an extra offer to his job, and he should not do it for free. But the "added gratuity & tips & charges" mean you would consider service in a restaurant is something "extra" to their standard offer? This is simply ridiculous and illogical!
Agree with most other remarks.
One point where the US now clearly beats Europe is bedding & sheets, I have no idea why, but it seems most US accommodations, including B&Bs or low cost chains, made a lot of effort in this area these past years!
I just wanted to say that I love your blog, David.
One of my biggest hotel pet peeves (besides the one you mention) is that sticker they put in the bathroom about how much they care about the environment, and do you, dear guest, know how much water and detergent is used every day to wash all the hotel towels of the world, and would you, dear guest, help us do something about this and let us know if you are willing to use your towel another time by putting it on the towel rack?
Yes, I, too, find it ridiculous to get a clean set of towels for every single shower so I always dutifully hang the towel on the rack instead of throwing it on the floor, which would be their cue to replace it.
I travel quite a bit and it´s NEVER happened that they leave the old towel on the rack: I always come back to find all the towels changed. Why be so smug about that ´caring for the environment´ thing when you don´t practice what you preach?
For many years the Hotel/Motel industry has always defied common sense when it comes to what travelers need. I just assumed as a "guest" I am usually stuck with what ever the hotel thinks they can get away with as far as charges and service. I've sat through city Plan Commission meetings as neighborhood supporter and listened to some really outrageous justifications by Hotel/Motel executives for what they think they can get away with.
In Kansas City the major areas for Hotels are also located in, thanks to Developers, "Improvement Districts". The short explanation of which gives Developers and large commercial property owners their state and city taxes back in return for things homeowners have to do on their own and a portion of their employees state taxes returned to the developer's pocket. Areas around convention centers also have extra taxes on hotel/motel and restaurants. I seem to remember Atlanta has the highest tax on this at over 22%, I've forgotten the term for the tax and google was not my friend when I tried to search for it. 10 years ago Kansas City's downtown district was tacking on an extra 17%. I don't travel much any more and I don't miss the guess the extra charges game.
So true, David. As a recently retired road warrior, I remember when Starwood started the focus on beds with their Heavenly Bed installations, complete with comfy duvets and enough pillows. Previously I only found them in European hotels, and not many of those. I've noticed a slight improvement in electrical outlet access as some places now have a power strip on the desk. I travel with an extension cord for my CPAP so I don't have to unplug either the lamp or the clock radio for it, and a 3-way tap to support my laptop and rechargers at the desk. But fooling around down at the outlets in back of the desk is not fun. Finally, amen to the early post about decent reading lights at bedside – I can't be the only reader out there!
Wonderful blog, David, I'm hooked.
I've worked in hotels for years and enjoy what I do. I've worked in every single department in a hotel (including upper management). After working as a general manager for a very tightfisted owner, that experience has turned me off of ever wanting to work in management again – and I'm currently a guest services trainer bouncing between hotels owned by the fellow I work for. That said, I have some knowledge of the level of service and amenities that usually go into a hotel, and its customer service.
I've been lucky enough to work in some wonderful hotels, and the misfortune to work in some absolutely craptacular ones. In my experience, a lot of hotels (especially here in the US) are part of a chain (but independently owned and operated), and so there are requirements that each owner must meet, and consistently offer to their guests.
An example: the coffee machines and tea kettles… in the US, most of the mid-level chains are required to have just a standard 4-cup coffeemaker in the rooms. The chain makes this a requirement, but doesn't tell the owners/operators what KIND they have to have in there. Most times, it will likely be your basic, cheapie 4-cupper in the room. Keurig and Senseo? Those are fairly new to the hotel/motel world and most likely won't be a regular thing in the rooms until maybe 10-15 years down the line. (I might be exaggerating, but there's your example.) Tea kettles? Not in Starbucks/coffee-addicted America… unless you're lucky enough to be in a high-end hotel that has them. And even THEN – there's the issue of guest use. I work in a hotel now that offers single-serve coffeemakers in the rooms, and the guests we get here (of all ages) call our desk constantly saying that the carafe is missing from their coffeemaker – never mind that there are laminated cards in the room with directions explaining how the coffeemakers work.
