How do you deal with unruly guests at a hotel?
A. Contact the front desk staff and have them handle it
B. Pound on the wall separating your room from the offender’s
C. Knock on the loud guest’s door and politely ask them to keep it down
D. Hail a “sleep warden” and have them kick out the belligerent guest
If you are vacationing at select hotels in the United Kingdom, answer “D” is an actual option.
“Sleep wardens” are all the rage at Travelodge properties in Europe. The specially trained staff members patrol the hotels’ halls making sure that nighttime noise levels are not out of control. If they are, then the wardens issue warnings and guests who continue to disturb the peace get booted from the property.
Hotel officials say the new addition of the “sleep wardens” is to insure that the sweet dreams of other guests are not jeopardized.
Now that’s my kind of hotel amenity.
What makes this particular feature even more interesting is that it was implemented by guest demand. Travelodge executives admit that their property is not a haven for high-end spa treatments or upscale, luxury suites; however, since the hotel deems itself a “retailer of sleep,” it went above and beyond to make sure the title was well earned.
“Our guests are traveling from A to B and they need a comfortable room so they can get a good night’s sleep,” Travelodge execs told local news reporters. So the company has done everything in its power to limit guests sleep deprivation, including rescheduling deliveries so that noisy trucks don’t arrive too early in the morning.
While hotels in the United States have yet to adopt the “sleep warden” amenity, some properties, such as Kimpton Hotels have other noise reducers in place. At Kimpton, guests are required to fill out a “party waiver” at check-in. “This identifies that we have the right to ask guests to stop any noise after 10 p.m.,” said Tom Waithe, director of operations for Kimpton Hotels in the Pacific Northwest. “If they don’t, we can ask them to leave. They’ll forfeit any deposits or room charges and we have the right to add charges for the room of any other guests who complain about the noise as well.”
If you are not staying at a Kimpton property or Travelodge in the UK, there are other ways you can get a good night’s rest while your neighbor is partying like it’s 1999: Use earplugs, sleep with noise reducing headphones, or take over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids. You could also request a room far away from elevators, ice machines or restaurant/bars.
What do you do to deal with noisy hotel guests?
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