Why Do (almost) All Hotel Business Centers Suck?

No paper in the printer, dry ink cartridges, computers running ancient operating systems and browsers that are incompatible with Drop Box, GMail, etc. To make it worse, no one in the hotels themselves owns any of these problems as the systems are operated by third party providers so you generally get a "We DO apologize" or a blank stare.

After a bed and a shower, an operational business center ranks right up there in my hierarchy of needs for a hotel stay.

These are my experiences? Are yours different? My experience is that the only chain hotel center I can rely on is the Sheraton Link, however I have not experienced one lately.

 

I do my best to stay with SPG, or Hilton, so far so good.

 

Sounds like you're staying in the wrong hotels. Every once in a while there will be a lounge computer down or something, but otherwise they mostly seem to work when I need them.

 

At a recent convention in Salem, OR at a smaller hotel (don't want to name,) we had sold out 75% of the hotel with just our convention; the hotel was otherwise full with other guests.

Upon asking if we could make 100 copies (willing to pay,) we were directed to the local Kinko's! FWIW, I've done hundreds of copies in these same circumstances at other hotels. They bill us some amount, and everyone is happy!

 

That was the employee, that the hotel hired,

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

 

I don't hit the business center all that often. I much prefer to use my hardware and use the business center to print and / or conserve battery life and rarely do I find an issue that isn't corrected quickly.

 

I agree with that Sheraton Link powered by Microsoft is one of the best options for having desktop computers for using the web and the Internet. Hilton, Sofitel and Intercontinental are generally very good as well. We have to fight and complain for having better business centers and desktop PCs. Hotel chains are better than single hotels. We have to demand well-equiped business centers: use forms in hotels to complain as well as Tripadvisor and reviews in order to have updated business centers.

 

Well, if a hotel doesn't offer a business center, so be it. But if they do, they equipment they have should be relatively modern (no Windows XP), the interface between the computer and the printer should work and the printer should be stocked with paper and toner. They should also have at least one set of spare toner cartridges available. I'm sure someone else can put together a more comprehensive best-practice list, but to me this seems to be a minimum.

 

I'm an SPG guy so for the most part I'm OK. At non-SPG properties though, I've still come across ancient Windows systems. It's been a while since I've seen an old CRT monitor though.

Generally I need the biz centre to print stuff. So often what I do is use my own MacBook and print to pdf then save to a USB drive. Then I either go to the biz centre to print or I ask front desk to do it for me. It's never been a problem but then, I'm only printing 4-5 pages.

I did have a work situation once where I needed 50 copies of a 30-page doc printed and spiral bound with tabs inserted. I was staying at a convention hotel though and they didn't even blink when I asked. They simply charged me whatever and that was that.

Just goes to show that it really does matter where you stay, depending on your needs.