Housekeepers – I've stayed in hotels that have had the envelopes from the housekeepers too, and thought it was tacky… but a lot of places have them. I wish they would pay them a decent rate – as far as I'm concerned, they have the hardest job of anyone in a hotel and should be paid more than a front desk clerk. My rule of thumb when I travel is that the housekeepers get paid $2 per day for every person that is staying with me; if it's 2 of us and we're staying 5 days, they get $20 when we check out. I don't suggest that for everyone, but I do that because I know what they have to deal with. Another thing too – I don't leave the tip in the room. I have no way of knowing if a supervisor/inspector is checking the rooms and taking the tips (which has occurred often enough), and I always want to make sure the housekeeper/s responsible for our room gets that tip s/he earned. A comment card or letter praising your housekeeper/s is also appreciated, especially in hotels where they value employees that go the extra mile for their guests.
One more thing… Loyalty programs… strongly suggested. Wyndham Hotels has an especially great one (ByRequest) that offers free Internet (along with bottled water, drink and snack of choice) – other loyalty programs offer similar deals. Get with one – even if you only stay once, it can save you a heck of a lot of headaches. (With ByRequest, the wine and beer offerings doesn't hurt either!)
Sorry it's so long, but I just wanted to add something to the discussion. :D
I can't say if this is true in every city, but where I live, the shampoos, soaps, conditioners, creams, etc that are opened and left behind in hotels get donated to a local homeless shelter. These are then given out to people when the shower. Hopefully all places did this, but I imagine that's not always the case…
I worked at a posh hotel in Kentucky that offered very high-end shampoo/lotion/soap in the bathrooms, in tiny bottles (except the soap was in full-sized bars). Wondering if I could maybe snag a random unused or slightly-used bar or bottle from housekeeping, I asked what happened to them after a guest checked out. Turns out everything, used or not, was donated to local homeless shelters, where they were hugely appreciated, as many have already noted.
I bet many hotels in the US do in fact donate those tiny bottles, rather than throwing them out. Maybe ask the front desk next time you check in.
I am all for the mini shampoos, etc. I bring my own in a small plastic bottle… my hair does not do well with changes. Then I put each gift from the hotel and its daily replacement, into my bag and take it home to drop off at one of the charities that work with the homeless. They are very apprciative. I use the first soaps but the rest join the shampoo.
As to the tea. You can't make tea in a coffeepot, even if you could get it to boiling, which you can't. For years I have carried a small electric kettle when I travel in the U.S. Though lately that has been limited to auto travel
Regarding your comment about your toothbrush, they have done tests on toothbrushes which have shown that they usually test positive for fecal matter, less so when you flush with the toilet seat down. So you really don't want to have a coffee maker or any other food/drinks in the bathroom.
One property I worked for went from being a Wyndham to an Intercontinental a few years ago – which required all new toiletries. The hotel donated the Wyndham toiletries to local shelters. To my knowledge, this is becoming common practice in a lot of hotels, especially when brand requirements include a complete overhaul/update of the toiletries.
Being a bell-hop is a bit like gambling. Some guests truly enjoy your services, come to again and again during their stay, chit chat with you on entering and exiting the hotel and stick a 5, 10, 20 or even 100 dollar bill in you hand when they check-out. A good guest is like winning the jack-pot.
I've managed the Guest Services (bell, concierge, drivers) staff for 5 years of my career in hospitality and in this position (even as a woman) I've had to fill in on many occasion and or spend time working side by-side on busy days or for big events. It really is a fun people oriented job, but the sad part is that the guest services staff likely make minimum wage, because the financial structure of the hotel assumes them to be a "tipped" position.
I say it is like gambling, because one day you may make wonderful tips and actually make a decent wage and others you just scrape by. When I travel I use the bell staff if I can, talk to them, ask them for recommendations, history of the area, whatever and tip generously, because I know it can make their day. Bell-hops often have families to feed and frankly, if their wage was purely paid by the hotel they'd make maybe $2 to $4 an hour more in their daily wage, but would lose out on the tips, which actually make for a decent wage.
As for Room Service — those same guys that bring your food have to walk back around the hotel fetching trays from hallways, so when it comes down to foot-work they do much more than your average server. And they also have off and on days — one day 25 people want breakfast at exactly 7:30 AM (an impossible feet for one guy with one elevator) and the next day no one orders at all. Room Service employees also make a servers wage, and so they also depend on tips to make a living. If you don't want to give them a tip, don't order room service (the gratuity, like others said, is split between staff).
I think that there has to be a way to have refillable containers for the soaps and such and I am in fact pretty sure I stayed someplace in the last few years (maybe in San Fran) that in fact had a dispenser in the shower. At my last hotel (privately owned) we indeed found that many conservation measures, while upfront a change in how things were done, ultimately saved money and sometimes even time, contributing to a better bottom line.
You are so right about the folks in the service/food biz working hard for little money. Long hours, hard work–especially when others are off on holidays–and poor pay. I think that applies to most cookbook authors, too! People seem to imagine that you just wander into the kitchen and create a recipe once in a while when the mood strikes. Maybe if more knew the real story, fewer would be aspiring to write their own cookbooks some day!
There are a number of B&Bs in Santa Fe that are really top notch. And then there's Ten Thousand Waves, where the room comes with a pass to their outdoor hot tub, free wi-fi, microwave and fridge, tea and coffee (and a cold filter for Santa Fe's already delicious tap water.) No tiny bottles; they put full sized Yuzu or Hinoki shampoo, conditioning and lotion in each room. You can buy them in the gift shop (and I always do.) There's no room service. You can get sandwiches, salads, and ice cream in the gift shop, or they provide the phone number to the local service that delivers delicious food from a number of excellent restaurants. Since food is one of the main reasons to go to Santa Fe anyway, I appreciate the ability to get it delivered to a Japanese spa halfway up the mountain so I don't have to change out of my kimono and drive down to town.
That came out as more of an advertisement than I'd intended. Apparently it's time for vacation again.
As for the shampoo, soaps, lotions, etc. we donate them to a local ministry that helps those who are homeless or unemployed.
@Kate, I work in city planning/development and what you're describing sounds more like incentives to get hotels developed rather than for operations of the hotels. Usually, this is to encourage developers to actually develop hotels in places where it's not financially feasible to do so, because the city or whatever has decided they need it to bring additional money to the city (in the form of tourism expenditures, etc). The convention center taxes are used to either fund the tourism development offices or construction of the convention center. If this doesn't exist, the cities don't really get taxes, because the sales tax goes to the state (for the most part.)
@Klary–agreed on the sticker! What annoys me about it is that it's very clear the only thing the hotelier really cares about is 1.) making itself seem green for p.r. purposes and 2.) saving money on laundry/utilities.
After reading the comments, it reminded me of another thing…I really like it when hotels have disposable cups. While it counters the green trends, those reusable cups don't get sanitized. (After my cleaning wipes comment, I should say I'm not a germiphobe, just with hotels!)
David, David, David, I am a New York, Jewish grandmother who has worked in the hotel industry my entire life. I could answer every one of you "problems" but it would take too long, so I'll try to make it quick, and I'll forward your post to my General Manager. We use little bottles (in the bathroom and for condiments) for sanitary reasons. Yes they are wasteful and very expensive, but we wouldn't want our guests getting sick in any way from sharing. Also, if you don't want anyone to disturb you in your room, kindly place the privacy sign on the door. You can call when you need something and no one will bother you. And if you would like extra chocolates, just ask and we will bring a bowl full. The converse is also true. If you have your privacy sign all the time, you might miss a lovely amenity delivery — but that's your choice. As far as tipping goes, just tip what feels right to you. If you are okay with the amount added to the check, that's fine. Some people, however, are very generous. Just like the Ladies and Gentlemen I work with bend over backwards and do back flips to please guests at the hotel, there are guests, (quite a few, thank goodness), who really, really appreciate what we do for them The line on the check for an additional gratuity is for them. And finally, all of your wishes could come true if you stay at my hotel company, (the BEST one in the world). We have a data base where we list all of your preferences and we fulfill them each and every time you stay — except of course the little bottles — I think they are staying. Happy travels, Linda
Hi, David. Love your blog! I, too, have been in a huff about gratuity, tip, and other "add-ons" that seem to double my bill! I've recently gone back to school, and thanks to my Hositality and Management prof, I've been enlightened. In the hospitality industry, the gratuity charge always goes to the company and isn't necessarily related to your service. It's meant to cover the cost of things like broken dishes, thievery (towels and silverware that grow legs…), and oh yea, worker's comp. So! The only money your server ever sees is the tip.
Hope that helps; safe travels!
I've had friends get ill after drinking the water in Mexico, but think the water in Texas is safe — never heard of any safety issues, unless I'm missing something.
I completely agree with you. This summer I stayed at a hotel in Egypt, that didn't specify how to get internet, had no coffee machines or irons in the rooms, and the WORST part was that the rooms didn't even have clocks. With jet lag like that, alarm clocks are absolutely necessary.
I DO love how European hotels have the heated towel racks, nothing beats a toasty warm towel…except maybe for your Fresh Ginger Cake.
I share your particular hatred of people asking you in the morning if they want the room cleaned. Especially if it's before 8am, especially if I'm checking out that day, and very especially (as happened to me a couple of weeks ago) if I'm getting dressed at the time, the 2 previous conditions apply and they don't knock but just come in!
