Key Points
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Hotel staff say guests who request quiet rooms in advance or note their preferences during booking are more likely to be accommodated.
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Reporting noise issues immediately allows staff to resolve disturbances or move guests when possible.
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Many hotels now offer sleep-focused amenities and packages, reflecting a growing trend in sleep tourism.
After a long day of traveling or exploring a new place, honestly, all I ever look forward to is a good night’s sleep. However, since I’ve always had difficulty getting shut-eye
in unfamiliar settings, and am, in general, sensitive to even the slightest noise, it presents a challenge while on a getaway.
Luckily, most hotels understand this common struggle and go as far as to offer sleep-friendly programming and amenities to encourage a restful night’s sleep. Still, I somehow always find myself the victim of loud neighbors and paper-thin walls.
While it pains me to come across as a high-maintenance diva, I often ask to change rooms or inquire about a quieter corner space. I try my best to never sound rude or demanding (typically exasperated or hopeless, to be honest), but I second-guess whether or not the front desk employees are internally eye-rolling at my request or genuinely concerned that I get my money’s worth during a stay.
So, I reached out to a few of my favorite properties to get the real scoop on how to ensure that any traveler gets a quiet room, or if it’s a headache for staff to accommodate.
It Never Hurts to Ask
A room switch or preference will generally be honored, but it depends on the hotel’s occupancy.
“We’re always happy to note preferences for quieter room locations in a guest’s reservation, typically in areas with less foot traffic,” Jonathan Medley, director of front office at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa told Travel + Leisure. “During busier periods, we can’t guarantee that surrounding rooms will remain vacant, but on lower-occupancy nights we do our best to provide additional space and privacy whenever possible.”
Chintan Dadhich, general manager of Conrad New York Downtown , echoed these sentiments. “When possible, our team works to accommodate room preferences in advance of a guest's stay. Whether that means placing guests farther from elevators or ice machines, honoring requests for higher or lower floors, or finding suites with fewer adjoining walls, we take these preferences seriously,” he said.
If you consider yourself to be a shy person and want to limit face-to-face interaction, a phone call in advance or even a reservation note for online bookings is a wise first step and will usually suffice. Keep peak season times in mind, though, as hotels in tourist-friendly cities will typically sell out for months and, as a result, have very limited flexibility.
In the Case of Noisy Neighbors
There are times when no amount of insulation or clever architecture can muffle music, loud televisions, or the booming voices of neighbors. The advice, across the board, is to immediately inform the staff of these disturbances so that they can address and remedy them.
“Our team can quickly investigate the situation—whether it’s another guest, hallway activity, or something happening in the surrounding neighborhood—and work to resolve it,” Jennifer Hiblum, general manager at Miami’s Arlo Wynwood , told T+L. “Often this simply means reminding another room of quiet hours. If the issue can’t be resolved quickly, we’ll explore alternatives such as relocating the guest to a quieter room when available.”
Dadhich’s team follows a similar protocol. “From the moment a guest reaches out, we are actively working to identify the source of the issue and address it as quickly as possible," he says. "We never want our guests lying awake wondering if they should say something—the answer is always yes, and we are always ready to help. The sooner we know, the sooner we can make it right.”
Should you find yourself the subject of inconsiderate guests or unidentified sounds, it’s best to be proactive. Never take matters into your own hands, however, as many properties employ security teams to address unruly guests.
Sweet Perks, Sweet Dreams
Aside from enforcing strict quiet hours and accommodating guest requests, many hotels provide free amenities to make sleeping easier. In fact, touches like earplugs and white noise machines , for example, are standard at the properties I chatted with. Rooms have also been fitted with single floors, blackout shades, and soundproof windows, respectively.
But snooze-inducing programming is also a priority and part of a general sleep tourism trend. The JW Marriott offers “The Dreamery” sleep experience, which transforms rooms into a "private haven of rest and renewal” through red light therapy, soothing soundscapes, and aromatherapy with a silk sleep mask, pillow mist, melatonin-infused patch, and a bedtime elixir. The Conrad touts a “Goodnight Conrad” package, complete with a late checkout, Byredo nighttime care kit, sleep masks, and therapy balm.
While these programs will incur an extra cost, many travelers can’t put a price on quality sleep
, so they have the energy to explore a new destination without the yawns and body aches that often come with extensive travel.
Make the Call
Whether it’s a special request, questions about room layouts and/or construction, or dream-enhancing sleep packages, the resounding advice remains straightforward and simple: ask. Hospitality professionals enter the field because they enjoy providing the stay that you deserve. They also want to leave a positive and lasting impression so that you return in the future.
Don’t shy away from speaking up if your sleep is in jeopardy. The time spent tossing and turning could have been quickly fixed with one quick phone call.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
