Prominent British etiquette expert William Hanson has highlighted the hotel habits that he finds most horrifying, from noisy corridors to thieving toiletries. Hanson, who directs The English Manner institute in Central London, attributes bad hotel behaviour to the 'commercial' factor, saying that some people wrongly feel entitled to act in ways they wouldn't at home, such as leaving their room in a mess or being rude to staff.
A new report by Hotels.com found Brits committing various dark hotel deeds, including queue-jumping at breakfast buffets, reserving sunbeds with towels, smoking inside rooms, and washing underwear in kettles. Despite this, Brits rank themselves among the world's most polite travellers. Hanson was unsurprised by this self-appraisal, noting that 'we are a tiny, tiny, tiny island nation and one thing that we pride ourselves on is our good manners.'
Hanson suggests that Brits can learn from Americans in addressing problems directly. He cites a Fawlty Towers sketch where diners complain quietly but tell the waiter everything is fine. 'We're all human, things do go wrong. You can still deal with this in a courteous way,' he says, adding that Brits sometimes mistake being polite for being a pushover.
Hanson advises treating hotel staff with respect and using their names, as it makes them more likely to go the extra mile. He recalls a recent instance where a manager brought him free Champagne simply because he used his name. 'In this slightly anonymous society... actually using someone's name and giving them the recognition goes the extra mile,' he adds.
Finally, Hanson notes that Brits are particularly prone to writing damning reviews when things go wrong, but less likely to praise positive experiences. 'If there are 10 bad reviews... there will be 100 positive reviews that were not written,' he observes, calling for a more balanced approach to feedback.