I used to work in a youth hostel – we knew who was leaving and who wasn't and we were doing all the cleaning on a budget. To my knowledge, we never walked in on people – surely for the much higher rates we pay for hotels, they could manage this too??
I'd like to add something to the list: earplugs would be a great addition to the free amenities. I mentioned this at one hotel and their reply, "That would imply our hotel is noisy". Sigh.
This is not really related to hotels, but I am 100% with you on the sheets and bedding. It's divine to dive into a comfy bed after strolling the streets of Paris for hours and hours and hours.
I just have to send you a grand merci for the recommendation for the Café du Commerce steak-frites. I was just there a week ago, managed to get a table without a reservation and had a divine rare steak. The best I've ever had in Paris. The frites were good and so was my carafe of Costières de Nîmes to wash it down. It was a wonderful weekend– divine weather, the market at Saint Germain, strolling along the Seine, etc. Ahhhhhh
Terrific list, David, but I have one more for you. Outlaw bedspreads! When I know that I have to stay in a chain hotel I always make sure that the room has two double beds. I hide the scrofulous bedspread in the closet and strip the sheet from the second bed and use it to cover up the washed-once-every-ten-years blanket. And I'm not even remotely OCD.
In Australia, for better or worse, tipping is hardly heard of in any place other than a restaurant. And I TOTALLY here Lynn about the bedspreads!
A simple answer to people barging in to service rooms etc would be to hand the guest a card on arrival with a checklist " What time would you like your room serviced?"
This would tie in nicely with your idea for a card for level of service. I would have no problem with filling this in on arrival ( or in advance for an internet booking) to obtain the service required.
When I've been travelling with my children I will often phone in advance to organise things in respect to them. I've always found people pretty accommodating to different needs. It would be nice though if this could be done in respect to all guests and not just those that don't speak up in advance.
The only danger I see with this is that check-lists could in fact become very long and involved.
Like Australia, in NZ tipping is only done when exceptional service in a restaurant is given – it's not given as a matter of course.
On coffee in every room–whenever there's coffee, but not tea, I always point out at the front desk that a Lipton's bag costs well less than a cent at Costco, and would ensure that I don't feel ignored when I gaze at the hot water maker and swear at myself because once again I forgot to stash a couple tea bags as I ran out the door of my house.
On the other hand, I always rave to the front desk staff when I get to a hotel that DOES offer a tea bag (w/ CAFFEINE– The Heathman are you listening???).
Re: #1:
The last hotel I stayed in (a Best Western in Seattle) had a dispenser both next to the sink, dispensing soap, and another in the shower dispensing soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The machines looked just like the ones in a public restroom: you push the lever down and it gives you about the right amount that you need.
My initial reaction was that it looked tacky (like a public restroom) but then I kept thinking about it, and I thought it was genius. As long as the lever is reguarily cleaned, it is perfectly sanitary. No mini bottles are made or thrown away. No wrappers are thrown in the trash. Easy to refill, and less often. And much less soap and shampoo is wasted.
Now, the question is: how long will it take to catch on? I bet fancy hotels could make fancy-looking ones.
I love reading your blog. You cover so many interesting topics. Regarding this particular one, have you ever considered renting an apartment? There's no comparison, you'll never want to stay in a hotel again. If you look carefully, many have luxury linens, antiques, a kitchen with cooking utensils if you need them (no minibars, please!), elegant table linens, and no one to bother you for gratuities. If you need cleaning service you ask for it and set it up for the time that is convenient to you. What's best is that you get to know the natives and savor life among them.
I think the over-the-top levels of service (i.e., the constant knocking on the door) and the number of service people with their hand out for a tip are directly related. So I keep the Do Not Disturb sign on the door from check-in until checkout.
After spending a lot of time in Europe, I've really come to resent the tipping policies/mentality in the US. And this is coming from a former bartender/waitress.
Most of the hotel chains are global corporations. They should pay their employees a living wage and stop asking the rest of us to subsidize their payroll.
I just stayed in Brooklyn, NY last week and the hotel offered complimentary umbrellas if you had to go out and did not have one. I was very impressed with that service. You did not have to ask, they put a note on the exit out that stated "Complimentary Umbrellas". Very nice.
Here's one more. The hotel charged me $35 to make a local phone call, and the phone
company charged my mother $5 per minute for a collect call from me. The hotel charged me $50 for a quart of whiskey bought from across the street. And the only
airport rent-a-car refused my cash and insisted on a credit card. As a rule of thumb, I
will not use credit cards. As a result, I am debt-free. Airport be damned, I finally found
a car rental company who would take cash. Jeez. What a concept.
