From what to say at reception to get a room with a balcony to the most bizarre requests and hidden perks: The VERY surprising world of hotels revealed
- Hotels.com has launched its annual Hotel Room Innsights Report
- It has revealed ‘surprising services and stories from over 400 hotels’
Amazing stuff guests leave behind, wild room service orders, and guitar concierges.
And what do you have to do to get a room with a balcony?
Hotels.com has launched the annual Hotel Room Innsights Report, revealing “surprising services and stories from over 400 partner hotels worldwide… the secrets behind their most memorable stays.”
Here we reveal some of the most striking revelations.
Scroll down for a tour of the lost and found, room service and to discover extras you didn’t know you needed.
Lost and found
Hotels.com has launched its annual Hotel Room Innsights Report, which ‘reveals the surprising services and stories of more than 400 partner hotels worldwide… the secrets behind their most memorable stays’
The report found that the most commonly forgotten items were dirty laundry, device chargers, and makeup and toiletries, Hotels.com said.
But guests also left behind valuables including a Rolex, a Birkin bag and a watch worth €5.7 million/£4.8 million; pets including a chick and a lizard (these were found and returned after their owner checked out); and strange objects including two full plaster casts, dentures, a rice cooker, a car tyre, a blender and construction pipes.
Hotels.com revealed that some hotel employees “went to great lengths to reunite guests with their belongings.”
It found: ‘One hotel hero drove 100 miles to return a passport, another ran several blocks to drop off items before a cruise ship departed, and yet another traveled four hours to return a forgotten suitcase.’
Room service
Bizarre room service requests in Hotels.com report include burnt toast and a hot dog with caviar
The most curious room service orders include a bathtub filled with Evian “so that a child can bathe in the purest water”; a customized allergen menu for a pet, including gluten-free and dairy-free options, and so on; burnt toast; a hot dog with caviar; fresh goat’s milk; 2kg of bananas; and “a high five from a team member to confirm that their room service request has been read.”
Hotels.com adds: ‘Hotels are adapting to these increasingly strange room service requests, with W Osaka installing a ‘Whatever/Whenever’ button that allows guests to order ‘anything, anytime.’
Hidden Hotel Perks – The Perks You Didn’t Know You Needed
The Four Seasons Hotel Austin offers an in-room guitar concierge for guests who want to strum a premium guitar. The Sentinel Hotel in Portland offers Very Important Pets services, including access to top-notch grooming salons and an acupuncturist for stressed pets.
The report also includes some insider tips, such as requesting a smoking room to have a balcony and a higher floor “for more space and tranquility.”