Connecting Rooms Are The Worst
It is time for me to go on an old man rant here. Well, let’s be nice to my self esteem and call it a veteran young guy rant! I still have little bit before I turn into rookie old guy, well, at least in my mind. A few weeks ago I talked about my disastrous stay at a DoubleTree hotel in Michigan. It is one of our favorite “staycation” destinations in Michigan and the hotel, room and pool were great. There was no issues with the hotel per se, except from those dang connecting doors from the 70s that pretty much nobody wants anymore.
We had some noisy neighbors during our stay and you know what makes noise worse? Connecting doors do! The doors act like a megaphone from the next room. You hear every single thing said and done in the room next door. They remind me of the ceiling at the old Hard Rock Las Vegas center bar, RIP you amazing place you, and how you could hear people’s conversation 30 feet away from you perfectly.
Our Run In With Those Janky Connecting Doors
The room next door had people coming back from the pool at around 9:30 PM, kids jumping around, yelling and the like. Common curtesy should be upheld for sure, but it wasn’t technically quiet time yet so not much we could do there. They ordered a pizza as soon as they got in and we could even hear which toppings they wanted.
While you are always rolling the dice, as far as neighbors go, when staying at a hotel the connecting doors tilt the odds even more in the house’s favor. There is no way to properly soundproof those areas, even in the best hotels. What use are they really anymore anyway?
Do Connecting Doors Even Have A Purpose Any More?
How often do people request connecting rooms? In all our travels I can think of two or three instances when we wanted them. Would it have been that much worse to have to go out to the hallway to go to the other room in those cases? Nope. So, why do we still have them?
You know what else happens almost every time we have a connecting room. The person next to us fiddles with it thinking it is a closet etc. It can be jarring depending on what time of day / night it is. Sometimes it sounds like someone is breaking in. The security on those doors is not as good as the main door either.
The Devil That Is Connecting Doors: Final Thoughts
So here is my petition to you hotels, board them up. Fill it in and throw away the key! You would get way less noise complaints, which I imagine would heavily outweigh the no connecting rooms complaints. If you want to keep around a few because they are popular with bigger families then only book them out together or keep one room empty. Fat chance there, but a man can dream I guess. I don’t understand hotels that have a connecting door in every room anymore. Not like it ever really made sense.
Am I on an island here? Maybe this is a weird rant but I have long loathed the connecting room because it creates more issues than it is worth. Let me know what you think about them below.
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They are the worst. Sure hotels should have a handful of them but no sane person wants to hear a strangers conversation, TV show, etc. Guests should not have to fill up towels or other sure to fail fixes to keep noise out.
Booooooo!!! Sorry, Mark, I hate to be a minivan Dad on this one, but connecting rooms are very nice for families with young kids. On our first trip out of the country we did not have connecting rooms and in the middle of the night I heard our 5 year-old daughter quietly crying outside of our door at the Hilton Odaiba in Japan. She got scared and wanted to come see us and then got locked out of both rooms, which were side-by-side, but not connecting. Ever since then I have always tried to book connecting rooms for our family. I also travel for business and really prefer not to have connecting rooms, but keeping small kids safe (physically and emotionally) should be a viable option, don’t you think? I’m with Lisa Quinn on this one.
I think there should be some in a hotel but there is no need to have every room have them. And people that don’t request them should not be booked into them unless the hotel is sold out.
My hotel profiles specifically states no connecting doors and away from the elevator since most people seem to have no awareness of how loud they are.
By the elevator is another loud spot for sure.
[…] was reminded of this ordeal by a rant on Miles to Memories about the uselessness of connecting doors, I have one additional reason to hate these portals to other rooms. I meant to write about it but […]
I liken booking at properties that cater to families then complaining they generate more noise to requesting a room by the elevator.
There is a market for connecting rooms; for example, “Confirmed Connecting Rooms by Hilton” that started in 2021. The main demographics are people with younger children and people traveling in groups. The former usually means noise, and while their parents are accustomed to it, it is impossible for strangers to ignore. The latter often means partying, in-room or out-of-room, and later nights.
For the traveler who values peace and quiet, and who does nothing to disturb others’ enjoyment of their rooms, this can be distressing and feel unfair. Hotels care about revenue more than guests’ comfort, however, and families and larger groups mean more money. They could build more multi-room suites, but they are less flexible than rooms with connecting doors.
When traveling for business, you need to work in a room that is quiet. When traveling for pleasure, you want to relax in a room that is restful. After making a reservation, request e-mail confirmation that the room will not be connecting. If the hotel cannot guarantee that, book elsewhere. They do not deserve your patronage.
