I often hear from my staff and friends about funny things that happen when they are in hotels, particularly when they check in. Kevin Ryan often tells the story about checking into a hotel room in New York (that GT arranged) and finding someone already in the room with the shower going!

Another employee found a dirty bedspread in a Westin in Kuala Lumpur, and the staff reluctantly changed the bedding. She reported to me that the room was dirty overall. And, more recently, another staffer found a bed soaked with a liquid of some sort that required complete changing of the mattress and the bedding.

I can’t recall any serious problems at a hotel. Of course, I don’t expect a 3-star property to have the same level of service and quality as a 5-star property. However, I do expect to find my room clean. I think there is less of a chance of having a clean room at lower-rated properties.

There is also the issue of bed bugs, which have been on the rise for many years. I have taken the remedy of always using the fold-up luggage rack, as bed bugs live near the floor moldings and cracks between the wall and the floor.

Have you had any issues at hotels around the world?

— Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO