worked

As a former hotel receptionist, I received requests and questions from guests that often left me baffled. One in particular became the most annoying, and most people do it

Receptionists are at the heart of a hotel, handling reservations, addressing guest inquiries, and supporting other departments. But there’s one question that is instantly frustrating, and it’s more common than you might think.

I spent around four years working on the front desk of a hotel, and during that time, I gained a real insight into the hospitality industry from the good, the bad, and the ugly. One of our most popular phone calls was, unsurprisingly, to make a reservation, whether for an overnight stay or dinner at one of the two restaurants.

Friday nights, in the hotel and two restaurants, were often fully booked. The weekends were the busiest times for every staff member in every department, with a buzz and a hint of overwhelming stress seeping through the corridors as we did our best to make the guests’ experience as smooth as possible.

READ MORE: I worked at a hotel – you won’t get a room upgrade if you ask at the wrong time

OPINION

Amy Jones

As front-of-house staff, the often overwhelming demand for tables in the restaurant and rooms for the night landed on us. We’d have people calling up on a Friday afternoon asking for a table in the cosy pub, or attempting to book a last-minute staycation over a weekend.

We’d always politely explain that we were fully booked, whether in the restaurant or hotel, but they’d inevitably reply in the same way. And it went a little something like this:

Me: ‘I’m sorry we’re fully booked in the restaurant tonight’. Them: ‘Don’t you have any tables?’ Me: ‘No, I’m sorry, it’s a Friday night, every table is booked’. Them: ‘Can’t you squeeze us in anywhere?’

It was bewildering how many people would ask these questions, as if we could magically add an extra table and chairs to an already packed restaurant. More often than not, people would fail to understand the concept of reservation times.

Frequently, we might only have had a table free at 5.30pm or 9pm, both of which are awkwardly inconvenient. Yet, people would always push for the time they desired, not understanding how table turnovers work and the running of a restaurant. After all, 90 people can’t sit down all at once to eat at 7pm in a restaurant that only seats 45 at a time.

And it didn’t just happen for restaurant bookings. After explaining to would-be customers that the hotel was fully booked all weekend, we would get the response: ‘Don’t you have any rooms available?’ To which we’d reply, ‘I’m sorry it’s fully booked’. But that wouldn’t stop them.

I had people explain that they wouldn’t mind being in the smallest room, or squeezing their family of five into a room only suitable for double occupancy. While it’s always worth asking, to some extent, these questions became irritating. It was as if those on the other end of the line thought we were making it up.

Hotels and restaurants really do get fully booked, and no matter how much they want to cater to you, sometimes there really is no way around it.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Following claims that he “corpses deliberately” on The Chase, a long-time friend has revealed what Bradley Walsh is really like when the cameras stop rolling

A friend and colleague of Bradley Walsh has revealed what it’s been like working alongside The Chase presenter for over four decades. The 64-year-old host has been at the helm of the ITV quiz programme since its launch in 2009.

Never one to take things too seriously, Bradley regularly has a laugh with the chasers and contestants and has been known to be left in hysterics over amusing questions and responses.

One of his most unforgettable moments occurred when he couldn’t contain his laughter over a query about German skier Fanny Chmelar.

After some viewers accused him of faking his reactions, Bradley set the record straight, insisting he doesn’t know what’s coming next.

“I don’t pre-read them, I do it as it is, I literally play the game,” he explained. “If I get a reaction, then it’s much better.”

During an appearance on Laura Hamilton’s Mile Fly Club podcast, he added: “I’ll read what’s on the autocue and half the time, I don’t realise what I’ve said,” reports the Express.

Discussing the infamous Fanny Chmelar incident, Bradley went on to say: “And people, still today, think I’m corpsing deliberately but I’m not, that’s actually me laughing, I had no idea that was [coming] up.”

Backing his long-time friend, Joe Pasquale said The Chase host is the same person on and off screen.

“Bradley is what you see, he does what he says on the tin, what you see is what you get with Brad,” the comedian revealed.

“We’ve been mates for 40 years, myself, Brian [Conley] and Shane [Richie], we all started off together, which is what’s great about The Prat Pack tour.”

Beyond their joint touring, Joe also recently caught Bradley off guard when he turned up as the fresh quizmaster on Beat The Chasers.

Joe joined the panel for a special one-off episode, adopting the moniker Maverick.

Prior to unveiling his true self, Joe was given strict instructions to keep his identity under wraps from the Chasers, audiences, and particularly Bradley.

