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Winging It: What to look for in a good hotel room

One of the great disappointments for many travelers comes early in the morning, when they set up the ironing board in a hotel room for the first time. For the next few minutes, the traveler may be pressing the wrinkles from a shirt, or cursing the hotel management for providing dirty, cheap equipment that spits water and may damage the garment.

The bedroom in the Palazzo's luxury suites has a king-size bed and lighting on both sides of the bed - an essential a reader and the columnist noted.
The bedroom in the Palazzo's luxury suites has a king-size bed and lighting on both sides of the bed - an essential a reader and the columnist noted.Read more

One of the great disappointments for many travelers comes early in the morning, when they set up the ironing board in a hotel room for the first time. For the next few minutes, the traveler may be pressing the wrinkles from a shirt, or cursing the hotel management for providing dirty, cheap equipment that spits water and may damage the garment.

I had that experience - the cursing part - a couple of years ago at a name-brand hotel in Cherry Hill, where I discovered that my ironing board cover had big oily stains on it. Fearful of ruining my only clean shirt, I had to work around the stains with the iron.

A decent iron and ironing board were requirements of several readers who responded to my Oct. 19 column about what made for a good hotel room. (Find the original here: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20091019_Winging_It__What_makes_a_good_hotel_room_.html )

After publishing my list and asking what else you want in a room, I was astonished at the response, in both the volume and the breadth of what you require to be a repeat customer at a hotel.

I received almost 80 e-mails and phone calls, the largest response on any topic since writing about baggage-handling woes at Philadelphia International Airport three years ago. The outpouring prevented me from replying to everyone individually, as I usually do, to say thanks for some very useful suggestions that hoteliers would be wise to note.

I compiled a list of 75 requirements of yours, most of which were not in the original column. Of the demands we share, free Internet access, a decent breakfast included in the room rate, good lighting on both sides of the bed, and a high level of cleanliness were the most popular.

Your individual needs vary widely. If you stay in four- or five-star hotels, you want concierge service and don't care if you have to pay extra for Internet service or breakfast. In lower-priced hotels, a mini-fridge in the room is important.

About a dozen of the demands - including a good iron and clean ironing board - were mentioned by more than one reader. I will focus on some of those first, with excerpts from a few e-mail messages:

Fresh air from windows that open. "Fresh air is necessary for good sleep."

Plenty of electrical outlets, in places that are easily accessible, such as built into a lamp, or "where you don't have to get on hands and knees to find one that's not full."

A good flat-screen TV that doesn't take up much room, along with a good guide to available channels.

Separate sheets and blankets rather than a bulky duvet or comforter on the bed. "We're either too hot or too cold with those confounded things." "Fancy bedding and multi-pillows may appeal to some, but . . . I prefer clean sheets, blankets, and a reasonable bedspread."

A long mirror "so I can see head to toe before I go out to a function."

A clock radio that works and "doesn't require a Ph.D. in technology to set."

A high level of security in the hotel, with chains or guards on doors, well-lighted parking, and a front desk staffed 24 hours a day. "A good hotel desk clerk . . . doesn't say the room number aloud . . . and doesn't assign the most remote room at the end of the long hall to a woman obviously traveling alone."

An exercise room with good equipment and air-conditioning.

Tea, not just coffee, available in the room, and liquid, not powdered, creamer.

A good exhaust fan in the bathroom.

Among the long list of other requirements mentioned were shower and sink drains that work, lint-free towels, decent body lotion, small bottles of shampoo, curved shower-rod bars, recycling containers, housekeepers who respect the do-not-disturb sign, free airport or downtown shuttle service, an iPod dock, no down comforters or feather pillows for those with allergies, plenty of facial tissue and extra rolls of toilet paper, towel racks rather than shelves in the bathroom, grab bars in the bathtub, enough coat hangers, an in-room mini-bar or bar in the lobby, a gay-friendly atmosphere, bathroom counters that aren't too high, a nightlight in the bathroom, curtains that block out light, thermostats that display temperatures in degrees, a map of the city and a list of movie theaters, and a front desk knowledgeable about the area.

Also received were several messages saying hotels should have at least two luggage racks in each room so someone's bag doesn't have to be opened on the floor.

But that needs to be balanced against this message from an entomologist who works on developing new products to control household pests - including bedbugs. This is a subject I will look at more closely in the future.

"If a room is infested, most likely the bugs will be behind the headboard and/or in the luggage rack/holder," the scientist wrote. "My suggestion to travelers is that the luggage holder is the last place to put your suitcase. Hotels may not like it, but I always put my bag on the table or counter which has a hard smooth surface with very few cracks/voids where the bugs can harbor. I always do a quick check around and behind the headboard."