How to Book

Make it absolutely clear what sort of accommodation you want, who you want it for and how long you are going to stay. If you want a quiet room with two single beds, say so, or you may find you have booked yourself a room with a double bed overlooking a noisy street. If you are bringing children, mention their ages as some hotels don’t accept them under a certain age. If you have a dog, say what kind he is. Some hotels don’t allow dogs at all; others have their own regulations as to size of dog and where in the hotel he is allowed.

It is also important to say whether you want all meals or just bed and breakfast.

You should also check the price of the accommodation. This often varies according to the time of year.

Letters are usually addressed to the manager of the hotel. When you are informed that the accommodation you want is available, write back and book. In case of error, it’s a good idea to repeat the details.

If you want accommodation in a hurry hotels will accept booking by telephone. But however you book, warn the hotel if you’re likely to arrive late in the evening or you may find when you arrive, travel-worn and longing for bed at eleven o’clock at night, that your coming has been despaired of and your room let to someone else.

Luxury Hotels

A uniformed commissionaire stands outside the door. The hall is stiff with liveried pages and porters. Many people, used to homes where Mum is cook, chambermaid and porter as well, find their first sight of this grand establishment alarming. Used to doing all their own fetching and carrying, suddenly they step into a world where they aren’t expected to lift a finger for themselves. In the face of this grandeur there is only one way to behave, as though you’re used to it, from the start. When your taxi draws up at the hotel doors, wait for someone to come and take your cases. If no one comes, go into the hotel and ask one of the porters to bring them in. However light your cases, you will be starting off on the wrong foot if you carry them into the hall yourself. Inside the hotel you go straight to the reception desk, find out the number of your room and register. The key will then be given to a porter who will carry your cases and show you up to your room.

Services

One of the problems of staying in a luxury hotel is whom should you ask to do what.

If you want food or drink brought up to your room, ask for room service or press the button on your telephone marked “Waiter”.

If you want your husband’s suit pressed, ask for the valet.

If you want your shoes cleaned, leave them outside your door last thing at night and they’ll be ready waiting for you there in the morning.

If you want anything fetched or carried, suitcases taken downstairs or a newspaper brought up, get in touch with the hall porter; he is in charge of both porters and pages.

If you want anything in the middle of the night, phone the night porter.

If you want a hot water bottle or a clean towel, ring for the chambermaid.

If you want theatre tickets, there may be a special desk; if not, the hall porter may arrange them for you.

In a big hotel, the porter usually keeps a list of people who want to be called in the morning; in a small hotel the list is kept at the reception desk.

But the organization of different hotels does vary. Whenever you are in trouble or in doubt as to whom to ask to do what you can always ring reception and get them to put you on to the right department. The receptionists are also the people to ask if you want to stay on an extra night, if you want your bill or if you want to know anything about the layout of the hotel.