05 September 2008

Bed bugs biggest hotel cleanliness fear

Eighty per cent of travellers are concerned about bed bugs when staying at a hotel.

But only eight per cent of hotel guests have actually experienced bed bugs.

The findings come from a poll of more than 2,200 people by online travel community TripAdvisor.

The research found that cleanliness, quiet and customer service were the top three issues for hotel guests.

When asked what ruins a hotel stay, 54% said unclean rooms, 14% cited noisy guests and 11% pointed to poor hotel staff or service.

Thirty-eight per cent of travellers think the dirtiest part of a hotel is the carpet, 37% speculate that it is the bedspread, 11% believe it's the television remote control and another 11% think it is the bathroom.

Sixty-eight per cent have experienced a dirty carpet, 64% have dealt with non-working appliances, and 59% have waited as their room was not ready at check-in, according to the worldwide survey.

When asked what makes a hotel great, 30% said location is the most important factor, while 29% cited comfortable beds, and 24% said hotel staff or great service.

Seventy-eight per cent of travellers said hotels are often "as advertised" while 17% said they are rarely as advertised.

Sixty-six percent of travellers said B&Bs are "as advertised," 20% said they are rarely so.

Ninety-two per cent said they planned to stay at a hotel or B&B in the next 12 months.

Nineteen per cent will stay at a hotel or B&B more than 10 times in the coming year, and 45% plan two to four stays.

Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor, said: "Your hotel experience can make or break your vacation and we've found that travellers don't ask for much. Cleanliness is the top travel requirement among TripAdvisor members and that doesn't seem like too much to ask."

by Phil Davies

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Smaller, Owner Operated Hotels Often Best

Our company has surveyed over 16,700 hotel properties, so far, in Cambodia, Laos and VietNam and without a doubt the best, and a few of the worst, hotels are those operated by the owners who often treat their hotels as their residence and their guests as welcome friends. Cleanliness, or rather lack of it, runs the gamut from the hostel to the 5-star property. A 5-Star property in Ho Chi Minh City that was awarded a prize earlier in 2008 also had an outbreak of bed bugs. Maybe 5-star bed bugs are different to bed bugs in lesser properties. Whilst carpets are frequently dirty, the same is more true of bedding, particularly blankets / duvets. We use different chemical sprays which change colour when applied to bedding (for sweat), toilets (body fluids) and showers / bathtubs (soap residue). Frequently moving furniture reveals filth and deceased vermin. I agree hotels can often make or break a vacation which makes it important that on-line descriptions are accurate - unfortunately they are usually not, as the properties complete their profiles often displaying flights of fancy. Even Hotels.com listings are guilty of this. Important things falling below the horizon include fire safety, safety equipment reliability and potability of water supply. Most guests use tap water when brushing teeth, yet they buy bottled drinking water! A 3-star property located in the ancient imperial city of Hue has impressive fire exit doors prominently located at only one end of each floor. Unfortunately the external fire escape was removed, and not replaced, when the adjoining property expanded upwards and reclaimed their air rights! In many cities fire departments do not have equipment capable of reaching higher parts of buildings, hotel or apartment, which means occupants can be at extreme risk. All hotel guests should carry a small emergency kit that includes a (working) flashlight and a whistle - both useful in gaining rescuers attention. A guest moving in should check the functionality of fire exits - even walking down stairs to see if they are clear. Lack of familiarity often endangers lives.

By Jon Hewson, Friday, September 12, 2008