Customers should be treated like kings and queens. They should be pampered, treated to large doses of good humor, and given a creative quality of life upgrades that make all the difference. This is the philosophy some of the nicest hotels have. And it's obvious how much they try to have the best customer services.
Some hotels go the extra mile to make their customers' stay that much more pleasant. From bed forts and 'spouse disposal units' to hilarious menus and tiny takeaway bags for tiny soap, these are the creative ideas that make you want to visit again and again. Bored Panda created this awesome list of clever ideas and unique touches that some of the best hotels have introduced. These will bring a smile to your face, give you a hearty chuckle, and make you go 'wow, how didn't I think of that?' So keep on scrolling, share the best hotel designs and ideas with your friends, and upvote the best pictures! My personal favorite is the bed fort (I know what I'm building at home tonight) — what about yours? Be sure to scroll down and read our interview with Dr. Gabor Forgacs from Ryerson University about the hotel industry and hoteliers.
When you're done with this list, take a look at Bored Panda's posts about other times hotels surprised everyone with awesome customer service, the coolest hotels in the world, and the worst hotel fails from people's trips!
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A Buddy Of Mine Travels A Lot For Work, Asked For A Fort...
My Hotel Wants You To Take The Nice Soap Home!
My Hotel In China Has A Card To Give To A Taxi Driver So You Can Find Your Way Back
It's not so much a problem when you're in your own country, but in a country where you don't speak their official language, it's really useful and can mean the difference between getting to your hotel at midnight and getting there with no problem. Kudos to this hotel!
Yes! I had a very frustrating experience as a tourist abroad, when trying to get help and getting ignored because i couldn't pronounce well the place...
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Best idea yet! So simple yet so important. Especially when there are multiple hotels from the same brand.
Every hotel DOES have this. Just pick up their business card, which every hotel has at reception. Taxi drivers don’t need the map bit. And if you lose it, google the hotel on trip advisor - they always have a button that says “address in the local language”. Show that to the driver and you’re good to go.
Do not most hotels have this ? Maybe they will not hand it over saying "its for the taxi" but I believe (at least here in Europe) there is always a box of such cards at the reception desk.
You don't have to point it out in Countries when you look differently than the locals
Load More Replies... All I know is the hotel matches and lighters can also be used like this.
Hey, we made this for our tourist guide years ago. It was laminated card with address, name and phone of contact local person, nearby stations of public transport and so. And it was laminated, so you can fill it with sharpie no matter where are you staying.
OMG YES!!! I once went to Mexico with the Travel & Tourism dept from my college. Everyone in the group was brought at least once to the Hotel Belmar (a more popular tourist option) while we were staying at the Valmar (the T&T students found a good deal in a nice, but not ritzy area)...which of course was on the totally opposite side of town. This would have been perfect!
When my husband and I were in Turkey we foolishly took the subway somewhere. This would have been so helpful for finding our way back.
Now isn't this thoughtful! I can't even remember where I came from in English!
lol. i've had a weekend beer/slopitch tournament where i could have used one of these. 1 mistaken street name which happens by chance to have another hotel of the same company cost my a $90 taxi ride.
I think almost all in China have one. Some you need to ask front desk for it, some have it hand out to you with key card.
I tried this but it didn’t work. A passerby helped me out and explained that the taxi driver couldn’t read...
It’s.common in China because taxi drivers can’t speak or understand English
It might say "i'm foreigner, i do not know the country, take me to dismember me" who knows? LOL
This is basic advice whenever you go to a country where you don't speak the language. ALWAYS get a few business cards from your hotel to give to cab drivers. It's a no-brainer to the point where I don't even get how people don't know this.
Every hotel that received foreigner in China have their map on the business card.
Whether that works or not will base on the illiterate rate in China, which is not as low as reported.
Courtesy of Hospitality School, here are several 'Golden Rules' that each and every hotelier worth their salt should follow. That is, if they want to be proud of what they do, want their business to boom, and their guests to grace their doorstep once again.
Looking like a professional goes a long way in the hospitality business. That means dressing nicely, taking care of your hygiene and smiling brightly. It's also vital that the way you talk to your customers be sincere — they can spot it if you're being fake in an instant. What's more, keeping your guests' private life private is of utmost importance, as is helping them with everything and anything they might need. Finally, never, ever ignore complaints. Not even small ones.
This Hotel Actually Makes It Easy To Connect Your Laptop To The TV
This Bag Of Old/Stained Face Towels Have Been Re-Used As “Rags” At This Hotel
Hotel Staff Found Fifty Shades Of Grey Book On Guest's Side Table...
However, the rules of hospitality are slowly changing over time, as Marcel Thoma, the General Manager of The Upper House hotel in Hong Kong told Euronews: “Twenty years ago, there were scripts and standards. And it was the same every day. These days, we expect the wait staff to be psychiatrists. Now, some guests want to be left alone; maybe you don’t refill their coffee because they’re in a meeting and concentrating hard. We like to see ourselves as hosts, not service providers. For that, you must give your staff the freedom to be spontaneous.”
