How to deal with hotel problems

You reserved a room with air conditioning and got a fan. Now what?

This week I’m back in Paucartambo for my 4th year at the Festividad de la Virgen del Carmen. Every time I go to Paucartambo, I’m reminded how subjective hotel reviews are. I’ve liked places that other people hate and hated places that other people loved.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in Paucartambo.

My first time in Paucartambo, in 2023, I shared a room with five other people. I got the only bed, which didn’t have clean sheets, one person got the couch and the others slept on mattresses on the floor. That’s standard in Paucartambo, where there are no real hotels and residents all cram into one room of their house so they can rent out the other rooms.

shared room in Paucartambo — Acceptable vs Unacceptable

Nowhere else would I share a room with five other people, especially when the four on the floor were strangers to me. Paucartambo reset my definition of acceptable.

single room in Paucartambo — Relative Luxury

I know I’m lucky to get my own room. The blue curtain helps block the cold wind that comes through the gaps in the door.

“Luxury” in Paucartambo

Last year and this year I have my own room. That’s a luxury in Paucartambo, though the room feels like a coffin, doesn’t have any windows and the door has big gaps between the slats.

Paucartambo is an extreme example, but if you travel long enough, odds are you’ll experience a problem at a hotel.

Here’s what to do when something goes wrong.

hotel room in Medellin Colombia — At this hotel in Medellín I didn’t expect such a small room but the hotel was fully booked, so there was no way to switch.

1. Is the problem fixable or not?

Assess if the hotel can reasonably fix the problem. Missing towels, toiletries and remote controls that don’t work should be a quick fix. Broken shades, leaky faucets and stained sheets are fixable, but take long enough that the hotel should move you to another room. Loud bars nearby or rooms that are not what you booked might not be fixable. Consider if you have the time and energy to ask for a refund and go find another hotel.

how to deal with problems at the hotel — The first thing I noticed in this room was the dead bug with the glass that was for me to drink out of.

2. Address the problem asap.

Take a good look around the room when you first get there, because that’s the best moment to ask for changes or fixes. The sooner you tell the staff what the problem is, the more time they have to fix it. If you’ve spent a couple days in a room, then tell the hotel staff that it’s unacceptable, they’re likely to doubt your sincerity. You accepted it for two days already, so why complain now?

how to handle hotel problems — There’s a hole in the sheets: do you want them to change the bed or give you a different room? I complained, but didn’t ask them to change the sheets.

3. What do you want the solution to be?

Before you take the problem to hotel staff or management, think about what you want. Would moving to a different room make you happy? An upgrade to a better room? A free meal at a restaurant or free spa service? If you can tell hotel staff what would fix the problem, then they don’t have to guess what might work for you.

how to fix hotel problems — If you need something specific at breakfast, go to the kitchen staff before you talk with reception.

4. Communicate effectively with hotel management.

Consider who should hear the complaint. Most of the time the front desk staff can handle problems but if it’s something big then it should go directly to management. If you have an email address for hotel admin, consider first speaking to the front desk staff and then emailing admin what the problem is and if the staff already fixed it or not.

what to do about hotel problems — Housekeeping made the bed but left a wet bathrobe on top. I took a photo, then hung up the bathrobe to dry.

5. Document the problem.

Take photos with your phone and email them to hotel management. If the problem isn’t visible, try to document some sort of evidence, even if that’s just the email you send.

Problems happen, even at the best hotels.

Unless the problem is particularly egregious, try to give the hotel the benefit of the doubt. People make mistakes and problems that a hotel can fix should be regarded as opportunities for a hotel to show you how well they can deal with issues. You might get an upgrade or something free that will ultimately make you like the hotel even more than you would have if nothing had gone wrong.

what to do with hotel problems — I could not sleep in this room because it was just so hot - but I was at the beach. So, I just focused on the beach.

Try to not let the problem ruin your trip.

Accommodation is just one of many things that can go wrong on a trip. It’s not worth fixating on a problem at a hotel at the expense of not enjoying the rest of your trip. In most cases, the best thing is to ask the hotel staff to fix the problem, then go enjoy the place you’re visiting.

Qhapaq Negro Paucartambo Virgin of Carmen

Travel Tip 160

How to deal with hotel problems