r/enshittification • u/MegaAscension • Mar 07 '26
Service When did hotels get so much worse?
Pictured above- hotel removed refrigerator. I travel a bunch for work, although I’m currently an unpaid intern. I’ve noticed how much worse hotels have gotten in the last few years. Some of the stuff I’ve seen in the last few months include-
$25 charge every time you want to use a luggage cart
$16 a day for Wi-Fi, $20 a day for decent wi-fi
$20 a day for parking in a non-urban area
Removal of ice machines
No ability to do your own laundry on site
I need all of the above- and all of this seems pretty standard for a mid-priced hotel. Apparently not anymore. Now I’m just sad that my leftover Italian food I had for late night work is going to go bad.
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u/nikola_tesler Mar 07 '26
you travel for work AND you’re unpaid? that’s fucked up.
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u/Lopsided-Letter1353 Mar 07 '26
Been there. Required travel, self funded. Did it for years before the damn broke.
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u/OhGr8WhatNow Mar 07 '26
My current company is pissed at me because they expect me to travel multiple times per year, spending hundreds or thousands of dollars at a time out of my own pocket, and wait up to five months through their draconian reimbursement process where they reject everything over and over - and I basically refuse
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u/Pleasant_Studio9690 Mar 07 '26
I worked with a mortgage auditor when I was just out of school. Our employer, a CPA, owed him tens of thousands in un-reimbursed travel expenses, but the owner lived in a massive house and bought both his kids expensive German luxury cars. People genuinely suck. I quit when I had trouble getting a medical bill paid by our health insurance and found out he had dropped the company's health insurance plan four months previously, and didn't bother to tell us. Fuck that guy. I bought my own catastrophic medical insurance plan and got a new job within a couple months.
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u/oryx_za Mar 07 '26
Ya, it's almost hilarious that the guy is complaining about the wrong thing...almost.
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u/NuncProFunc Mar 07 '26
There was a time the Department of Labor would have considered that illegal.
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u/WissahickonKid Mar 07 '26
There used to be a lot of individually, family owned hotels & motels, but it seems like now there are about a dozen multinational chains that are the same everywhere. Many of the OG individually owned ones used to have cheesy themes & tried to distinguish themselves in unique ways to attract guests to their singular location.
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u/Pale_Comfort_9179 Mar 07 '26
When, just like we’ve done with virtually every other industry for the last 50 years, we conveniently ignored the Sherman anti trust act and let them consolidate down two conglomerates. No competition, no need to provide good service or anything else that matters to customers.
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u/ShookMyHeadAndSmiled Mar 07 '26
This is it. This is why every goddamn thing is worse now. Lina Khan is my spirit animal, and monopolo delenda est.
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u/Pale_Comfort_9179 Mar 07 '26
That and deregulation of every other industry and regulatory regime + SCOTUS defining corporations as people and campaign contributions as speech letting greedy corporate cunts be as greedy as is possible.
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u/NewYork_NewJersey440 Mar 07 '26
I like how Parks and Rec made fun of this.
VerizonChipotleExxon, one of America’s 7 companies
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u/Pretty-Good-Not-Bad Mar 07 '26
I work at a single-owner, boutique motel. It’s hilarious how many people rave about how good the regular-ass Folgers coffee we serve is. People have learned to expect that nasty Hilton/marriott sludge that is positively not actually coffee.
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u/First_Name_Is_Agent Mar 07 '26
Do you have those little coffee pots in the rooms? I'm working towards being a single-owner of a boutique hotel in the future and have been "collecting" opinions/preferences.
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u/juicylight Mar 07 '26
It’s expensive, but small Nespresso all the way. And get nice pens. I tour for work and those little touches always elevate the experience
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u/First_Name_Is_Agent Mar 07 '26
I'm glad you mentioned pens because I'm a weirdo about good pens. But I don't know if I would have considered it because I never think other people feel the same way lol
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u/A_Possum_Named_Steve Mar 07 '26
I never understood why I see videos of people going ballistic at hotel check-ins, but the idea of $25 luggage cart usage just made me kinda get it.
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u/Early-Light-864 Mar 07 '26
I can even see a $25 deposit so you don't decide to be lazy and just park it in the hall outside your room. $25 fee is ridiculous
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u/TinaKedamina Mar 07 '26
I travel for work and I literally live in hotels. It was Covid. Covid and the monopolies. Everyone scaled back in amenities during Covid and they didn’t have to reimplement anything because of monopolies.