The Toiletries At My Hotel In Switzerland Included A Rubber Ducky
Weather Station At A Hotel
More Hotels Should Do This
THIS. The hotel I stayed at last time had check-in at 4.00PM (late!!!) and check-out at 10.00AM (early!!!). It sucked!
Thoma also explained how staff members can help in unexpected ways. “For example, we once had a guest come downstairs and say, I want to go hiking but I’m alone and don’t know how to go hiking in Hong Kong. We had a staff who loves hiking and said, ‘Madame, I know a beautiful trail. Why don’t we go hiking together tomorrow, if you’d like me to come along with you?’ So, they went hiking together. In a traditional hotel, they would say, ‘We’re not paying you to go hiking! You’re paid to check in and check out guests.’”
This Hostel In Germany Is An Indoor Vintage Rv Park
Hotel Maid Clearly Found My Sunglasses
The Design Of The Curtains In My Hotel Room To Ensure That There Is No Annoying Light Gap In The Middle
The Hotel I Am Staying At Has The Fire Evacuation Plans At Ground Level So You Can See Them If Smoke Has Filled The Hallways
Instead Of Bibles, My Hotel Has Copies Of 1984
1984 is the most lied about book in history, as in people lie about having actually read it. :D
The Hotel My Parents Are Staying At In NC To Watch The Eclipse Stocked All Of The Rooms With These
According to Dr. Forgacs, the main reason why a guest would return to a hotel would be if they had good memories of the place.
“Not necessarily a gold plated door knob or the extra skirt hangers in the closet; best memories are created through interaction with people. If service excellence exceeds expectations, guests always remember that.”
Saw This In The Hotel Grounds Where I Was Working
Hotel I Stayed At Was Formerly A Train Station And Had An Actual Train Inside It, With Rooms Inside Each Car
This Is What Happens If You Tip Egyptian Hotel Service Generously
What’s more, the professor had some insightful advice for those hoteliers that are having trouble keeping their business afloat.
“Languishing hotels need to take an honest look at themselves to understand the reasons why they can't create special memories,” he explained. “Service culture is not built overnight; the way you hire, you train and conduct yourself is crucial. Mistakes are made all the time; how you recover and show genuine care would make a difference.”
This Kids Menu At The Hotel I’m Staying At
My Hotel Has The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Next To The Bed Instead Of A Bible
Please send one to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington D.C., USA please
The Hotel I Stayed At Uses Lemon Grass Instead Of A Plastic Straw
Tahani, no idea why you are being downvoted for a genuine question. Odd. I'll probably get downvoted too now, lol.
“Following up is a secret weapon. Comping, offering a discount or an upgrade for a mishap is what a typical hotel would do. The better ones will always follow up with the guest and on top of a remedy, tell their plan how the mistake will be prevented from happening again,” Dr. Forgacs revealed the secrets behind getting hotels back on track.
When you're done with this list, take a look at Bored Panda's posts about other times hotels surprised everyone with their creativity, the coolest hotels in the world, and the worst hotel fails from people's trips!
This Hotel Lets You Borrow A Plant To Take To Your Room So You Have A Friend To Talk To
My Hotel In Odessa (Ukraine) Tells You Which Day It Is By Changing The Elevator Carpet Every Day
This Hotel In Singapore Is Very Green
I Didn't Think This Sort Of Thing Really Happens
I asked the hotel to hide a picture of Robert Downey Jr in my room. I forgot all about it and when I went to take a hot bath to wash off a shitty day, I caught sight of this.
A Black Towel In My Hotel Room For Make-Up So The White Ones Don’t Get Stained
In The Europa Park Hotel In Germany There Is A Tiny Children Bathroom In The Bathroom
I Left My Jacket At A Hotel And They Mailed It To Me With A Complementary Pillow
My Hotel In Switzerland Has Different Plug Sockets For Guests From Different Parts Of The World
they do this in Dubai as well. some will also let your know which ones are 110 W or 220W
These Do Not Disturb Options At My Hotel
This Hotel In Central London Keeps Beehives On Their Roof!
This Hotel Shampoo Assumes Your Theft
Honorary Manager Of Crescent Hotel In Eureka Springs Is Cat, And This Is His Door
My Hotel Room Comes With A Complimentary Android Phone With Free Data And Calls
The Toilet In My Hotel In Filled With Seawater
Nice! Stops the wasting of perfectly drinkable water on flushing waste.
