I don’t spend a whole hell of a lot of time in hotels.  I usually get about 15-20 days a year in hotel rooms — about half of that is for business where I usually stay at a Marriott, Starwood or now a Hilton property.  The other nights I’m staying at boutique hotels on vacation when I can’t use points for a free room.  I’ve found that no matter what hotel chain there are the same problems every where.

• Too few outlets – especially near the bed or the desk.  Hotels know we each travel with at least a half dozen items that need a power outlet, why not keep a power strip at each desk.  I know many people now travel with a power strip, but that gets a bit annoying for me.  Why do so many hotels use up all the outlets near the bed for lamps and alarm clocks? I love to keep my phone near my bed.  The Hilton Toronto didn’t have any outlets near the bed, so I had to plug my phone in clear across the suite – what a pain in the neck.
• Low shower heads – I know not everyone is 6′ or taller, but how many people really want a shower head that is just 5.5′ from the base of the tub?  I hate when I am trying to wash my hair and I have to crouch down just to rinse.  The water pressure and temperature might be perfect but if it blasts you square in the middle of your chest, how helpful is it?  Move the shower head up when you are remodeling.
• TV Volume – When traveling I will often turn on the TV just for some additional noise in the room (and if I’m in a quiet area, I’ll turn the TV on while I’m trying to sleep — I’m definitely use to sleeping in a noisy area when at home).  I don’t necessarily mind the hotel TVs reset to the hotel info channel — as long as they have a channel listing near the bed — but I do hate when the hotel resets the TV volume to a level that is near deafening.  What a great way to wake up in the morning — with a TV screaming about the hotel’s spa.
• Lack of washcloths – Now I know not everyone uses a washcloth, but I do when I shave.  I really hate to bring a washcloth with me because it’s never fully dry before I leave and it’s just inconvenient.  How hard is it just to add two washcloths to the set of linens in the room.
• Extra Blankets – From time to time I need an extra blanket in the room.  I got a bit of the flu while traveling a few weeks ago and I was absolutely frozen.  I cranked the heat up in the room to nearly 30C and was still chilled to the bone.  I searched and couldn’t find an extra blanket. I called the front desk asking for an additional blanket  — which they said was on it’s way, but never showed up. I called back twice more and still nothing. Very frustrating.