I work in a very cheap budget hotel. A guest has booked a twin room — two single beds. I am supposed to close the counter at twelve but I have to wait for the guest until two am. After she has checked in, she comes back down.

Guest: “Excuse me, I requested a large bed. Why did you give me a twin bed? And why is the room so small?”

Me: “You booked a twin room, miss, so we gave you what you booked.”

Guest: “I want a large bed. Give me a room with a large bed.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we are fully booked tonight so I can’t move you to another room.”

Guest: “Then what are all the empty rooms here?”

She points at our monitor.

Me: “Oh, these rooms cannot be used at the moment. The aircon is leaking in one and this one doesn’t have a TV. Also, the rate would be different.”

Guest: “Just give me that. I will pay. I have money.”

The next day:

Guest: “Why is the aircon leaking? I paid for a hotel room, not a sauna!”

Manager: “I’m sorry, miss, but my colleague already mentioned that to you last night, and you still insisted on that room.”

Guest: “I can get a much better room at another place! You’re just trying to deceive me. I will report you to the police!”

Manager: “Go ahead, miss. Call the police. Also, if you think the other place is better, then I can give you a full refund right now in cash and you can go find another place.”

She got the refund but ended up returning to our hotel because the other hotel was expensive!

I’m working in a plant that’s about as middle-of-nowhere as you can possibly be in northern Italy. I’ve joined two of my colleagues, who have been working at the site for a week. They clock out for the day and go to the hotel, but I stay, alone, to complete the first part of the intervention. When I’m finally done, it’s raining in buckets, my period came unannounced, and I feel like crap.

Looking forward to a hot shower and dinner, I get to the hotel reception while still in my dirty overalls.

Me: “Good evening. I’m [My Name] from [Company]. There should be a single room booked in my name.”

Receptionist: “We have no rooms available.”

Me: “It’s okay. I have a reservation made in my name by [Company]…”

Receptionist: “Ma’am, there are no rooms available, at all, because there was a problem with the online booking site. I explained the same thing to your colleagues when they showed up last week.”

Me: “So where are my colleagues right now?”

Receptionist: “I helped them find accommodation to a different hotel, but even that is full right now. Frankly, I thought you and your company would solve the problem on your own.”

I start fuming.

Me: “No, because we were never informed of a problem, either by your hotel or my colleagues, and now I have nowhere to sleep through no fault of my own. I’m not familiar with the area and my phone has no reception. The sooner you find me a place within a reasonable distance, the sooner I’m out of your hair.”

She starts making phone calls. All the while, I’m standing in the reception, uncomfortable and cramping, because I don’t want to get their sofa dirty in any way. Finally…

Receptionist: “I’ve found a room. It’s a twenty-minute drive away but I have to tell you, it’s no place fit for a lady.”

Me: “Ma’am, this ‘lady’ spent the day rolling in dirt, expects to sleep rough in the back of a van, and fails to see how a motel can be any worse than that.”

The receptionist reluctantly gave me the address and I went. I soon found out why she’d say it was “no place fit for a lady.” It was an hourly motel!

It was, however, comfortable and clean, and despite the odd nocturnal noises, I stayed there for the rest of the gig. On the following day, I made sure to chew a new one to my colleagues, who did not see fit to alert me about the booking mishap or even inform the company that they were not staying where everyone thought they would, in an area where cell phone reception is iffy at best!

In 2018, as a high school graduation gift, I go on a solo trip to Spain and Portugal. During the Madrid leg of the trip, I have booked a room at a hotel for four days, with the plan to take a train on the fourth day to leave for Seville. On the evening of the second day, I have this interaction.

Receptionist: “Good evening. How was your last day here in Madrid?”

Me: “It was great, thank you… Wait, last day? I still have two more days.”

Receptionist: “Are you sure? You appear to have booked for two days only; you’ll have to leave tomorrow.”

Me: “Did I? I’m pretty sure I booked for four nights, not two.”

