What to Expect at Your Hotel: Three Questions to Ask Before You Arrive

Many aspects of travel have changed with COVID, including the hotel experience. While hotels strive to provide consistent amenities and meals, they’re now facing safety and economic challenges that prevent them from delivering the services you’ve come to expect.

To find out what you can expect ahead of time (or to change your plans if there’s a better alternative), call your hotel before you arrive. Here are three simple questions that anyone at the hotel should be able to answer for you.

Breakfast. What breakfast options do you offer right now? Do you offer hot, cold, or pre-packaged breakfast?

If you’re counting on the hotel for a quick bite before you head to work, if you have a per diem that assumes you’ll get a decent meal from the hotel, or if your company has a negotiated hotel rate that includes breakfast, this is really important! In the last case, let your travel manager know so they can work with AmTrav to sort it out with the hotel.

Cleaning. What enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures have been implemented at the hotel? Full and normal daily cleaning, reduced daily service with just fresh towels, or none at all?

This information will help you be prepared, whether that means being ready to make your own bed or request extra towels or not being surprised to find someone’s come into your room to tidy while you were away. If there’s something you wish to modify, let the front desk know at check in - they should be able to make accommodations to their cleaning procedures or get you extra towels.

The fitness center. Is the hotel gym or pool open? Is all the equipment available and are there any requirements that guests must reserve a time slot at the fitness center in advance? If the fitness center is closed, can they give you a free pass to a local gym?

But what if you get the wrong answers and the hotel doesn’t provide what you need? No breakfast, no cleaning, no gym? Check the cancelation rules in your booking, and if you’re early enough you can go into a2b to cancel the hotel from your booking (note: use the “Cancel” on the hotel only, don’t hit “Cancel Itinerary” or else you’ll cancel the rest of your booking!). Then you can add a new hotel to the same booking. Or just chat, call or email AmTrav, we’re ready to help!