Bookshelf Whose Shelves Spell "Take A Book Leave A Book", Seen At A Hotel
Sometimes The Hotel Holding Your Wedding Also Has A Llama Convention Booked
The Staff At Our Hotel Made A Cool Crocodile Out Of Our Towels
The Hostel I’m At Dispenses Soap Like Parmesan
As A Guy Who Takes His Family To A Hotel Every Winter While I Work On My Writing, I Approve This Bathroom
Hotel Maid Left A Towel Monkey
My Hotel Room Had A White Noise Machine Installed In The Wall
The Hotel I'm Staying At Has A "Lending Locker"
This Hotel's Carpet And Lighting Combo Produce A Really Trippy Effect
I would leave, I've seen enough horror movies to know this isn't good.
When The Hotel Staff Has Your Back
Spotted This In The Breakfast Room At My Hotel This Morning
The Shower In My Hotel Has A Little Cutout So You Can Turn It On Before Getting In
A Hotel’s Reminder On How To Climb Stairs
This Hotel Is An Old Prison
This Historic Sign In My Hotel Explains How To Use Electricity In Case You Had Never Used It Before
Off topic, but apparently when electric lights were first introduced a lot of people got hurt by trying to light them with matches.
Note: this post originally had 138 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
What is with all the grumpy pandas today? The special requests are hilarious. American hotels LOVE going above and beyond and standing out. PLUS it ensures they’ll be tweeted about or instagrammed. It’s a great idea ❤️
Free positive marketing is always good. Few posts tell us which hotels fulfilled these requests.
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As a hostel manager(not quite Hotel, but we have 40 private rooms too), the strange requests are what make our job fun. Once a guy requested a Dragon, so I drew him Toothless. He said he asks for this everywhere, but we are the first to deliver. He was happy, we are happy and it made everybody's day. However, requests which are obvious that are in the offer already, OR definitely are out of our(as a hostel and not 5* hotel) offer, are what do not really make us happy, mostly when people figure they are entitled. We are human beings as well and love our jobs, like to work with people, and we sometimes like to have a good laugh too. For eg. Once we had 2 guests under the name of MARGHERITA and we put them in the same room with another 2 named FORMAGGI, just for fun. (what were the odds..?) It was way too funny and was worth it, and we didn't harm anyone. Be assured, none of our days are boring with 200 people inhouse 😉
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Bored Panda this post made me smile! There are worse things in this world than people making strange but funny requests. I loved that these hotels think outside of the box and come up with some very humorous and ingenious ways to make their customers stays more enjoyable.
I believe the Gideons provided millions of Gideons Bibles to hotels. I assume to promote their religion. Haven't seen one in years now. I think the motel/hotel owners have realised it's no longer appropriate to promote one ideology over another.
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If I ever decide to build and run my own hotel, I am totally stealing some of these ideas. These places are so clever!
I work in a pub/b & b. I'm going to try and steal some of these ideas. They're fantastic
Imran Hussain had a scandalous history in VAT fraud, and currently resides with high standard life in Clifton Karachi, the executive area of Pakistan, along with his family. He is the sibling of four sisters and he has two daughters. He was the person who allegedly was involved in 300 million pounds. Imran Hussain VAT
What is with all the grumpy pandas today? The special requests are hilarious. American hotels LOVE going above and beyond and standing out. PLUS it ensures they’ll be tweeted about or instagrammed. It’s a great idea ❤️
Free positive marketing is always good. Few posts tell us which hotels fulfilled these requests.
Load More Replies... As a hostel manager(not quite Hotel, but we have 40 private rooms too), the strange requests are what make our job fun. Once a guy requested a Dragon, so I drew him Toothless. He said he asks for this everywhere, but we are the first to deliver. He was happy, we are happy and it made everybody's day. However, requests which are obvious that are in the offer already, OR definitely are out of our(as a hostel and not 5* hotel) offer, are what do not really make us happy, mostly when people figure they are entitled. We are human beings as well and love our jobs, like to work with people, and we sometimes like to have a good laugh too. For eg. Once we had 2 guests under the name of MARGHERITA and we put them in the same room with another 2 named FORMAGGI, just for fun. (what were the odds..?) It was way too funny and was worth it, and we didn't harm anyone. Be assured, none of our days are boring with 200 people inhouse 😉
Load More Replies... Bored Panda this post made me smile! There are worse things in this world than people making strange but funny requests. I loved that these hotels think outside of the box and come up with some very humorous and ingenious ways to make their customers stays more enjoyable.
I believe the Gideons provided millions of Gideons Bibles to hotels. I assume to promote their religion. Haven't seen one in years now. I think the motel/hotel owners have realised it's no longer appropriate to promote one ideology over another.
Load More Replies... If I ever decide to build and run my own hotel, I am totally stealing some of these ideas. These places are so clever!
I work in a pub/b & b. I'm going to try and steal some of these ideas. They're fantastic
Imran Hussain had a scandalous history in VAT fraud, and currently resides with high standard life in Clifton Karachi, the executive area of Pakistan, along with his family. He is the sibling of four sisters and he has two daughters. He was the person who allegedly was involved in 300 million pounds. Imran Hussain VAT
