To find a quiet hotel room, you need to essentially eliminate the hotels with interior hallways. The hallways magnify the noise from the slamming doors. Hotels/motels with outside entrances are much quieter.

The price of the hotel has nothing to do with the quietness and amount of sleep you will get. My favorite chain is Red Roof Inn (the older ones with outside room entrances). They are probably the most soundproof rooms of any chain I’ve ever stayed at. The original (one story) Knights Inn locations are good too. Some of the Red Roof and Knights Inn locations have turned into America’s Best Value locations. And even the Motel 6 is much quieter than your typical luxury hotel chain with interior hallways.

For a more upscale location, try the Staybridge Suites. Their one or two-bedroom suites have completely separate bedrooms with a door that closes, so you are insulated from outer door noise. Some have outside room entrances, some have interior hallways, but even those are usually quiet, depending on construction and layout.

Finally, if you want a quiet room, I would avoid the Country Inn & Suites. Yes, they have separate bedrooms, but the sound insulation is so poor that noises from throughout the hotel pound right through into the bedrooms.

The smashing shut of the doors is probably the worst problem in a hotel other than lack of hot water. Sometimes I land in Europe early in the morning, check into a hotel, am ready for a nap about 11am but NO, housekeeping lets the doors smash shut. These are HOTEL EMPLOYEES. Obviously, hotel management does not care at all.

I know everyone will say this is not a solution, that people are too dumb, too uncaring, too rushed. Nonsense, just post signs to make people aware, LOTS of signs, and if each of us gently speaks up when we catch someone in the act, pretty soon people will become aware. They don’t slam doors on purpose, they’re just dumb. Posting signs in the elevators, on the doors, on the back of the doors .. all at eye level … would cut the noise by 60%, I’ll bet. When I am awakened by morons smashing doors shut, I put on my robe and hit the hall and tell people to stop. Most of them just look at me sullenly, but it does help a great deal. and I couldn’t care less what they think of me, I just want them to be more courrteous.

A simpler and inexpensive measure would be for the hotel staff to at least place a courteous note in every room.
Affixed or taped to the door or on every key, it would remind each guest to “Please Close the Door Very Gently as other guests may be sleeping, studying or simply resting. Thank you for being considerate.”

It should be made a basic requirement for a hotel to operate.

Do you know of any law maker that could make it happen?

After the cigarette-free zones, it may be time now for a door-bang-free zone.

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Please, come up with lots of creative ideas to stop this noise pollution that may be ruining many people in dire need of essential peace and quiet.

We are not all bad. Some are bad I must admit!

The Ten year old

If I found a chain that offered quiet rooms and doors, I’d stay there no matter what. Thanks for starting this discussion.

Let’s name names:

So far, my worst is Spring Hill Suites, by Marriott. Been in three of them now, and each had paper-thin walls. And just because you’re behind your door don’t think you’ve got privacy! Walking down the hallway I could hear someone’s phone conversation SIX ROOMS DOWN THE HALLWAY from the room with the conversation! Baaaaaad.

If you find a quiet chain, I’d love to know.