If hotel maids disturb my peace or slumber, I make them sorry they did. To refuse a
person's right to sleep is a classic form of abuse. Gratuities are thievery.
And the post office has gotten in on the act. They now charge $1.05 just to use a
manilla envelope you already paid for when you purchased it. THEN they add the
Hotels, airports, restaurants,…. how many hop toads can we come up with?
…and please fresh fruits for breakfast. Can't understand how people do without having at least one piece of fresh fruit before all that bacon and bread!
hmmm lots of good ideas. I like your list. I also second Pink Elephants about making calls out and explaining clearly how much it will cost to use the hotel phone. On a business trip I lost my cell phone and had to use their phone a couple of times. Since it was a short long distance call, I was shocked by how much they charged me for it.
I never worry about staff coming in during a trip. I immediately put the no service sign out and use the huge number of towels and things over the course of my whole stay.
I've been meaning to find out about apartment rental as an alternative to hotels. There's a website called airbnb.com that has tons of listings of folks who have a spare room or in-law apartment available for a night or two to the traveler.
Regarding the tiny bottles, I used to volunteer for Ronald McDonald House and they collected them (unused of course) from people to put in the rooms so that when the parents of kids in the ICU etc. stayed overnight to take a shower, they could have some soap and shampoo and didn't have to think to buy some.
On a completely unrelated note: I made the citrus gelée you made for us in the Central Market class, and if anyone ever asks you, "David, you always talk about rosé, could I use a sparkling rosé instead of prosecco?" I did actually try it (with improved Meyer lemon as the citrus) and can report that not only is delicious, I highly recommend it. So now you have another answer to give besides the standard! http://www.flickr.com/photos/mellowynk/5379234279/in/photostream/
What I really want is a power strip with at least six outlets for all of our rechargables. My hot brush, his shaver, both cells, camera, ipod, laptop and on it goes. I hate having to crawl behind the bed and unplug lamps to plug myself in.
I feel the same way about the gratuity/tip overlap, I think a lot of people are confused by it
FIJI is my favorite bottled water. It tastes different than any tap or bottled water because of the amount of minerals in it. Unfortunatly, the bottler and the FIJI overlords have had it out recently, and I can't find a bottle of it anywhere. It's supposed to be back in production, but I'm not seeing it anymore in my neck of the woods.
I stayed recently at three different luxury hotels; at all three, I was walked in on by service staff. Once there was no knock at all at 10 a.m. as I was getting dressed, and the other three times (at various hours) there was a brief knock followed by a VERY quick entry by them. I didn't even have time to answer the door before they were in the room, seemingly surprised that I would be there! Twice the staff ignored the "do not disturb" sign and just walked right on in. I love my privacy and this just drove me crazy.
When I stay in budget hotels, by the way, this never happens, probably because they are trying to save money and are more than happy to adhere to my request to not be disturbed.
So here is my question: do most patrons of luxury hotels really prefer to have staff coming and going from their rooms all day long? Perhaps they do …
You know that you are a Grandparent when you take "the little bottles" home to put in the bathtoy bag. When they are empty they make fantastic Mr Glug-glugs. You get different sounds when you emmerse the bottles in different ways and the bottles can be personalised with waterproof Markers. The shampoo bottles, when full and firmly closed, have glutinous shapes in them when you turn them slowly. And what about bubbles? And what about screwing and unscrewing the caps? And floating? A Science Museum in your very own tub! Aha ! Shall blog about it when I get blogging for The Educational Centre for Games in Israel. Will I ever get to be for Toys and Games what David is for chocolate?
I really enjoy it when the mini-bar surprises me. Surprise me! Put really good food treats in it. And don't charge a fortune for them just because they are "good" or "gourmet" treats.
Regarding unused BARS of soap (not containers): I don't recall where I saw a story about a program (perhaps the San Francisco Chronicle) that takes the barely used bars of soap from hotels, grinds them up, sterilizes the resulting material and re-makes them into new bars for homeless shelters. Seems like a lot of trouble, but it must be worthwhile.
Tipping a hotels is something I really hate, not because of the money but because I can never figure out the rules. I'd also rather have several lines on the bill where I can add all of the tips to my final bill.
Re toothbrush/coffeemaker from your tweet: Your toothbrush is exposed to only _your own_ waste mist. The coffeemaker? Everyone's.
I also really like the servis compris model because then I know exactly where I stand. I am not from the US so I do admit to getting a bit confused with who I am supposed to tip, when and how much.
However, I also get a bit irked when things are done for me that I would rather just do for myself (eg carry a small bag) with the expectation that a tip is forthcoming.