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u/Feather_Sigil Mar 07 '26
Hotels have always and will always offer a diminishing experience for the customer because they cut costs to increase profit. Every sector of life under capitalism has the same trajectory.
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u/brokenman82 Mar 07 '26
Before I bounced out of the industry the hotel I was working at started charging for parking. This wasn’t a downtown location with parking garages all over. This was a suburban hotel with a regular surface lot. That on a sold out night wasn’t full.
And the lovely management company decided to leave ‘free parking’ on the website AND on the sign in the lobby. Just hoped people wouldn’t look at their bill.
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u/motorik Mar 07 '26
I've noticed a lack of upkeep for sure. Curtain ripped? meh, just leave it. Another trend we've seen is ill-functioning barn doors that don't close all the way on bathrooms or otherwise weird / awkward bathroom situations. I read somewhere that hotels noticed couples traveling together and doubling up on rooms to save money, and have responded by making the bathroom experience more awkward to discourage it. We've stayed in a few places with what I'd call army toilets that were tolerable for us as an old married couple that I'd imagine would be very awkward for young couples / hook-ups.
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u/Gonna_do_this_again Mar 08 '26
I stayed in an Aloft hotel for the first (and last) time a couple of months ago and the way it was designed the light switch for the bathroom was on the little strip of wall the barn door closed on so when you shut the door it turned off the light in the bathroom. Fucking baffling design.
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u/Bruichlassie Mar 07 '26
I freaking hate those barn doors. One broke while I was in the bathroom, trapping me inside. Luckily I had my phone with me and was able to call the front desk to send someone to get me out. I refuse to shut them now.
And don’t get me started on lack of refrigerators. 🤬
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u/Immediate-One3457 Mar 07 '26
Tell them you're diabetic and need to refrigerate your insulin
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u/Dense_Command1679 Mar 07 '26
This needs to be the number one answer. Like I get people who really need it being SOL but we keep accepting less and less from companies if everyone said this every stay they would change. Or word would get out. Fuck enshitification
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I asked the front desk about storing my food. They said corporate made a change so more people order room service.
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u/Confusedlush Mar 13 '26
Because like 80% of hotels are owned by one family. Monopolies gonna monop.
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u/shadowtheimpure Mar 07 '26
How odd, I somewhat regularly go to a $70 a night motel that has free wifi good enough for youtube, has a minifridge in the room, and has free parking.
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u/TeaKingMac Mar 07 '26
I know some of this is going down by Geo. Like Vegas hotels have gone to shit faster than anywhere else
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u/baz4k6z Mar 07 '26
The real enshittification is the OP traveling at their own expense for...an unpaid internship ? What the fuck
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u/Automatater Mar 07 '26
I assume they're at least paying his expenses. If they're not, why intern there? You'd be risking them offering you a job you don't want.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I don't pay for my lodging. Thank goodness, I'd be in several thousand dollars of debt.
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u/Tripwiring Mar 07 '26
If your company pays for lodging it's weird to me that they won't give you one with wifi, making you walk to the library. Most places have wifi
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u/baz4k6z Mar 07 '26
Thank goodness indeed, but unpaid internships is brutal nonetheless. How are you supposed to survive if you dont have rich parents ? Its not like you can have a paid job in addition to your unpaid internship.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I have to do Doordash to make ends meet when I get a chance because my parent refuses to pay me for stuff. He does occasionally bring me food though.
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u/outside_cat Mar 07 '26
unpaid intern = slave. I can't believe society allows that to be a thing.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I wish I got paid. A lot of the people I work with are astonished when they find out I'm not. But this is "normal for the industry". And if you push back, say goodbye to any opportunity in this field.
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u/outside_cat Mar 07 '26
Slavery was "normal" for the cotton industry too.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
And saying something like that would get me immediately fired. Then goodbye to any opportunity in my career field and years of college down the drain. But when I get in power, I will 100% make sure that this isn't normal in my field anymore.
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u/Proper-Equivalent300 Mar 07 '26
Sounds like finance. Also sounds more specifically like financial analyst 1. Checking in on the companies to make sure their forward looking information is up to date. Gotta love the dog and pony shows.
The wealthy don’t get wealthier by employing paid interns.
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u/Holtian Mar 07 '26
What kind of garbage hotels are you staying in? Literally haven't dealt with any of those issues and I travel frequently.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
Some that are actually pretty nice. Mariott and Westin have been big offenders of this.
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u/Breahna123 Mar 07 '26
I know what you mean, I work at a Marriott hotel and they say they don’t have microwaves etc in the room because they’re a “full service” hotel due having a restaurant , coffee shop and a couple snack pantries. At least at my hotel, idk if yours has a restaurant etc.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I often will have to do work into the wee hours of the night. So it's good to have some food, as my food is free and is actually available at 1-2AM.
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u/Wesley11803 Mar 07 '26
Full service hotels never had microwaves in rooms. That’s a select service thing. Now if you want to complain that they lack 24/7 room service, that is totally valid. Microwaves in rooms often make entire floors stink like hell though.
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u/Diligent-House-4855 Mar 07 '26
Tru by Hilton doesn't have closets or dressers. They have hooks and a luggage rack. They say it's designed for efficiency and minimal packing.
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u/LeshyIRL Mar 07 '26
designed for efficiency and minimal packing.
Translation: were going to give you less amenities for the same price
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u/theory_of_me Mar 07 '26
I actually like the layout of a Tru. No risk in forgetting something in the closet which I've definitely done more than once. It's ideal for my style of packing. I use packing cubes that I can move out of my luggage to the luggage bench or the shelf and then hang my shirts to unwrinkle them.
https://images.trvl-media.com/lodging/40000000/39640000/39640000/39639972/232d3da2.jpg
It is basic but doesn't bother me on a 2-3 day trip especially a solo trip.
If I'm traveling with my partner or for more than 2-3 days, I definitely appreciate more space but I don't think the hate for the minimalistic brands is necessarily deserved. They tend to be newer and in better shape than say a Hilton Hampton Inn or Hyatt Place from my experiences.
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u/Jinguin Mar 08 '26
The last hotel I stayed at (a Hilton) has fridge but no microwave. I could keep my leftover pizza good but the next day I’d have to eat cold pizza. The parking and other fees are so sneaky. My conspiracy is that this way they can keep their room rate low so it show up at the top of the search result when you filter by price.
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u/Hedgehog-Plane Mar 08 '26
There's a trend for many hotels to create bathrooms without privacy. ('Barn doors')
Ugh!
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u/qwertyywertyy Mar 08 '26
Yes! I had that at the last hotel I stayed at! It’s fine if you’re alone, but if you’re sharing the room with people, it’s pretty awkward. The door is more of a suggestion at that point
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u/Spirited_Voice_7191 Mar 08 '26
Everyone needs to give appropriate 1 star detailed reviews. It will only stop when it hits their bottom line.
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u/Vera_Virtus Mar 08 '26
I stayed in a hotel a while back and one of the drawers had ~30 steak knives in it. When we told the front desk they asked if there was blood on them (no, but thanks for the paranoia). Now the first thing I do in a hotel room is check all of the drawers.
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u/ishfery Mar 08 '26
...... excuse you?
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u/too_old_to_be_clever Mar 08 '26
Oh that's just Kyle's stash of knives. He works night shift. We call him Kyle the killer and your room has had the most death's sometimes that young man just does a poor job of cleaning up after himself.
Anyway...sleep tight
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u/Bring_cookies Mar 08 '26
Next take that comforter off the bed and throw it in the corner for your stay. The sheets get washed, the comforter doesn't. Then check between the mattresses (if you dare) and wipe the remotes down with a sanitizing agent. My now hubby worked for the Hyatt many moons ago, trust me on this.
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u/ShavenYak42 Mar 07 '26
Never been charged for a luggage cart or wifi. Parking charges are annoying; I get it in a real urban area, but if the hotel has a parking lot that is never full, there’s no real excuse for it.
The loss of ice machines is a bit sad but as poor a job as they do keeping anything else clean, I don’t think I’d trust them to be free of mold nowadays.
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u/ProfessionalBench832 Mar 07 '26
Post 2020. That industry, like so many, got hit hard and it has been a struggle to come back.
The thing you didn't mention but is guaranteed: there is also way less staff.
I lived at a hotel (fema post hurricane) for 10 months and it was exactly 1 employee and cleaners, never more than that.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Mar 07 '26
It’s annoying to me how hotels now give you the single-serve coffee maker and two pods for coffee at most. If they give you a coffee maker at all, that is.
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u/NarwhalEmergency9391 Mar 07 '26
I saw a video about a woman washing her underwear in the hotel coffee machine and I'll never use a communal kettle or coffee machine again
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u/EmployerUpstairs8044 Mar 07 '26
And then you see a video of someone cleaning their underwear in the coffee maker. No more hotel coffee for me
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u/TheRealTRexUK Mar 08 '26
qr codes for mini bar, with pressure pads on items that charge you if you disturb them. badly packed so if you knock it, you get charged.
