The most overrated (and underrated) things about staying in a hotel

The best hotels can make us feel like it’s a home away from home (without the housework). But there are plenty of things that can also irk guests, from hidden fees to soulless bars. Here is our list of the most underrated and overrated things about staying in hotels.

OVERRATED

Airport hotels

Hotels attached to airport terminals can be terrifically convenient after a long flight or for an overnight stopover. What’s not convenient is waiting and waiting for a free shuttle to take you to an “airport-area” hotel, which can be a two-minute or 20-minute drive away. In many instances, you could reach city hotels by public transport in less time than it takes to wait for the airport hotel shuttle bus.

Hotel gyms

Chances are your hotel gym won’t open until 8am, or if it does, it’ll have one treadmill and one weight station. If you luck it and get a decent one, you’ll spend most of your allotted time figuring out how each weight station works next to the guy who’s turned the finance channel up until the room reverberates.

Airbnb
It began brilliantly, as an economical way to take a short stay in a local’s spare bedroom, gaining valuable insights into the neighbourhood way of life. But then it became overpriced big business, with property owners booting out regular renters for the higher returns they could earn from tourists, and turning desirable locations into ghostly shadows of their previously buzzy selves.

Hotel porters
Unless you’re Paris Hilton and travelling with 30 pieces of luggage, do you really want to hand over your suitcase to a random person at check-in and then sit in your room for 15 minutes (or longer) waiting for it to be delivered so you can finally have a shower? And don’t get us started on having to pay a tip for the privilege.

Welcome drinks
Look, it’s a nice thought. But wouldn’t you rather get straight to your room, strip off travel clothes, shower, pop on some shorts and swim up to a bar to choose your own poison, rather, than be delayed at reception to sip on a sugary, garish concoction you feel obliged to swill?

In-room control tablets
In theory, these hi-tech bedside units allow you to control the lights, air-conditioning, curtains, TV and all manner of other things in your room at the touch of a finger. In reality, they’re often fiendishly unintuitive, temperamental and the very last thing you want to be battling at 3am when you’re trying to switch the lights on.

In-room coffee machines
Hands-up who’s ever had a really good cup of coffee from one of those pod machines in a hotel room? The coffee from the entry-level devices isn’t much better than instant, and the fancy ones require a Cert IV in barista skills. Not only will the coffee be better from a neighbourhood cafe, but you’ll also get to enjoy the local vibe and pick up some handy recommendations from the staff.

Tripadvisor ratings
A snotty-nosed kid on their first trip away from home? An influencer concerned with only how they looked against the backdrop? A MAGA supporter from Florida annoyed that things aren’t exactly as they are at home? Reviews are an important part of planning travel but there’s nothing to beat the verdict of a well-travelled, educated professional.

Resort fees
Many US hotels, especially in Hawaii and Las Vegas, add daily supplementary charges of up to $US50 a day, payable at the property. The mandatory charges aren’t included in the initial booking cost, coming as an expensive surprise to many Australians. Adding insult to injury, resort fees cover amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool towels and use of the gym – things most of us expect to be covered by the room rate.

Hotel suites as opposed to hotel rooms
At the end of the day, even the fanciest hotel is a means to an end – a convenient place to sleep while you explore the surrounding area. So why waste your money on a separate lounge that you’re never going to use? Spend that cash on a truly memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience in your destination instead.

Ice hotels

There’s an understandable novelty value about staying in a hotel room carved out of ice, but the reality is that it’s freezing (obviously), so you have to spend the entire experience smothered in 17 layers of clothing, with trips to the bathroom involving a trudge to a separate building. It’s eye-wateringly expensive, and you probably won’t get much sleep (did we mention it’s freezing?).

Hotel bars
Fortunately, these days there are some significant exceptions; however, for the most part, hotel bars are still soulless and dull. They’re the place you go when there are absolutely no other options, or you’re so jet-lagged that you can’t be bothered dragging yourself out the door. Just don’t expect the experience to be an exciting one.

UNDERRATED

Single room rates

Solo travel in a world designed for couples can be expensive, especially the cost of accommodation. Hotels in some countries – notably Japan and many EU nations – offer the money-saving option of booking a double room for single occupancy. The solo traveller pays less for the room than a couple would, but don’t expect more than one pillow and one towel.

Mid-range hotels v Airbnb
There are now so many funky new hotels, as well as the established ones, that cater for every budget and taste. With accommodation on the short-term platforms so expensive, often hotels can be the cheaper, as well as the smarter and more secure, choice.

Youth hostels for families
Bring your family to a youth hostel? Stay with your kids in a party venue? Hostels actually make a lot of sense for families: these are traditionally budget-friendly accommodation options, where groups can share dorm rooms or splash out on private facilities together, plus they have shared kitchens, lounge areas, and the sort of relaxed, social atmosphere that is ideal for easy-going families. See yha.com.au

Hotel restaurants

Once you couldn’t have paid most discerning guests to dine in their hotel (with a few notable exceptions). Now some of the world’s best dining can be found in the lobby, or directly off it. In Australia, the likes of Peppina at the Tasman in Hobart leads the way, but this Italian eatery is hardly alone in offering high-end dining, with character and local flair, at your hotel. See marriott.com

The hotel concierge
A woefully underutilised resource, these in-the-know individuals have their finger on the pulse of everything that is new and exciting in their destination. Not only can they often score tickets to sold-out events and secure reservations at the hottest restaurants, but they’re also privy to a constant stream of feedback and recommendations from other guests.

Business hotels
When it comes to hotels, the bold and the beautiful get all the attention. But the bland (perhaps) and businesslike (certainly) deserve our consideration, especially for city stays. The business hotel is usually conveniently located and kitted out with functionality, which is given priority over frou-frou. They are comfortable and quiet and the F&B will likely be skewed towards a good, honest feed rather than bursting with culinary flair.

Hotel executive lounges
When you’ve been travelling all day and don’t feel like pounding unfamiliar streets in search of dinner, nothing beats a good hotel executive lounge. Some hotels have lounges that are a cut above such as Argentina’s Hilton Buenos Aires, which offers an excellent breakfast (including dulce de leche, the national obsession), happy-hour drinks with sunset views over the city and an evening spread substantial enough to call dinner. See hilton.com

All-inclusive resort stays and experiences
With flight and travel expenses hitting record highs, travellers are more cautious about where their holiday dollar is going. Enter the all-inclusive trend. Now more hotels and resorts are offering all-inclusive stays so that guests can dine wherever they want, drink from the mini bar and enjoy other included amenities and services, all the while knowing what your bill will be at the end of a stay. No hidden costs, no surprises at check-out.

24-hour hotel check-in/check-out
Why don’t more hotels provide guests with the convenience of a 24-hour check-in/check-out cycle? If you arrive at 11pm, surely it seems fair to have use of the hotel room until 11pm the next day? At Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai, guests have the flexibility to arrive and check in whenever it suits them. See jumeirah.com 

CONTRIBUTORS

Kate Armstrong, Michael Gebicki, Ben Groundwater, Julietta Jameson, Brian Johnston, Kristie Kellahan, Katrina Lobley, Catherine Marshall, Rob McFarland, Tim Richards, Craig Tansley, Penny Watson and Sue Williams