HOTELS

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We Americans Are A Picky Lot
June 18, 2007

I just returned from a gorgeous few days at the Club Med Opio en Provence, which just reopened following a US$40 million renovation. (Here’s a fun travelogue video from Johnny Jet, who was there with me. I’m the guy in the blue and brown striped shirt at the 4:09 mark).

The all-inclusive resort is making a concerted effort at drawing more Americans to the property, and as such, Club Med officials were eager to get some advice from the assembled American press on how to do that.

Thus, here are some of my thoughts on how to increase a hotel’s American business. Hopefully this comes across as constructive suggestion, as I intend for it to be, rather than classic American arrogance.

The Non-Negotiables
If your hotel does not have these, do not expect much beyond a trickle of American business:

• Secure door locks
• Bed
• Bathroom
• TV
• Phone

In other words, a functioning hotel room.

Crucial Amenities
Perfect these points and greatly improve your chances at repeat Yankee visits:

• Offer at least two American television channels. This is important, even at a resort property, where little time is spent in the room. It helps folks from the States’ TV-obsessed culture feel more comfortable. One of the channels should be from the ESPN family of networks, if possible. Consider a broadcast package like Otrum’s Fusion, which allows hotels to offer a package of channels from a traveler’s native country.
• Have an iron and ironing board in every room. This is standard in U.S. hotels, even on the budget end.
• Supply ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs, and actually obey them. When an American guest (me) hangs a Do Not Disturb sign outside the door, it does not mean housekeeping may enter without knocking. In fact, it means quite the opposite.
• Put a clock in the room. A bedside alarm is ideal, but anything displaying the time is a bare minimum.
• A phone is good, too. No, we will not use it for anything other than calling room service or the front desk. It’s still nice to know it’s there.
• A safe. This, I should hope, is self-explanatory.

Bonus Amenities
Americans will not hold it against your hotel if these requests are unfulfilled, but we will definitely take note if they are:

• Wifi is a good thing. Free wifi is a better thing (and earns your hotel major kudos at HotelChatter). Any wifi at all, however, is the important thing.
• Make available converters for U.S. electronics. This is especially important if your hotel charges for wifi. If guests cannot plug in their laptops, they are not going to spend €15 a day for Internet access.
• Supply the bathrooms with small washcloths. Just, please do.
• Equip rooms with flat-screen TVs. In about two years, this one will move up to the Crucial Amenities category, so if you are renovating, might as well upgrade the picture boxes.
• Offer free fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. OK, this is one is just a personal bonus. I do love a warm chocolate chip cookie, though, and it is part of the reason Midwest Airlines is my favorite carrier. I am still soliciting for a favorite hotel …

So, hoteliers, a few questions for you:

1. Doth we Americans protest too much?
2. Americans, have you anything to add or subtract from my list?
3. Those of other nationalities, what can hoteliers in general and American hoteliers in particular do to make their properties more attractive to travelers from your country?

Posted by Adam Kirby on June 18, 2007 | Comments (0)