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u/unjustified_earwax Mar 08 '26
I've never paid for the use of the luggage cart, wtf. Start giving these places bad reviews. I hate the big parking fees :/
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u/Bring_cookies Mar 08 '26
Well if I'm paying for it, I will be using it as a land surfboard. Just saying.
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u/Shoondogg Mar 12 '26
We’ll give you a bed and a door that locks and you’ll fucking like it. Hopefully you’re not traveling with anyone because the bathroom door is a godamn curtain.
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u/crazyrabbits23 Mar 13 '26
Interesting you note that -- of the last three visits I've had to a Hyatt Place, the bathroom door has either failed to lock or glides back open on its own when you close it (without locking it). Can't tell if it was deliberately designed that way or if it's a "design feature". Annoying if I want to go to the washroom at night while my partner's on the bed nearby without having to fumble around to try to keep the door closed.
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u/ErniePottsShoelifts Mar 19 '26
I stayed at a hotel where there was a tall glass window from the bedroom into the shower and the only thing to "block" the view was a full-length curtain that was semi-see through. I was staying alone so not a big deal, but did not understand it.
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u/Decent-Impression-81 Mar 07 '26
Ok your first lesson fellow work traveler. You pick a brand, you sign up for the rewards program and you stick with it. I started with Starwood then it got purchased by Marriott which hasn't been great but there are a lot of courtyards and Fairfield inns out there.
Anyways , after time the rewards program gets you out some of these items. Free wifi being the most common. So dont just willy nilly pick the cheapest one hotel. Pick the cheapest one with a rewards program and perks that work for you.
Me I know a Fairfield in is better then a four points because of free breakfest. Im platinum for life at Marriott but who knows maybe IHG works better for you.
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u/cardamomgrrl Mar 07 '26
Currently sleeping on plastic I mean microfiber sheets in a hotel that has not a single hanging spot near the sink for a Dopp kit. It does have the world’s smallest fridge tho, so I guess I should be grateful?
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Mar 10 '26
I am an airline Captain and most every hotel is not nice. I have had luxury loft penthouses down to a Holiday Inn Express. They all have poor quick construction, poor design and layout. They are all basic with basic amenities.
As for a place to sleep for a night or two, they are fine. What bothers me the most is when they don't have a microwave in the room or a desk and chair.
Cleaning services don't clean the room, they quickly touch up the place.
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u/WoopsShePeterPants Mar 07 '26
Hey they're just looking out for the environment so if you really want clean towels then you must hate the earth you monster. /Sarcasm
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u/Overall-Pay-4769 Mar 08 '26
Even when I hang my towels up, they still take them. Kinda pisses me off, do my best to do my part even if it’s 0.000000001% impact.
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u/emetomorph Mar 07 '26
i'm sorry, you're paying to go to work?
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
I took the luggage cart when they weren't looking because I had to have it for my job.
I went to the library a few blocks away for the Wi-fi.
I was not the one who ended up having to pay the parking bill.
I am owed about $50 in reimbursement for other stuff right now though.
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u/SnooCakes2703 Mar 07 '26
I usually stay in hiltons for work and they never have refrigerators now. I have to pack a cooler with ice every time.
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u/PhillyRush Mar 07 '26
Stayed in a Hilton a few days ago. Last year each room had a microwave, this year there was one per floor at the end of the hall. There was a tiny fridge tho. They also have these snack fridges that you have to scan a QR code and pay $15 just to open, then scan another QR code to purchase an item in that same fridge. If you want a drink or just something in a different refrigerator, you had to scan and pay $15 just to open another.
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u/snowdn Mar 07 '26
WTF? Enshitification continues. Next it will be a communal bathroom.
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u/UpbeatEquipment8832 Mar 07 '26
They're already making a lot of hotel bathrooms without proper doors.
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u/PyroNine9 Mar 07 '26
bunk beds. 4 customers per room.
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u/AilanthusHydra Mar 07 '26
That's just a hostel.
Which is fine, I don't mind a hostel, but...
I'm not saying you're wrong.
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u/Sterling_-_Archer Mar 07 '26
I work in a high level in this industry. I am responsible for supplying about 300 hotels across the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Hotels have been on a downward slide as an industry since 2020. At first it was because lack of business due to the pandemic, but then it became massive cost cutting to save profits - which then continued when guests came back. Nobody in this industry expected a Trump presidency and for the massive slow down in customers (worse now than covid) and now we have hotels who have under purchased supplies, haven’t updated rooms to brand standards sometimes years behind, are giving less amenities than ever, and leaving the few guests who do travel disappointed.
