Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation?

Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation? - Man Pouring Whiskey on His Glass

I recently stayed at a hotel in Munich for six days. For three of these days, I couldn't connect to the Internet (they had this problem with their system where you'd get disconnected about 30 seconds after you connected). The room also had a foul smell which, as it got stronger, I traced to the bathroom drain; I was moved out of my room into another room, which was smaller, plus I had to move myself. I'll also mention that I had asked them for cables to connect my laptop to the monitor and the room, and they didn't have those.

It's not a fancy hotel, but not a cheap hostel either. The nightly price was 91 EUR, including a very nice breakfast.

When I checked out, I complained about the first two problems - although perhaps not very assertively. What I was offered was a discount equivalent to the price of a soft drink I had taken from the mini-bar. Since I was in a hurry to catch a train, I did not argue - but I do feel I got short-changed and I should have demanded more; say, one of the days off.

My question is: Is there a customary rate or level of compensation in such cases? And if so, is it at the level of a mini-bar drink, a meal at the hotel restaurant, a free night's stay, or more?

I'll mention that the lack of Internet access was an issue for me, since I was attending a conference and need to access resources on-line before and after each day.



Best Answer

No, there is no customary rate but you may be expecting a bit much...

you'd get disconnected about 30 seconds after you connected

Did you confirm this with other attendees or guests? What did the ISP support line say?

The room also had a foul smell...I was moved out of my room into another room

This is the expected outcome.

which was smaller,

How much smaller? Room sizes do vary within the same category. Next time, ask if the smaller room has a lower rack rate. If so, you can use that to justify an adjustment.

I had to move myself.

This is perfectly normal.

I had asked them for cables to connect my laptop to the monitor and the room, and they didn't have those.

That is outside any reasonable expectation, however, if you ask to see the lost wire box, you may find what you need, along assorted chargers and what not.

As this point, it's over. They made an offer and you accepted it. Next time, don't wait until the end. If you are a member of their loyalty program, 100 EUR worth of points is about right.




Pictures about "Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation?"

Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation? - Man Wearing a Suit
Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation? - home
Hotel room was problematic - what's a typical compensation? - Black Mattress in Front of a Large Window Behind a Mountain



What do you do when a hotel gives you the wrong room?

When the Hotel Gives You a Bad Room. You're going to get stuck next to the ice machine or the elevator eventually. If you've scored the worst room in the hotel but it still qualifies as the room category you paid for, there's not much you can do except politely ask for a new room.

What is the best way to complain about a hotel?

Contact the person at the front desk. This person will serve as your initial point of contact for lodging a formal complaint or seeking some sort of rectification. You can do this during or after a hotel stay. Approach the front desk calmly and politely.

Does a hotel have to honor a reservation?

Legally speaking, you aren't entitled to much if a hotel fails to honor your reservation. Hotels can and do cancel \u201cconfirmed\u201d reservations whenever they want.

Can you get a refund on hotel room?

Hotels do offer refunds, but hotel refund policies are not the same everywhere. Before you decide to make a reservation, read the cancellation and refund policies of the hotel you want to stay at. If you decide to cancel your reservation for any reason, you might get a refund, but many hotels charge cancellation fees.



How to describe Common Hotel Problems - Hotel English




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: cottonbro, cottonbro, deno wang, freemockups.org