Great points WAE
Then there was the time light could be seen under the connecting door. I opened and closed my CN door once to give the neighbors the “hint”. Next thing I know a little fiber optic wire came under the door with what I assumed was a camera on a stick!…..Thank God I had that little bottle of mayo from the room service tray handy. Needless to say it (the wire) was gone in a flash and so was the noise.
I like the earlier post/suggestion about putting a comforter or towel in the door jam – great idea !
That is nuts Ric
I always request connecting rooms when traveling with children. We are 2 adults and 3 children. We (parents) don’t want to split up. And want all 3 children in a room next to us. I’m appalled that you couldn’t imagine a reason they exist. As a globalist, I have made reservations for a hotel only to cancel them upon finding out they dont have any. I could certainly relate to NOT wanting connecting rooms when traveling with a partner, but abolish them? Really? Or just stay elsewhere if you don’t like it. Plenty of hotels have no connecting rooms
I get it for families and understand why they have a place. But they should only be booked if the person asks for them or if the entire hotel is full. And I don’t think there is a need for every room to be connecting in any hotel.
Connecting rooms are an excellent option for some.
For sure, I just think it is a small proportion of people staying at a hotel so there is no need to have them in every room.
In a word – YUCK!!!!!! They scare the hell out of me, likek you, I want to enjoy peace and quiet, and be as safe as I possibly can, not have someone or more a few feet away with only a thin flimsy connecting door If you want to keep them – dedicate a floor or a section FAR away from single rooms. Not only that, but you also know there are multiple clans staying in those. Please move those along.
Puh-lease. You must not have traveled with children! Not every city/town has a 2bedroom Residence Inn or Homewood Suite. Connecting rooms ARE nice. Thankfully you can book connecting rooms online at Hilton now.
I have two small children – we have been able to make it work just fine. Hyatt Place / House has a perfect set up too if they are wherever we are traveling.
LOL. I just read your post to my DH. We have had our share of nightmare connecting room stays mostly in Atlantic City. Oh the stories we can tell about the things we’ve heard. The pizza toppings struck a cord. We once asked our neighbor how his sausage and spinach with Swiss omelette was when we ran into him in the hall…he was dumbfounded. We have stood at check in for longer than we care to admit while they have looked for non connecting rooms. We absolutely refuse them. Once in a sold out situation we ended up putting the duvet cover in between the doors with some towels. I 100% agree with you. Keep a couple and seal up the rest. PLEASE.
The towels is a good hack to help dampen the sound some for sure.
Please do not use your influence to an connecting doors.
No More Rants!!! Mahalo
oops! ban not an
They’re necessary for some members of my family.
Count me as someone who regularly requests connecting rooms & the lack of them can even be a deal breaker when booking hotels. For as much as the author asks why can’t people just walk around, there would likely be another rant from the same author about those people letting their doors slam at all hours of the day/night while running from room to room. Bottom line-most hotels, especially here in the US, are built for one thing & one thing only-to generate as much $$ as possible for the owners; comfort for the guests doesn’t factor in which is why there are few hotels w/ceiling fans, ceiling lights, & good sound proofing between rooms and for the windows. All of that costs money that hotel builders aren’t willing to spend. If the noise from the room next door bothers you that much, try stuffing a rolled up towel across the bottom of the door or ask for a different room.
Not quite an “Old man shakes fist at cloud” quality rant but give it some practice and you’ll get there.
My take on connecting rooms is that they can be really practical for people with kids. As I don’t believe I have any kids I’m pretty much with you about what an annoyance they are but I try to bear in mind that surely some people must use them.
Now you’ve reminded me to update my Globalist profile to include a preference for no connecting rooms. I’d advise others to do the same.
For the record, I find connecting rooms to be the annoyance, not kids. Or at least with kids it’s greatly variable.
It can be a practical option for sure. I just never got why hotels added the extra cost, and lessened the security, to add them to all rooms when most people don’t need it.
I like connecting doors when we’re traveling all together, because it means we don’t have to split up into a “boys” room and a “girls” room
https://www.pointswithacrew.com/adjoining-hotel-rooms-hard-get/
Makes sense for you for sure Dan
Sigh… I LOVE interconnecting rooms. (especially on a cruise)
I travel all the time with extended family and we open that connecting door to make a “big room”. I have a 14 year old and a 90 year old (mom in law) and that door makes us feel a lil more secure with my teen as well as senior citizen in tow. But wait… there’s more…lol As a Girl Scout Troop leader, when we travel (5-6 rooms) we always get that interconnecting room, again, for security. I KNOW I may be the minority but I love that door!