Travelers have spoken: Their biggest pet peeves are expensive or slow Internet, lack of accessible electrical outlets and room cleanliness, in that order.
At least, that's according to the 2015 Hotel Pet Peeves Survey, conducted by Frequent Business Traveler magazine, in partnership with FlyerTalk (the world's largest online travel community) and ExpertFlyer.com (a real-time air travel information service).
The study, which began in 2011, surveyed nearly 2,000 readers and frequent travelers around the world, asking them to rank their pet peeves while on the road.
Not surprisingly, "Expensive and/or Slow Internet" and "Hard to Reach or Insufficient Outlets" ranked first and second, respectively, for the fourth year in a row.
"Poor Room Cleanliness" - a new addition to the survey this year - and "Cigarette Smoke Odor" ranked third and fourth, respectively.
"Climate Control Not Easily Adjustable" and "Noise of Any Kind" ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, and have ranked in the top six for the past five years.
The rest of the top 10 included (in order): "Insufficient Water Pressure or Temperature," "Unexpected Fees (including resort fees)," "Uncomfortable Pillows," and "Insufficient or Poor Lighting."
The demand for high-quality and cheap Wi-Fi is no surprise. Look at nearly every survey about guests' desires recently and you'll see Wi-Fi as a focal point, if not the focal point. In turn, the hotel industry has in large part amped its focus on technology. And, frankly, a hotel that doesn't focus on providing high-quality and cheap (if not free) Wi-Fi these days is ignoring not only its guests, but also the entire world.
But there is another lesson that may come from this survey.
That is, you see a lot of hotels that make a big deal about redesigning their lobbies or facilities, but, when it comes down to it, that generally costs a lot of money, and it's a lot of money that could be spent on higher-priority items.
"Our readers aren't asking for gold-plated faucets and butler service," said Jonathan Spira, Frequent Business Traveler's editorial director, via a release. "They only want a quiet, clean room in which they can work and sleep."
That may be putting it quite simply, and it's easier said than done when advanced technology is involved, but the fact remains: For guests, high-quality Wi-Fi and the access to multiple outlets for electronic devices aren't looked at as pleasant surprises, anymore - they are fundamental features a hotel must have.
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