Receptionist: *Smugly* “Well, I surely didn’t mess up writing it down, so…”

Me: *Trying to keep calm* “Are you absolutely, 100% sure? Can’t you double-check?”

Receptionist: “I’m certain beyond doubt and I won’t check again. So, prepare to check out tomorrow.”

I’m worried and kind of scared. I can’t change my train’s reservation, and even if I could, there is no guarantee the hotel in Seville will have a room available, anyway. But, keeping my calm, I go to my room and pack up hurriedly. After a night of troubled sleep, I go on a hunt for a new place to stay for two nights, taking me the entire morning searching the Internet and making physical visits, leaving me almost one hundred euros poorer than anticipated. The same day, in the evening, I receive a call.

Receptionist: *Sheepish* “Hello? Are we talking to Mr. [My Name]?”

Me: “Yes, what is it now?”

Receptionist: “Turns out, you did book for four days… I mixed up the room numbers. My manager asked me if you’d like a refund for the inconvenience, or if you want your room back.” 

Me: *Barely suppressing my rage* “I’d like to have a refund; I’m certainly not going back after nearly spending 100€ for a new place to sleep in.”

I did get my refund eventually, though I definitely noted the receptionist’s behaviour in the review for the hotel.

I’m working at the front desk of a hotel.

Guest: “So, I’m getting a tattoo on Friday.”

I say something vaguely encouraging.

Guest: “Well, the thing is, we aren’t supposed to have guests in our room — company’s contract with the workers — so I was wondering if we could do it down here?”

Me: “What?! You want to do a tattoo down here?! No! No, you may not!”

Guest: “Are you sure?”

Me: “Yes, you may not get a tattoo in our lobby or your room. You need to go to a reputable shop!”

My manager just stared at me for a full thirty seconds before pretending to run her head into a wall when I told her. I made sure all the clerks and housekeeping were aware of it on the possible day of tattooing.

Related:
Tattootally Unacceptable Behavior, Part 2
Tattootally Unacceptable Behavior

I am working at the front desk of a mid-level hotel. We have a full house because of a Phish concert nearby. The rooms do have a mini-fridge and coffee setup but no microwave unless requested.

Guest: “Can I have a microwave delivered?”

Me: “Sure, I’ll send one up in a few moments.”

About an hour later, the guest calls again.

Guest: “The porter delivered the microwave but it doesn’t seem to be working.”

Me: “I’m sorry, I’ll send a new one up and ask that they test it when it arrives in the room.”

I never hear from the guest the rest of the night but the porter confirms that it did work. The next day, the guest calls down, irate.

Guest: “I’ve had five microwaves sent to my room and not one has worked! I’m not paying for my room because I couldn’t eat during my stay!”

Me: “I’m so sorry for your experience! I spoke with you last night and did send a new one but only one replacement. Did you have further issues last night? I left six hours after your last request and the porter confirmed that the microwave worked upon delivery.”

Guest: “Are you calling me a liar?! I wasted over an hour trying to find something to eat and went to bed hungry!”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that! Did you contact the front desk to fix the issue?”

Guest: “Of course, I did! They told me there was no other option; you made me starve all night!”

Me: “Were you made aware of the full-service restaurant in the hotel that has food available twenty-four hours a day or the snack market that is also open twenty-four hours a day?”

Guest: “Of course! I won’t pay those prices because it’s a total scam to pay $2 for a bag of chips!”

Me: “Would you mind if I came and checked the microwave in person so I can see if it’s an electrical issue or the microwave?”

The guest agreed and I went to the room. I found the average, plugged-in microwave to be in perfect working order. That’s when the guest turned bright red and admitted they thought the room safe located in the closed cabinet below the dresser was the microwave.

Shortly after, I got a call from housekeeping asking if they should keep the spoiled food that was locked in the safe.

The guest paid full price for the room. I did find out later that the night audit tried to bring a new microwave, offered to heat the food in a break room, and offered several choices of delivery restaurants or all-night restaurants, as well as the on-property options. The client declined.

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