What Can I Do to Avoid a Noisy Hotel Room?
Noise, particularly noise from other guests, is the most common complaint of hotel guests. As we prepare for the Spring Break travel season, we asked guest blogger Scott to share his tips for booking a quiet hotel room when he travels. Here’s some of what he said.
Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, noisy hotel rooms can ruin my nights. I do what I can both when I make my reservation and at check-in to avoid a noisy room. Here are some of my suggestions:
1. Read the Comments
Read the comments on travel websites to avoid hotels situated on major thoroughfares or located on streets with bustling nightlife—unless that’s your objective. If you can find a diagram of the hotel online, particularly if it’s a resort, check out the accommodations offered so you know what to ask for.
2. Go High
When you make your reservation, ask to be placed on a higher floor in the hope of reducing the traffic noise. This is particularly true in busy downtown areas where I want to be as far away from the street sounds of police sirens at night and garbage trucks in the morning. The high floors are also typically where the loyalty clubs are located.
3. Avoid the Elevators
To avoid hotel noise coming from inside the building, I inquire about quiet floors or rooms located away from the elevators. I’ve been in the room near the elevator listening all night to its ding and its doors opening and closing. I don’t recommend it. Guests in these rooms are also subjected to the conversations of those waiting for the elevators, as well as those coming off the elevators—who might be carrying the party to their rooms.
4. Televisions
I ask whether the televisions are located on shared walls. This falls into the category of lessons learned the hard way after a stay in a room that shared a wall with an early riser who turned on the television at full volume very early in the morning. I recommend speaking to the front desk over banging on the shared wall.
5. Say No to Squash Courts
Another lesson learned the hard way: I always confirm my room is not located over a squash court. You can probably extend that prohibition to rooms located over courts of any kind, as well as to rooms located near fitness centers where other guests might be headed early in the morning.
While you're at it, ask if your room is over anything other than another guestroom. Listening to a band playing late into the night in the ballroom beneath you can be frustrating. Although a room overlooking a courtyard might be beautiful, you might want to ask whether a party in the courtyard has been booked during your stay.
What If I Find Myself in a Noisy Hotel Room?
You can certainly try earplugs or playing white noise on your iPhone. If those options fail, it’s time to complain. I know many people will suggest knocking on the noisy neighbor’s door and asking them to be quiet; however, even with the best intentions, that plan can go terribly wrong. Instead, I recommend complaining to the hotel’s management.
Contact the front desk to address the situation or to relocate you to another, quieter, room. If your first complaint fails to bring a resolution in the form of noise reduction or relocation, complain again. Hotels should have noise complaint policies—you’re not going to be the first guest to complain. They would also prefer to resolve your noise complaint than to have you leave a negative review. On that note, in the event the hotel takes no steps to address your complaints, you should leave a review sharing your experience.
As I’ll discuss in next week’s article, if you’re a member of a loyalty program or you’ve established a relationship with someone at the hotel, you’re more likely to get assistance with requests for quiet rooms. You’ll also have a leg up should you need help with disruptions or noisy neighbors after check-in.
Whether you’re traveling for work or play, make the most out of every trip you take.
-Guest Blogger Scott
Read more:
5 Tips for Tipping Your Hotel Housekeeper
Best Tips to Avoid Air Travel Challenges Over the Holidays
A Traveler’s Take on Paris: The 10 Places and Experiences You Shouldn’t Miss