I have never experienced someone walking in to my hotel room whilst mid change-of-clothes (or other such situation), however I hope that should that ever occur, I will have the presence of mind to just carry on with whatever I am doing and let the interloper deal with the embarrassment rather than the other way round!
Years ago the Swissotel, in Chicago, had dispensers in the bathrooms. Last time I was there they were gone form the shower and bath and little bottles were in. I loved the ease of the dispensers.
On the other hand, my trips to Europe are always much nicer when the places I stay offer special soaps and creams from local places. I brought several home with the local olive oil added to soap bars and skin creams. THey are lovely little gifts. I also have the free combs from several places in France and Spain. Their little complimentary sets with combs, shoe shiners, (to get the dust off from all the walking) and the nail files etc. are always much appreciated.
I'd say we American's have much to learn on how to make people feel at home.
as a waitress, i can explain the gratuity/tip crossover. gratuity is the tip assigned to the task (or large party size) and tip is there if you would like to tip more than the assigned gratuity.
Sheets! I sleep very restlessly and as a result I pull the bottom sheet from the bed and have a twisted mess every morning. Often times the top sheet is tucked into the mattress and everything is stirred up before I get in. Fitted bottom sheets, please.
All is forgiven when the room has lovely sheets and bedding. I find most hotel rooms cold. But a plush, warm and comfy bed makes all the difference.
When I stayed in a hotel in Malaysia, I hated the air-con. Even if I switched it off systematically when coming into my room (and finally I let a notice asking for not moving the controls), the room service switched it on. So my room was on constant 18 °C while I like at least 22°C. I was uncomfortable, and the planet was not happy either…
What, you mean you don't do this?
Because I'm basically cheap, I avoid minibars like the plague. However, at a recent stay at the Palomar in Arlington, VA, we were able to choose two items for free from the minibar as part of belonging to their club. What a great disappointment that both clearly had been there since the beginning of time and were stale!
It shows that I've been away… 137 comments on ONE posting!!! And I FULLY agree, mostly with the WiFi thingie… :) I keep telling everybody and the postman that this is nowadays the nearly most important feature to have and have it immediately and with all the info provided…. Maybe we see it as an inclusion to our hotel accommodation still while we live!!!! And the very most important thing in a bedroom is – without any doubt – a very decent matress and good bedding….
The bellhop guys can make change. The trick is to not be embarrassed or shy about the relationship. You know you're supposed to give them a couple of dollars a bag so ask for change from that 20. They won't think you're cheep for not giving them the whole bill any more than the guy at the quicky-mart giving change on a purchase will. I don't like the system either but better to treat it like a business transaction.
From my years in service (pizza delivery, waiting tables, valet parking) I learned not to pay any attention to how much people give, just whether or not they were happy. It all evens out in the long run. If your emotions are changing with every customer interaction you'll make yourself crazy.
I really loved this post, especially the part about checking off the level of service you want. I love a good hotel with great service, but after a long day, sometimes you just don't want to be disturbed.
As a hotel owner, that was a lot of reading, to hear what people want in an overnight stay in a hotel. OK I agree with nearly all of your complaints and I hope my guests will never have to do this, all they have to do is ask. I have been in the industry for many years and comfit was the first thing I thought of in furnishing the hotel. Privacy is the next thing, most of my guests prefer no daily cleaning. Breakfast (included) fresh & local, fruit, bread, yogurt, honey, cheese, tomatoes, yummy!! It is not hard to listen to what guests want and to provide them with it. Visit Greece.
I enjoyed this post and comments and couldn't help but recall fond and humorous memories of travel in Europe. To avoid those pesky hotel room interrupts, why don't hotels include the little door hanger for each room – one side indicates "do not disturb" and the other "make up room please". How American of me…..
I forget which hotel it was but I have stayed in one (only one) that instead of the miniature products had large refillable dispensers mounted in the shower for your body wash, shampoo, and condition. Similarly by the sink for soap and lotion.
Tipping as an archaic dumb system. Is it really so difficult to pay people a decent wage? I always feel very uneasy about who and what to tip and especially in the US it is a must. Get rid of it.


text:
CORRUPTION has crept into the island's justice system, negatively affecting the level of court decisions, a former top judge has charged, casting more doubt over certain decisions, even those issued at the highest echelons of the justice system.
"The decline of Cypriot justice is also due to the decline in values and principles and proper dispensation of justice, which have been bent in recent years and have been displaced by corruption, part of which seems to have already touched the judicial family," former ECHR judge Loukis Loukaides told a conference on the problems of Cypriot justice.
