The 13 Most Infuriating Hotel Pet Peeves That Drive Travelers Mad

I’ve enjoyed pitch-black sleep in every house I’ve ever lived, so why’s it such a challenge for hotels to mimic the same simple conditions? So many times I’ve switched off the light to find that there are useless gadgets dotted all over a room, from alarm clocks to newspaper reader touch pads. “Does everyone travel with a sleep mask?” asks one frustrated Reddit user. If not, then it’s time for those eyelids to enjoy an EDM nightclub of laser beam activity. I once drifted off and dreamed I was under an operating table. Thankfully, it was just routine lipo.

I understand the absence of unlimited free water in bargain-basement stays, but when you pay upwards of $300 for a four-star city hotel, filtered drinking water should be a minimum requirement (ideally, with eco-friendly refillable jars, but perhaps I’m reaching for the stars here). Some big chain hotels proudly label their water bottles “complimentary for [insert chain name and loyalty scheme here], $6 for all other guests.” The problem is that a) a bottle of water should not cost $6. And b) it makes their non-member guests feel terrible. We’ve paid just as much—if not more—to stay at the hotel, but clearly we’re only deemed valued guests if we’ve signed up for the newsletter (read: spam).

Why in the world do boutique hotels have ”sexy” all-glass bathrooms? I’ve stayed at one where you could see absolutely everything, similar to this Tripadvisor user who called it the most stupid design idea he’d ever seen. Let’s not forget some people check into chic little boudoirs with their friends, coworkers, or their mom, and no amount of glass frosting can save anyone from that kind of embarrassment.

If you don’t know what powdered eggs are, consider yourself lucky. Maybe you never joined the military or used a business hotel executive lounge. I was horrified to find powdered eggs at breakfast within a well-known brand’s “luxury collection.” I recall they also had powdered milk and instant coffee in the room too. Consuming any combination of these, to me (and this TikTok community), is about as appealing as watching the PETA videos of how the animals themselves are farmed. Time to go vegan.

Designed to keep bed linens clean, the problem with bed scarves is that they’re often dirtier than the shoes or bags they’re trying to shield. Hotels seldom wash them—after all, how many times have you seen (if ever) a bed scarf on a housekeeper’s trolly? “The first thing I do when I get in the hotel room is remove the bedspread and put it in the closet. I don’t want to touch it,” says one Quora user. Bed scarves are basically floor mats on your sheets.

Pop quiz: In the 24-hour day, when is a hotel front desk the busiest? You don’t have to be an expert to know it’s 11 a.m. That’s when anyone who didn’t have a red-eye flight is rushing out to avoid a late penalty. Some hotels are oblivious to rush-hour movements, though, and happily leave one poor chump to deal with an entire building’s worth of customers. You’ve had faster service at USPS.

While this is acceptable for heritage hotels, I don’t understand how modern hotels, including certain chain brands that pride themselves on being at the cutting edge of technology, can justify their prices and marketing without having a smart TV. “Where do they even find non-smart TVs these days?” asks one customer on Reddit, and more importantly, who watches back-to-back episodes of 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk without seeing the original show first?

Resort fees are probably the most hated of all hotel tricks, and the fact that they’re most commonly issued in Las Vegas where its punters are too hungover to notice says it all. You’re presented with a fantastic rate online, but when it comes to check out there are a slew of additional costs that are tacked onto the bill. The resort fee, sometimes called the destination fee, is vague about exactly what it covers. I’ve been told that the extra $50 per night I’m paying goes toward gym and pool access, even if I don’t use them, and even though gyms and pools are common hotel amenities. It’s only a matter of time before they start charging us for bedsheet rental.

When I first moved to America and found hotel rooms had no kettle, the staff told me it was because “Americans don’t drink tea.” But over the years, I’ve made many American friends who, on the contrary, love the hot stuff, and, brace yourselves…own working kettles! Add that to the fact that hotels in America host international guests, and I don’t understand why so many forgo the kettle and instead expect us to drip coffee-stained water into our chamomile.

The waste from a luxury hotel is a whole other article, but a personal gripe I have within five-star stays is the soap. I once stayed at a hotel where housekeeping removed my (once-used) full bar of soap and replaced it with a brand-new bar…twice daily…for three days straight! While I appreciate the sentiment, I can only imagine the bars of soap collected and discarded. Yes, there are soap recycling programs, but surely an easier way to prevent waste would be to let customers keep using their soap.

Hotel websites and travel magazines do excellent jobs of showcasing amenities, and at the forefront is always a dreamy (empty) pool. But what you never see is the crowds. Remember, if a hotel has over 1,000 rooms and just one pool, it won’t look anything like the snaps. I was super excited to get the ultimate hot tub selfie at one of the highest pools in Eastern Europe, only to find the entire time that it was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists. The water, therefore, can only be described as a soup of human sweat and other unsavory liquids.

Picture this: new city, old friends, your birthday. You’re given a cake with cream icing that says “Still hot for 40,” and the crew treats you to dinner (doesn’t 40 sound fabulous?). Since there’s no stomach space to eat it then and there, you take your cake back to the hotel. Open the mini bar and what space do you have? Zero. There’s no point moving the cola and risking the sensors automatically charging your card, so the cake and all its fresh creamy goodness will go bad. Now, 40 isn’t the only occasion a traveler finds themselves in possession of a must-refrigerate item, so come on hotels, leave some room, ok?

Over the years there have been many reports of peeping toms in connecting rooms, so whenever I check into one I’m always conscious of what might be lurking beneath. What I want to know is why in the first place the gaps at the door base are so huge. It’s not like families pass secret slices of pizza between each other (that would be messy). If you want to wander around free as the day you were born, remember to throw a towel down in front of the connecting slot first.