Top Ten List of Resort and Cruise Suite Flaws
Get rid of uncomfortable and hot duvets since they are from the dark ages
1. Duvets are uncomfortable and a huge cost item on washing and maintenance. Instead, provide a sheet and blanket. It will reduce laundry time and increase user experience by providing layers of comfort instead of full on heat from the thick duvet. During heat waves, do you really think a customers wants to sweat at night in bed ? Instead, they'll crank up the air conditioning and cost you more in power charges.
I've paid for a full day so stop giving me late check-ins and early check-outs
2. Really late check in and early checkout. I’ve already paid for a full day, what short me on that ? The new greedy management trick is upcharging for early check in or late checkout, when you’ve already paid for a day. This trend is catching on throughout expensive resorts, including the Burgenstock Resort (one of my favorites) in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Don't short me on towels and bathroom tissue
3. Towels. The new eco trend (greedy resort management to reduce costs) is to limit your supply of towels, wash cloths, and hand towels for the bathroom. This saves the hotel washing and labor, but actually accelerates the deterioration of the fabric, which means more stains, wear, and less life, which means faster replacement (i.e. more costly). Water is renewable.
Don't charge me for minibar items just remove them
4. Minibar and Upcharging items in room. The most annoying industry wide trend is for minibar and upcharging items in the room. For example at the Burgenstock Resort, you're already paying $1,700 or more for a room, yet they want to charge you for snacks. Get with it resort managers - it looks cheap and makes the customer experience a joke, and like you're staying at a Holiday Inn. Classy places don't do that.
Don't waste my time at check-in
5. Check in. Ask for everything you need when room reservation is made online. Most of the time when I check in, they are still asking for my email address (even when I booked online), my street address, passport, etc.Don't take my time and your staff time by asking for information which can be provided for in advance.I'm paying for my time, don't waste it.
Drinking Water Provided in Suite
6. Water. Have some courtesy water in the room on arrival. Even if it's local amazing Swiss water, just have it ready.Don't charge me for the first few bottles. They only cost a few Euro/dollars, etc. It's classy to provide it, skimpy when they don't.
Sound from Other Rooms or Outside
7. Sound. If you're tired and just spend an overnight on a flight, or a long day touring, the last thing you want to experience is noise from the adjoining rooms, or outside.
Simple TV
8. Simple TV. I have yet to find a room with one remote, a simple TV to operate. Instead, it's a easter egg hunt to find out how it works. Better yet, just have a smart TV that I can beam to from my iPhone or computer, since I want to see my YouTube or Netflix anyhow. Burgenstock, Hyatt, and Riffelalp does this quite well (although it's still a number of steps to follow).
Simple light switch.
9. Simple light switch. Forget those computerized light panels. They're a joke, and awkward to work. It's one of those things that looked good five years ago, but just give me a simple on and off switch. No complex algorithms on a panel, or anything else. In addition, put in a bathroom fan, which is standard in most places, except Europe.
Bathroom fan and Air conditioning
10. Bathroom fan and Air conditioning. With this summers heat wave, we all want air conditioning. Even if it's only a few weeks of the year, you can now buy combo heat pumps that provide heating and air conditioning. Also provide working bathroom fans. The few I've seen in my European adventures don't exist (like finding BigFoot) or don't work. In the USA it's code to have a bathroom fan to exhaust moist air and prevent mold and mildew.
Summary
These are the most annoying things resorts and cruise ships do to dampen the customer experience. I did not mention billing and overbilling, which is an entire spectrum of disaster and for another blog post.
TEL: +1 608-238-6001 Email: greg@cruisingreview.com
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