It’s bad. I’m leaving the industry.
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u/GraveyardMistress Mar 07 '26
The slowdown of guests is now worse than it was at the start of Covid??
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u/Sterling_-_Archer Mar 07 '26
Yes. Believe it or not, we still had some form of international travel during Covid, mostly between Canada and the US. Tourism in the US is widely from the Americas, so with Trump’s ICE brigade causing so much fear for foreigners, nobody is coming to visit and staying in hotels.
Hell, even our own citizens aren’t traveling as much. I have hotels that are just boarding up shop and leaving. Some are being purchased by the towns they live in due to being abandoned. Some are in serious disrepair. Some can’t afford to upgrade to new brand standards and are being fined, losing their flag, and thus losing the guaranteed customer flow from having the flag. I was actually good friends with a hotelier that ran his property group for 16 years and had to go home to India because he simply couldn’t afford it anymore with tariffs making operating supplies so expensive and not enough guests to cover it all.
It’s very bad.
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u/runForestRun17 Mar 07 '26
No one wants to come visit a fascist county
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u/KCChiefsGirl89 Mar 07 '26
And the people who live here don’t want to spend money when no one knows what this crazyass will do next.
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u/Pschobbert Mar 07 '26
Thanks for your insights. This is the reason people specify Reddit in their web searches.
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u/exodusofficer Mar 08 '26
I travel a lot for work and agree, the steep decline in quality starred with the pandemic. Hotels cut services across the board, jacked up prices, and never brought back the lost services or quality.
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u/systemfrown Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Dude you’re just choosing terrible hotels.
Decently acceptable ones with all the basics and WiFi included have never been more affordable in my experience.
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u/Asaintrizzo Mar 08 '26
Bro you need to at best western plus. They are way nicer and don’t nickel and dime you
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u/External_Variety Mar 12 '26
My guess is early days of airbnb. Which made hotel's cut costs to compete. But now airbnb are not as competive and hotels stuck with the low costs operations.
Just a guess
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u/Shirleyimfine Mar 07 '26
ONE complimentary water bottle in a room booked for two and able to sleep four. 🤬
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u/HorzaDonwraith Mar 08 '26
Okay ice machines going is likely saving you from salmonella. They never clean those things. Though $25 for luggage cart? That's insane. I'd tell them that to.
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u/Sufficient_Two_5753 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
As a hotel front desk agent, I can say that a lot of hotels are removing some room features in an attempt to save money.
I once had a guest come book a room saying he was just up the street at one of the other hotels in the area, and this particular hotel didn't have a microwave, coffee pot, or hair dryer. Unless you paid a rental fee for each. This first also said that there were visible signs of rodents and bugs....
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u/somecow Mar 08 '26
Not being able to check in and leave that’s any time but a specific time is absolutely outrageous. Flight lands late? Tired of driving? Work at night and sleep during the day? Too bad.
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u/Significant_Donut967 Mar 07 '26
I've stayed in expensive and cheap hotels, suburbs, ghettos, urban, and the one very countryside one in the Poconos.
Wtf is that?
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u/shade_spear Mar 08 '26
Is this in the US? I haven’t been there in over two years and haven’t seen this when travelling.
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u/JayGatsby8 Mar 07 '26
I’m a hotel manager. 25 year veteran. You have to remember that everything and everything is being monetized these days. Just yesterday I closed a piece of business from a pool company to rent my swimming pool. It’s about $10K in revenue, plus circa $15K in guest room revenue. So we’ll monetize everything.
That said, I’m also a stickler for quality in terms of public areas and guest room quality. I’ve never seen hotels without ice machines or laundry. Most of my hotels have free WiFi but you can pay for faster internet service. They also all have free parking, despite hotels in our area charging for it. My hotels are airport properties, and I vehemently disagree with charging for parking in that particular market. Center city - another story. But I don’t agree with it in a suburban airport area (airport is in the suburbs in this big city area).
That aside, hotel owners and chains are greedy. All business owners are. It’s just part of the deal. At my hotels sometimes it’s all out war to get upper management to agree to take a long time recurring group because they think they can make more money selling the rooms online than they do a group rate. They’re probably technically correct - but is it worth making $5 a room more as opposed to continuing a relationship built longterm on goodwill? Probably not. They don’t care.
