Maybe Try Renting A Vacation Home Next Time?

I work at the reception desk at a very popular skiing resort. A guest checked in at our hotel for a week-long stay during one of our busiest. She was very clear that she needed a quiet room, which she had contacted us about in advance, and we’d assigned her a room as far away as possible from the main building, pubs, and other sources of noise like traffic and partying.

The first night, she came down to reception several times, complaining about the noise in the room. We asked what the issue was.

Guest: “There are people and kids in the room next door!”

We honestly thought she was joking the first time, but we quickly realized she was very serious. Despite being fully booked, we were able to sort things out and move her to a different room, which was even worse, since there was a dog in the room underneath it, and it was next to an elevator that kept ringing when people used it.

She ended up moving back to the original room the next day, and she continued to complain that she couldn’t sleep because people were chatting in the rooms next door, and it was ruining her holiday.

We did the best we could during the whole week, trying to explain that if you want a quiet holiday during the high season for skiing, a hotel is not the best choice.

After she left, we got correspondence from the travel agency she’d used. They apologized profoundly for our experience with the difficult guest and explained that they’ve had the same kind of experience with her. Surprisingly, though, when she had spoken to the travel agency about her holiday, she had only good things to say about our hotel and staff, and she said she would definitively consider us for the next vacation, as well.

Let’s just hope it’s not during the busy season, so both she and the reception desk will get some peace and quiet.