Loukaides said it was widely accepted that applied judicial justice was going through a crisis in the past decade and that its performance was largely inadequate.
He said the judiciary was lacking knowledge, impartiality, and self-awareness.
"These problems stem from the fact that judges are appointed without strict tests of their knowledge, experience, and personality," he said.
Most of the legal minds in Cyprus were trained in Greece, whose system may be exceptional, but unrelated to what is in force in Cyprus, where English Common Law covers a substantive part.
"The unavoidable outcome is a drop in the quality of court decisions," he said. "The lack of criticism and in general the lack of judge accountability certainly has an adverse effect on the quality of the judicial mission."
Attorney Achilleas Emilianides spoke about the delays in the dispensation of justice by Cypriot courts where civil cases take on average five years to finish.
This, he said, encourages the operation of an extrajudicial system, where people resort to in a bid to collect what is owed to them.
"This is the reality," he said. "When people come and you explain to them that it would take six years for a trial, they tell you, 'It will take two minutes to get 60 per cent or 70 per cent and settle'."
"There is no doubt this system encourages extrajudicial rings, it encourages corruption, it encourages a system that we cannot be proud of, and it all starts by the fact that there is no effective justice due to delays," Emilianides said.
One high-profile case, which caused a stir, was that of former health minister Ntina Akkelidou.
Akkelidou was found guilty of interfering with the course of justice in 2004, but was later acquitted by a majority decision of the Supreme Court, prompting the resignation of then attorney-general Solon Nikitas.
Akkelidou had sent a letter to a district judge in connection with a drugs case the judge was trying at the time. She was fined £1,000 and resigned her post.
In April 2005, The Supreme Court overturned the decision by 9 to 3, with Nikitas, arguably one of the best attorney-generals this island has seen, saying there was no meaning in continuing.
"I have never commented on a Supreme Court decision. However, this case cannot go unnoticed. It is closely linked with the administration of justice, the principles of the rule of law and the democratic principle of separation of power. It also has to do with the existence, the maintenance, and the quality of institutions in a free and democratic society," he had said in a written statement.
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I gave evidence in Paphos Court regarding a road accident in my capacity as an 'expert witness' having been a police officers for over 32 years in both the counties and Met.
I have given evidence before Coroner's Courts, Magistrates and High Court including the Old Bailey.
I was surprised at the incompetence when I criticized the level of professionalism of the police officers, the Court showed it was less than happy. Evidence went missing just weeks before the trial from the Police Yard, the witness list was nothing like the people called as witnesses, one witness that was essential wasn't called as the prosecution didn't want him giving evidence. A second 'expert witness' flown in from the UK to examine the vehicle (which had suddenly gone missing) and provide a second opinion on the scene wasn't allowed to give evidence.
No solicitor who would present a 'not guilty plea' in Paphos could be found. All were willing to represent the defendant to supply mitigating circumstances only.
I keep an in carcam in both my vehicles, I wouldn't drive in Cyprus without them, although they're not used in court here (yet) they will provide evidence of what actually happened and not the police account of the accident. It was frightening what I saw and what passes for an EU country with regard to the law of the land.
The Bankers, most of the Lawyers & Estate agents are corrupt!
I even now have my doubts about the Cyprus Bar association being above board following recent personal experiences!
I am sure they look after their own.
what a joke of a country…:D
Why should Cyprus be any different to the majority of countries in the world? They all have corruption in their midst, it's just that some are better at 'covering-up' than others…
Good it's coming out – finally. I think this and the recent fine handed out to Alpha Bank (small as it was) are signs that there is a growing recognition corruption is epidemic and a huge clear-out process is necessary.
I agree that there is an element of corruption in the legal system. We are experiencing the same problems for which my wife who was knocked down and was found to be blameless of her demise, the person was given a paltry sentence of a fine and losing his license for a few days. We still can't find out the actual sentence as a block put on its release.
Our Advocate advises us to settle out of court as it will take too long to and costly to go through the courts.
The person who knocked her down is part of a very influential family. Somehow our witnesses all either disappeared or changed their statements after a visit by unknown person, however the defendants lawyers called one into court, the prosecutor was not allowed to ask questions as she said that she had not called him in?
Thankfully the judge believed our statements.
I admire this gentleman for having the cojones to speak out but has he JUST noticed this!
Surprise, surprise. I won't hold my breath waiting for change.
The views expressed in readers' comments are not necessarily shared by the Cyprus Property News.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I haven't officially announced that I have become a 7th grade teacher in a very short time! My hiring process went very quickly, at least it did for my family. The plan was never for me to go back to work so soon after having the baby but when opportunity knocks you have to take it. Any who, now I am a 7th grade Language Arts teacher and I am finally getting into the swing of things. I have only been teaching for about 3 weeks and I have some major work to do to my room.
