Spending time in a hotel, whether for business or leisure should be an enjoyable experience. There are so many things that can negatively affect a guest’s stay in a hotel, too many to list! Today we will look at pet peeves specifically associated with the hotel bedroom. We have all been there, the hotel bedroom is fine, stylish even, but there are a few irritations that have just tainted the overall experience.

Here are some of the most common complaints and how to avoid them.

The current trend is to keep all desk work surfaces clean and clear when the guest enters the room and with this in mind, the TCMF tray needs to be easily located and easy to use.

I am showered and wearing my snuggly hotel robe ready to apply my evening make-up. But wait… My husband is in the shower steaming up the bathroom mirrors and the oversized TV is above the desk. Where is my mirror? I am forced to use the full-length mirror in the bedroom lobby which is neither comfortable, convenient or well lit. As I sit on the floor with make-up strewn around me, I am thinking surely there is a better way?

With a few simple design considerations, this scenario can be avoided.

• If the TV is mounted on the wall does the desk need to be underneath? If the desk can be placed elsewhere and still accommodate a desk mirror this would clearly be preferable.

• Can the TV be elevated a little higher on the wall to allow a panoramic desk mirror to be mounted below it?

• If the full-length mirror is the only an option for your guest to apply make-up make it easier. for them by installing a small shelf to the side or even horizontally across the mirror to hold their make-up essentials and keep them from staining the carpet while getting pins and needles from kneeling down.

If there is one thing that drives me crazy in hotel rooms it’s the lack of ample lighting making make-up application particularly challenging. I end up either perched at the desk or next to the full-length mirror, often with no more than the main ceiling light casting obscure shadows.

Equally the bedroom shouldn’t feel like a fluorescent-lit supermarket, getting the lighting just right to create the desired ambience is a balance best achieved with flexible lighting.

• Wherever your guest applies their make-up it is imperative that adequate lighting is provided. A desk-top lamp will shed enough light for application. Likewise opting for a mirror with integrated lights is a good option. For the full-length mirror, a row of mirror lights would both serve the purpose and look more stylish.

• Equally, gents need good light around the vanity mirror to shave in the morning.

• For business guests, a well-lit desk is essential, opt for task lighting that can be operated locally when needed.

• En-suite illuminated mirrors are a great addition, alternatively, pelmet lighting is a classic way to illuminate the bathroom.

• Being able to operate lights from the bed is an important consideration, avoiding guests having to navigate their way around an unfamiliar room in the dark to get into bed.

• It should be considered that guests may not all want to sleep at the same time. Independent bedside lighting is the solution for this brief.

• Finally, make it easy, no one wants to spend time searching for the bathroom light switch. The tick-list is simple – do I have sufficient lighting to work at the desk, read at the bed, shave or apply make-up, make myself a drink? If the answer to all of the above is affirmative, we’re in business.

I have happily unpacked, excited to spend a couple of days away in my lovely hotel room. Now, where can I place my empty luggage bags? I check the bedroom lobby area, the bottom of the wardrobe? It doesn’t fit. Under the bed? No joy. Shoved in the corner it goes, reducing my circulation space in this cosy room, how annoying!

Keeping a hotel bedroom as clutter free as possible goes a long way to helping a guest enjoy their stay.

• Consider a luggage rack in the lobby area for bag storage, this can be fixed or a drop-down rack is a good option as it may not always be required. Ensure that the space relates to the occupancy and stay duration anticipated for the room. A family room is bound to require more baggage space than a single occupancy guest room.

• If there is no space for a dedicated luggage rack, consider a bed with storage compartments in the base or design a wardrobe that caters for luggage. Ensure that there is ample space below the hanging rail or shelving to fit luggage beneath.

I am tucked up in bed, I set my alarm on my phone and lean over to plug in my charger and find there is no plug! Am I expected to walk across the bedroom to turn off my alarm? I may trip over my empty suitcases in the dark after all!

• A headboard with integrated power points is a great way to keep a guest’s phone close to them charging whilst they sleep. Why not go the extra mile and incorporate USB ports with the specific function of charging personal devices?

• If you regularly have overseas guests a couple of international sockets would be appreciated – if only over the desk.

• An upstand to the back of a desk housing numerous plug sockets means that other appliances don’t need to be unplugged and swapped around. It also prevents the paintwork on the wall from getting dirty with finger marks prematurely.

• A plug near to the full-length lobby mirror or incorporated into the frame is a simple addition that means a guest can use hairdryers and straighteners with ease.

Make-up, perfume, face creams, shower gel, face wash, moisturiser, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, washbags, the list goes on. So where am I going to keep it all? I precariously balance my washbag on the tiny shelf above the basin and hope it doesn’t fall off.

Guests will inevitably have numerous toiletries with them and keeping them to hand in the bathroom is practical.

• An under-basin vanity unit is a useful addition to an en-suite where guests can keep their toiletries out of sight. This is particularly appreciated for a bedroom that would expect a longer occupancy, keeping essentials neat and tidy for the duration of their stay.

• If a vanity unit is not an option provide shelving above or below the basin with ample space for two guests to store their toiletries.

It is lovely that the tea and coffee making facilities have been stowed away leaving space on the desk. I find them in a deep drawer in the desk, but as I pull the kettle catches and I can’t fully open the drawer. I reach in and dislodge the kettle and wander into the bathroom to fill it up and no matter how I try it just won’t fit under the tap in the basin, at least not without spraying water everywhere anyway. Surely making a drink should not be this difficult?

Hiding tea and coffee making facilities (TCMF) away is a nice touch and keeps a hotel bedroom looking tidy, however, there are a few basic things to ensure that it is also functional.

• Measure, measure, measure! The kettle should fit within the drawer, cupboard or on the shelf without obstruction. If it doesn’t reconsider the kettle you are using. TCMF should be housed on a tray so that it can be lifted from the drawer, make sure that the tray will fit within the drawer, cupboard or on a shelf.

• Again, with limited options to fill a kettle, a guest is forced to use the bathroom basin, which is usually quite small. Ensure that the chosen kettle can fit underneath the tap easily, without any type of contortion and resulting in water spraying everywhere.

• Sachets should be easy to open. How often have I struggled with a sachet of coffee only to spray the contents over the bedroom carpet when it finally tears open.

Avoid these and other guest hotel bedroom design frustrations by hiring specialists in hotel bedroom design for your next refurbishment.