Business travellers' top hotel hates: what we want to see changed

As business travellers ourselves, we stay in a lot of hotels in a lot of different cities and countries. Many of them are fantastic -- but there are certain bugbears that just start getting on business travellers' nerves.

The Australian Business Traveller team has put together our top five -- so take a look, see what you'd add or subtract from the list, and let us know what your pet hates are.

1. Ridiculously tightly-made beds

Our first bugbear is the way that hotel bedlinen is always tucked in so tight you can barely slide into it. We like a well-made bed, but if you have to physically get out of the bed in order to untuck the bottom sheet when you're too warm, it's too much.

We are, however, big fans of the increasing use of doonas (called duvets in the rest of the world). They're much more comfortable, feel more stylish, and are warmer in winter-time.

2. Confusing hot and cold shower controls

Why is it that the cheapest of budget hotels can get the shower controls right -- a single lever that moves up for pressure and left/right for temperature -- but luxury hotels go with fittings that require a doctorate in Designer Hieroglyphics to figure out?

Eventually (after getting soaking wet and cold) you figure out that the triangle means hot and the square means cold, or that the crooked arrow means you need to lift the handle and then turn it 180 degrees for water to stop shooting out at you sideways from the "full body" taps.

Seriously, upmarket hotels: swanky does not equal indecipherable. Give us a rain head, a detachable shower wand and decent water pressure. That's all we need.

3. Tiny cups and glasses at breakfast

So after your vacuum-sealed bedlinen and deeply confusing shower experience, you head down to breakfast for a refreshing drink of juice.

Except that the hotel only offers miniscule thimbles next to the juice dispenser at the buffet. 100ml later, you're standing there and refilling the tiny thing.

We usually snag a coffee mug or two to fill up -- or ask for a larger glass -- but really, we've paid hundreds of dollars for a room and you're being stingy with juice servings?

4. Uncomfortable armchairs and lack of sofas

If your business trip doesn't involve dawn-to-midnight meetings and events, you'll eventually want to relax in the room, perhaps catching up with what's going on at home on your tablet or laptop, perhaps just watching a movie.

So why do many hotels -- even the expensive ones -- furnish their rooms with such uncomfortable armchairs? Sure, you can always lie down on the bed, but then when it's time for bed you don't get that feeling of slipping into crisp cool sheets.

Business travellers want comfortable chairs and sofas, not those awful tiny bucket chairs and barely padded convertible sofas that turn into an extra bed. If you're going to use convertible sofas, at least get the ones that feel like a sofa and not like a youth hostel bunk.

5. Insane laundry costs

You want how much to wash a pair of socks, a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts? $10-20 at many hotels.

While we often send out laundry to a collection service (just Google "laundry collection" and the city you need) and have never had a problem dropping off or collecting a suitcase-full at the concierge desk, we can't help but wish that hotels had a "load of washing" option.

We wouldn't feel especially fleeced by being charged $10 to $20 for a load of washing if it were delivered to our room -- and perhaps, in more luxury properties, put away in drawers or in our suitcase ready to head home.

What's your biggest hotel hate?

Share your frustration and talk to your fellow readers, either in the comments below or using the Twitter hashtag #hotelhates -- and don't forget to @mention us: @AusBT. We'll collate the best -- or, technically, the worst -- into another list next week.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.