First up on the agenda for me is creating a word wall! I figured the best way to make this happen was to get my Cricut involved. I have been wanting to design a banner for the longest time with my Cricut and figured this would be the perfect opportunity for me, plus what better way to bring my two loves together, crafting and teaching.
I created my word wall banner using my Close To My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge and the newly released Fontastic Font, you can grab the cutting file for it Here. This file is for design space but if you need a craft room file just let me know I would be happy to make it for you! I originally used the canvas feature in design space to plan out my letters and to get the right sizing of the banner.
I really enjoyed putting this banner together and I can see myself making many more. The Cricut cut all the pieces out beautifully and I really enjoyed this new Fontastic Font that just came out this week. I embossed the doilies that I cut out with a new Anna Griffin embossing folder and I fell in love with how they turned out. I cant tell you enough how well Close To My Heart paper cuts in the Cricut and then you add in the white core that shows through when the paper is embossed and I am in love! Yes I am in love with paper and I feel that I must have every color of Close To My Heart paper that is available.
I did have a travesty that has occurred in my house, after making this beautiful banner I realized that I have absolutely no ribbon to go with it. I am currently working on crocheting something so that I can string this banner up in my classroom this week. I am hoping to finish that task this week but you never know, life may just get in the way of that happening.
Here are all the pieces of the banner that is currently just waiting for a crocheted ribbon so that I can hang it up in my classroom. I am so pleased with the banner and I think the embossed doilies are my favorite part of it! I am sure I will be finding other ways to bring my crafting techniques into my classroom before the school year is over. Do you have any suggestions of other things that I can make for my classroom?
Now check out all the other wonderful posts for this Make It Monday!
Connie from Clicky Chick Creates is sharing a Cuckoo for Girl Scout cookies? made custom banner, perfect for booth sales!
Alice will help you scrapbook a teenager.Which can be a challenge!
Not the story you'd expect.Melissa, shares An Anniversary layout with a twist
GinaZee has been MIA until MIM. What has she been up to? UPcycling for sure, but what else? I made a card for my Valentine out of bits and pieces.
Does your household have a "Birthday Season"? Alison is getting ready for hers with these cute Flip Flip Invitations.
Lisa's sharing a "love-ly" project in this week's #MondayMojo post.
Need a Practically Perfect Planner? Learn how to design a planner that works for YOU!


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Belvederes are little houses that were put on top of buildings near the
waterfront prior to the 1930s. Before radio communication, belvederes were used to provide a vantage point for tracking ships. Only one of the belvederes in San Francisco was actually used for this purpose; the others added as decorative elements. The name belvedere comes from the Italian San Francisco vedere meaning beautiful view. bello
|Matson Building
This little jewel of a belevedere sits like a crown on top of this beautiful beaux arts building, completed in 1923. Matson is a shipping company that was started to bring sugar from
Hawaii to . They later became known for luxury cruise ships around the Pacific. Their cruise business ended in the 1970s when air travel took over, but today Matson is still a leader in cargo transport throughout the Pacific. Matson moved its headquarters to the San Francisco Port of Oakland, and the was taken over by PG&E to expand their headquarters building next door. Market Street Building
|Southern Pacific Building
, Pacific Building One Market Street
This 1916 building was built for the Southern Pacific Railroad. According to the building's manager, this belvedere originally hid a water tower, which was removed in the 1940s when the city's water system was upgraded. It may have been used at one time as an office by someone who didn't like meetings, since the only access is by a ladder stairway. The belevede is empty inside now, but still adds a touch of waterfront character to the building.
Willis Polk was still working for Daniel Burnham when he designed this building in 1904. You have to climb up
California Street past Grant Avenue to get a look at this belvedere which at one time was actually used to view the bay and Telegraph Hill. News of incoming ships was brought down to the trading floor (now occupied by the California Bank and Trust Co.) where the cargos were sold off even before the ship docked. The building survived the 1906 earthquake, and although the interior was damaged by the fire that destroyed the rest of downtown, it was one of the first buildings to reopen. Julia Morgan had her office in this building and the Julia Morgan Ballroom is on the 15th floor. Five murals by renowned maritime artist William Coulter were added between 1909 and 1920. http://www.mxbuilding.com/history/index.php
|Merchant Exchange (right) with Southern Pacific in distance
This 1923 building by George Kelham shares the block with the mammoth Bank of America tower, built in 1969. It mimics the style and size of the older Merchant's Exchange building.