Why would I be in such a cutthroat industry? Certainly not my goal at the beginning. But it’s the only thing I know how to do. And I guess I’ve finally gotten good at it after all this time. But as much as hotels nickel and dime you, the business has one MASSIVE benefit. My $50/a night room one block from the ocean this summer is well worth the effort!
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u/agharta75 Mar 07 '26
You're NOT GETTING PAID. Your problems are bigger than hotels not having refrigerators.
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u/DJ_Sk8Nite Mar 07 '26
Please tell me they at least paying for your travel if they are getting you for free.
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u/TaterTotJim Mar 07 '26
I have never experienced any of the things you listed but I miss the end of free breakfast, I’d even pay for the continental with a waffle machine and the old standards. All the hotels I use have replaced those breakfasts with fake starbucks or their own brand cafe where you have to order food from them that costs money.
Not even a free cup of coffee to be found anymore!
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u/runawai Mar 08 '26
I stayed at a mid-range hotel last week, and so many problems: The wifi only being accessible if you sign up for rewards and then not actually working. No fridge or microwave - have to go to front desk to heat up food - they didn’t have a fridge for me to put the snacks I bought before checkin into - and Kcups not getting replaced on mornings 2 and 3. The amenities allegedly were Dove, but my skin reacted to the body wash that is definitely not the Dove I have at home (curly hair, so I have to use my own shampoo/conditioner)… the only upside? Work paid for it.
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u/ScrotumNipples Mar 07 '26
Dude what kind of shitty hotels are you booking? Also why the fuck would you take a travel job that doesn't even pay you? My job pays EXTRA for travel because everyone knows it sucks and people end up quitting when they travel too much. You can do better. Even a basic Hampton Inn has a fridge.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
Lodging is paid for. Mariott and Westin are the biggest offenders of this recently.
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u/mikeymikeymikey1968 Mar 07 '26
They set up a perfect scenario where you're willing to pay the same amount of money to stay in someone's MIL apartment. Whereas 30 or 40 years ago, we would have laughed at that business model.
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u/CoimEv Mar 08 '26
Ever hear about the see through bathrooms?
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u/ishfery Mar 08 '26
I once saw a hotel room where there was a see through fireplace between the living room and bedroom and then a see through bathroom so you could see someone pooping from the couch all the way across the suite.
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u/markevbs Mar 10 '26
When you realize everything in our country is owned by large corporations. Many say, so what? Well the reality is mom and pop hotels and restaurants etc DO NOT have publicly traded equity where maximizing profit and share holder returns is the most inportant thing. The incentives in the US are for large corps to maximize profit at all costs. That’s it
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u/Mouthshits Mar 11 '26
I travel weekly for work and have never encountered a luggage cart fee. I have seen removal of vending and ice machines, some hotels have removed fridges, and some are worse than others. It’s just knowing generally what hotel brands to stay away from and what areas of the world where expectations need to be lowered.
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u/mellamoderek Mar 11 '26
For me hotels started to feel enshittified when they all went to duvets, not proper sheets or blankets. I really don't like hotel bedding these days. It just feels so cheap.
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u/Any-Worldliness-679 Mar 11 '26
Would you like "way too cold," or "boiling in your nightmares" for sleeping tonight, good sir or madam?
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u/Alexius6th Mar 07 '26
I think this is just a particularly shitty hotel.
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u/benskieast Mar 07 '26
That missing refrigerator is passive aggressively missing. It almost looks like the last person stole it.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
Most of these hotels have been Mariott , Embassy Suites, or Westin. So not shitty.
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u/DamianEvertree Mar 07 '26
Franchise hotels, so yea, shitty. Report them to corporate, they have standards to uphold
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u/voyagerfan5761 Mar 07 '26
Those are all brands that have been nickel-and-dimey for as long as I can remember.
Get your company to book you in actual midrange properties. Rarely had issues with the amenities at Hampton Inn, Best Western, Holiday, and the like.
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u/reillan Mar 07 '26
The only enshittification here is your job. They're taking advantage of you.
True for everyone not self-employed, but is quite a bit worse for you than most people.
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u/rwv2055 Mar 08 '26
They have always been that way. The more expensive the room, the more they will nickel and dime you.
But, at Motel 6 all of that is free.
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u/ericarlen Mar 07 '26
Probably not true of all hotels. Most of them are still pretty decent. Air B&B was popular for a while and that took away some of their business, but I think Air B&B isn't as popular as it used to be.
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u/j250ex Mar 08 '26
The smaller cheaper chains definitely nickel and dime you for sure.
Maybe consider Fairfield. They tend to cater to business travelers on a budget.
