# 035 Guest house or Star hotel?

Guest house or Star hotel?

I have been travelling for decades and have stayed in all types of accommodation. Mainly there are two types - guest houses and hotels of different grades. One striking feature that stands out between the two is “service” while infrastructure or facilities provided could almost be the same. Invariably the service level is considerably lower in the case of Guest House (GH) compared to even an average grade Hotel, with rare exceptions.

As I write this I am sitting in a room in a GH of CPWD. It is actually a suite, well designed with spacious drawing room with appropriate furniture, bed room of more than adequate size with double bed complete with AC & TV. The ambience & setting are good too, unmatched by any commercial Hotels of even 3 or 4 star categories.

But there ends the positive points. I had to walk to reception twice to talk to a person to get water, telephone in the room being not in working condition - unplugged from the socket and kept neatly wrapped with its own damaged connecting cable. Next comes in the towel after asking for it but no soap! I Switch on the geyser but indication lamp does not glow. Fearing it may be out of order I again seek the help of reception. The person assures me that it is in working condition and not to mind the indicator lamp. Wardrobe is so big whole family’s clothes can be accommodated but it is plain open with no doors. Water for drinking? Pl give your empty bottle, comes the reply. Seeing the my puzzled look  the boy quickly adds that they have only jugs without lids and so normally people prefer to have the water (from the filter) in “their” bottles.

When I pointed out flickering TL in the bath room, I get a prompt retort – “look this bulb over the wash basin is working”. This sealed the uselessness of any discussion on the leaking tap and mug without  the handle broken. But the greatest shock (literally, of thermal kind though!) was when I used the faucet – it is connected to only hot water line with no mixer or cold water line. A Gold medal for the designer.

After this I thought it is too much to expect a newspaper or a Wi-Fi and turned on the TV to find only one channel was okay with bad pic and loud noise for other channels.

It is time to get ready to go to the Dining hall & grab the breakfast otherwise it will not be available after the stipulated hours. I must however say that the aloo paratha was as good as you get in any classy restaurant.

Needless to add there is no feedback or suggestion form/book at the reception. Later I was informed  that there is a complaint book is provided at the reception but there was no display indicating its availability.

Quality is to determine and provide basic expectations which is generally lacking in GHs. Why? Because I think it is a support function and not a core one as in the case of a Hotel.