The Demise of Hospitality: How Neglect of Service and Basic Amenities Are The Downfall of to Hotel Industry’s

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Published on July 10, 2025, by Brad Peters, Founder, Director, CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program

The once-thriving hotel industry, a cornerstone of travel and leisure, is facing an unprecedented crisis. A pervasive decline in basic service standards and a shocking absence of fundamental amenities have alienated guests, pushing the industry to the brink of collapse. What was once a beacon of comfort and convenience has become a symbol of neglect, leaving a trail of shuttered establishments and disillusioned travelers in its wake.

The Erosion of Service

At the heart of the hotel industry’s downfall lies the catastrophic erosion of customer service. The personalized touch, once a hallmark of quality hospitality, has been systematically replaced by impersonal, often unresponsive, interactions. Guests frequently recount experiences of:

  • Absent or Uncaring Staff: Front desk personnel are often overwhelmed or seemingly indifferent, leading to long check-in lines and a lack of assistance for even the most basic inquiries.  Turning to the kiosk only for check-in & out, with no staff in sight.
  • Negligent Housekeeping: Rooms are frequently found to be inadequately cleaned, with unmade beds, dirty surfaces, and a general lack of attention to detail that directly impacts guest comfort and hygiene.  There is no excuse for a dirty hotel room.  Why is management not inspecting rooms to follow up on an hourly worker they are paying barely more than minimum wage?
  • Ignored Requests: Simple requests, from extra towels to wake-up calls, are often forgotten or dismissed, leaving guests feeling unheard and undervalued.  Management is not returning emails within 48 – 72 hours, addressing issues a guest has from their stay.  So the guests opt to post on the internet review sites & social media, which affects future occupancy.
  • Lack of Proactive Assistance: Staff are rarely seen anticipating guest needs or offering assistance unless directly asked, a stark contrast to the proactive service that once defined luxury and even mid-range hotels.  A good example is what happened to the bell person at mid-range hotels?

This pervasive lack of attentiveness and care has transformed what should be a welcoming experience into a frustrating ordeal, driving guests to seek alternatives that offer a more personalized and respectful interaction.

The Absence of Basic Amenities

Beyond the breakdown in service, the hotel industry has also suffered from a shocking decline in the provision of what were once considered standard, non-negotiable amenities. Travelers, accustomed to certain comforts, are now finding themselves in establishments that fail to provide even the most rudimentary conveniences. This includes:

  • Non-Functional or Unavailable Wi-Fi: In an increasingly connected world, reliable internet access is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Hotels frequently offer slow, intermittent, or even non-existent Wi-Fi, hindering both business and leisure travelers.
  • Substandard or Broken Facilities: Gyms with outdated or broken equipment, unkempt swimming pools, and conference rooms lacking essential technology are common complaints, indicating a severe lack of investment in property maintenance.
  • Limited or Non-Existent Dining Options: Many hotels have drastically scaled back or eliminated in-house dining, leaving guests with few convenient options, especially in areas with limited external choices.  Limited service hotels that offer a free breakfast are the biggest joke out there.  The coffee & juice are watered down as well as precooked foods that have nothing but preservatives, with no healthy options.
  • Lack of In-Room Comforts: Basic items like functioning air conditioning, adequate lighting, working televisions, soft towels, and even sufficient power outlets are often found to be deficient, leading to uncomfortable stays.  The biggest thing I am frustrated with is the lack of a bar of soap in the room.  Male travelers do not like body wash.  What has blown my mind is that there are brands that will have a refrigerator in the room but no ice bucket or cups in the room.  When you call the desk, they tell you to come down and get them.  What a joke.  Take the refrigerator out and put in the room a bar of soap, cups, and an ice bucket.

The cumulative effect of these omissions is a significant drop in perceived value for money as rates rise. Guests are increasingly questioning why they should pay premium prices for accommodations that offer less than a well-equipped short-term rental or even their own homes.

The Aftermath: A Dying Industry

The repercussions of this systemic failure are evident across the industry and are getting worse every day. Occupancy rates are plummeting in most markets, once-iconic hotel chains are struggling, and a sense of disillusionment has settled over what was once a vibrant sector. The rise of alternative accommodations, offering more personalized experiences and often better amenities for less cost, has further exacerbated the crisis.

The hotel industry’s death is not a sudden collapse, but rather a slow, painful demise brought about by a sustained neglect of its most fundamental principles: service and comfort. Unless there is a dramatic and immediate shift towards prioritizing guest satisfaction and reinvesting in the core elements of hospitality, the once-grand hotels of the world may soon become mere relics of a bygone era, serving as a stark reminder of what happens when an industry forgets its purpose.

 

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