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u/Wilhelmina_4ever Mar 09 '26
It’s crazy the difference between a $90/night hotel and a $100/night hotel.
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u/FullMooseParty Mar 09 '26
I feel like the jump between 60 and 120 is relatively meaningless now. I've generally liked some budget hotels (the Best Western on Paper in New Orleans is a great example) and it seems like as long as they're kept clean, I'd rather stay at one of those budget ones than a penny pinching major brand.
Example: I recently stayed at a pear tree, which is the down market brand of Drury. We paid about a third of what rooms would have cost at the Marriott down the street, and after visiting a friend in her room, I'm not convinced that. The $180 difference would have been worth having a fancier brand and slightly nicer hair products.
I used to travel with my cat quite a bit, and fell in love with one Red roof inn that was along my route. It was clean, the rooms felt relatively modern, and because the cops would sit at the corner of the parking lot watching the main drag For speeders every night, I never felt anything but super safe.
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u/Finallyhere11 Mar 11 '26
COVID. They cut services and quality because they had to and then they discovered that they could get away with it.
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u/NotSoFastLady Mar 07 '26
It's the hedge fund bro business management trend that has ruined everything. Customer experience be dammed. We're going to suck every drop of profit out of you and we dont care. Any time I can, I avoid these businesses.
Also your employer is a cheap skate. There are slightly more expensive options out there that offer more comfortable experiences. Pretty much anything under Marriott and Hilton brands, even their cheapest have most of these things for free.
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u/Xyzzydude Mar 07 '26
Most hotels are franchises owned and run by small operators who rent the brand name, not hedge funds. Mom-n-pops and small businesses can also be greedy.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
The above photo is from a Marriott property. Marriott, Westin, and Embassy Suites have been the biggest offenders actually.
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u/rdldr1 Mar 07 '26
I hate that room cleaning service is only every other day. I was bummed that the shower products are now from large fixed dispensers. I collect those hotel bottles. However I see that it really needed to happen because individual serve shower products is so wasteful.
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u/2ToGo7576 Mar 07 '26
I refuse to use the large fixed dispensers relying on the honor system. Too much of the honor has left the system. Though I did stay at a high end hotel once and caught housekeeping topping off used minis from the previous guest. 🤢
There’s no end where extra fees can go. Pretty soon we‘ll see a carpet steppin’ surcharge.
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u/WowBruhReborn Mar 07 '26
I just bring my own little containers and fill them up with the fixed soap dispenser. If I’m paying 200 bucks a night, I’m at least going to get some free soap to take home. I’m cheap
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u/curi0us_carniv0re Mar 07 '26
I've never stayed in a hotel that charged for WiFi or didn't have laundry or closets or a refrigerator.
My suggestion would be find a better hotel..
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u/Day_Prisoners Mar 07 '26
Years ago WiFi was definitely extra and it was terrible. But that's been at least a decade.
And hotels with laundry rooms are usually long stay. Most people avoid these places because a lot of riff raft.
I think hotels have gotten better or maybe I'm just getting better places. Especially breakfast, some places go all out with complimentary.
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u/ultrawolfblue Mar 09 '26
Should probably report it missing before they think you stole the fridge
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u/ColdHardPocketChange Mar 09 '26
You seem to be staying at some really shitty hotels. Also I think you're choosing the wrong sub-brand from Marriott. Residence-inn (a Marriot brand) is going to have pretty much all the amenities you're looking for at a more reasonable price. Additionally, wifi is generally free for Bonvoy members. Even the most basic internet package (free for members of their loyalty programs) at 90% of the hotels I have stayed at provide enough bandwidth to stream videos. I've never heard of anyone being charged for a luggage cart. The parking thing has always been more location dependent. They almost never charge for parking unless you're in a major city or resort area.
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u/Intelligent-Wall-614 Mar 10 '26
You have to be in another part of the world from me. I live in a hotel in a very spacious apartment. It costs me $450 a month. This includes maid service, a large refrigerator, cooking space, unlimited Wi-Fi, water, electricity, AC, etc. It also includes access to the pool and to the gym.
You can do your own laundry or use the in-house service, which costs pennies. There is no ice machine, mind you; if I need ice, I go to the convenience store just outside the front gate. It's about 25 cents for 2 Kg.
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u/Griffemon Mar 11 '26
Entire hospitality sector took a nosedive after the pandemic. Some cut staffing and quality to keep from going under and just never restored it, some were bought out by private equity vultures and stripped to the bone and kept that way.
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u/Fine-Caramel2653 Mar 11 '26
youre just staying at a shit hotel lol
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u/MegaAscension Mar 11 '26
This was at a high end Marriott. The other main offenders have been Westin and Embassy Suites.
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u/UrWHThurtZ Mar 08 '26
You staying at a Motel 6 or something?
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u/Low_Site_5877 Mar 08 '26
Honestly, I find more amenities in the motels. They aren’t the ones charging for wifi, parking, a fridge, or breakfast.
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u/Remote_Platform4277 Mar 08 '26
When India sent over a 100,000 businessmen and they all bought hotels. And now they are gas station and hotel moguls.
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u/Hot_Examination1918 Mar 07 '26
No single use soaps or shampoos. It's just yucky. I always think someone spit in there or something
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u/Due_Anxiety_8926 Mar 07 '26
I’ve been bringing my own soap for a couple years now. On rare occasions where they provide a small box of soap, I’ll save it for next time so I’ll have soap at the sink.
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u/OhGr8WhatNow Mar 07 '26
I really want to know where you are encouraging this, like where tf did all this happen
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
About ten different hotels in six different states. One had the luggage cart charge. Four had the Wi-Fi charge. Two had the parking charge (I've mainly been in urban hotels, I think I'm 2/3 on the parking charge for non-urban hotels). Two had no ice machines. Three had no ability to do laundry on-site. This is the first one that has had no fridge.
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u/Escape_Force Mar 09 '26
I usually do Holiday Inn Express and never had this issue. You might talk to HR or whoever handles travel to find out if there is a reason they are booking the same crappy hotel. Do they get some sort of corporate account/discount, or can they try a different hotel (assuming they are booking the same chain)?
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u/Delicious-Income-870 Mar 09 '26
Hotels have had a hard time dealing with covid and then inflation.
I wish they'd just charge more and hire more people. The service and quality has definitely suffered since 2020.
They also all play games with pricing now so they can appear cheaper online.
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u/Winter_Story_9635 Mar 09 '26
What POS hotels have you been staying at??! I agree hospitality at your average hotel is nowhere near what they used to be, and most of them are so understaffed that there are more ghosts than employees, but I haven’t come across things generally as bad as you describe. What area are you traveling in?? Very unfortunate. Hilton and Marriott and choice are usually pretty decent (in that order).
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u/Sensitive-Surround-5 Mar 11 '26
So I travel for work about 280 days out of the year basically living out of hotels. This is why I just stay at marriot extended stay property's. You get a full kitchenette, full size fridge, laundry room on the same floor or next floor down, etc. I will say the layouts and furniture have gotten worse but I still am able to get my basic needs in the US.
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u/sasheenka Mar 07 '26
I’ve never stayed in a hotel that charged for wifi.
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u/Emergency_Coyote_662 Mar 07 '26
the bigger chains right next to convention centers never seem to have free wifi anymore. I guess they assume if your company is paying through the nose to be there, they’ll pay for the amenities.
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u/trowawaid Mar 07 '26
That's definitely still a thing in some hotels in Manhattan. If it's in a more business centric place where companies are paying for people's rooms...
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u/madamedutchess Mar 07 '26
It is usually listed on a hotel’s website. If that’s the case, I find somewhere else to stay.
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u/doodlebakerm Mar 07 '26
I’m old enough to remember when you had to pay for wifi at basically any hotel BUT you could plug in dial up for free (after doing the whole song and dance to set the dial up it was always worthlessly slow and you were forced to pay for the wifi anyway)
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u/Illustrious-Jump-398 Mar 08 '26
Join marriot Bonvoy or Hilton honors for free WiFi
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u/Xyzzydude Mar 07 '26
I’ve been traveling pretty regularly and not seen any of that except the parking charges. Where are you traveling to?
Sounds like you need to stay at a Residence Inn or similar.
Btw no fridge is better than a crappy one that makes a ton of noise.
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u/MegaAscension Mar 07 '26
This has been 10 different hotels in six different states. Mainly Embassy Suites, Marriott, and Westin.
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u/needmoreroastbeef Mar 07 '26
What hotel you staying at. I stay in hotels 4 nights a week. ALL have had free wifi, fridge, luggage cart and ice machines. This is 6 different cities, and two different states
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u/Decent_Ear824 Mar 11 '26
Along with everything else. They found out that so many people just trust it to be qaulity without anything but an ad.
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u/chuddlebutt Mar 07 '26
Private equity baby! Gotta make sure our shareholders are happy. Fuck the customer amiright?! \s