Speaking about the measures he took to remain disguised, he revealed: “I’d been on the road with Bradley all year, we’ve known each other for 40 years but literally just before filming we had been on the road together. He knows me inside out, he knows my body movements.

“I had to be really calm because I talk really fast and I’m very physical, the producer said, ‘Don’t move, just keep really still and talk very slowly so he doesn’t suss it’s you.’ So it was quite hard for me.”

Thankfully, the comedian succeeded in concealing his identity from Bradley, leaving the presenter “genuinely surprised” by his reveal.

When questioned whether the host was miffed by his deception, he quipped: “He’s never furious with me, he’s like my big brother.”

Joe is appearing in Swansea Grand’s Aladdin until 4 January 2026. The Chase: Celebrity Christmas Special broadcasts tonight at 5.35pm on ITV.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website.

One of the most frustrating things I encountered when working as a hotel receptionist was guests asking for a room upgrade – but I finally have a solution to this common complaint

Before embarking on my journalism career, I spent several years behind the desk as a hotel receptionist. During this time, I honed my skills in anticipating guests’ needs.

We were always more than willing to accommodate any request, no matter how peculiar or extravagant, but there was one that consistently got under my skin.

Regardless of the type of room a guest had reserved, more often than not, they’d be angling for an upgrade. And I completely understand why.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve visited more than 40 countries but there’s only one city I’d live in’

Who wouldn’t want to add a touch of luxury to their stay without parting with a single extra penny? However, one question from guests that never failed to irk me was, ‘Can our room be upgraded?’ Of course, there’s no harm in asking, but it’s generally frowned upon for good reason.

There were countless instances when I’d be on the blower with someone booking a standard room, only for them to immediately follow up with, ‘Can our room be upgraded?

‘ The response was invariably, ‘We don’t provide upgrades until the day before arrival’, but internally I’d be thinking, ‘If you’re after a larger room, book a larger room’.

READ MORE: I found Travelodge booking trick that can get you a bigger and better roomREAD MORE: ‘We’ve ditched the UK for Thailand by selling everything we owned’

I worked at a high-end hotel and spa with 35 rooms, where upgrades were typically set aside for those celebrating a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary. Furthermore, we’d only upgrade rooms the night prior to a guest’s arrival, ensuring we knew exactly which rooms were free – we wouldn’t bump someone up to a superior room before it could have been booked online.

It’s astonishing how many guests inquire about an upgrade, even when larger rooms are readily available for booking. The second most irksome time to request such a privilege is post 3pm on a Friday evening, during the peak check-in period and when all rooms have already been assigned.

There were countless instances when a guest would bluntly ask me at check-in if their room had been upgraded, as though it was a given. That said, it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t consider giving you an upgrade.

We’re more inclined to offer an upgrade to those who haven’t explicitly asked for one. After all, we’re only human, and we’d much prefer to surprise someone with an upgraded room who will truly appreciate it, rather than someone who feels entitled to it or demands it.

READ MORE: Jet2 launches huge sale with £400 off all holidays and 20% discount on flights

Informing the hotel that you’re celebrating a special occasion is the top strategy to secure an upgrade, just ensure you do so prior to your arrival. Alternatively, checking in early is another clever tactic to help bag an upgraded room, and here’s why.

While upgrades are usually organised for the next batch of guests the night before, with key cards already allocated, situations can change. If we’re feeling particularly magnanimous, and the hotel is buzzing, we might spontaneously offer you an upgrade, even if that means downgrading someone else’s previously upgraded room.

Our guests weren’t made aware of any upgrades until their arrival, so if there were any changes, they’d be none the wiser, and we’d rather get you settled into your room. However, from my experience, these were reserved for guests who would least anticipate an upgrade, not those who impolitely demanded one.

Have you got a hotel secret to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

After two turbulent years with Eamonn Holmes at GMTV, Anthea Turner walked away from the show on Christmas Eve 1996 – she still believes his envy of her National Lottery show was the problem

A popular television presenter who worked with Eamonn Holmes says there was almost instant friction when she joined him on an iconic daytime TV show.

Eamonn has been one of the most recognisable stars on British television for decades and has worked with a long line of famous faces, including his ex-wife, Ruth Langsford.

But he hasn’t jelled with every colleague he has ever worked with. According to Anthea Turner, Eamonn took exception to her background when she joined him on the GMTV sofa in 1994.

“Eamonn is a trained journalist and I’m not,” she told The Times. “That caused tension from the start… The other thing was I didn’t have my ass on that sofa for very long before I was asked to present the National Lottery too, and I think that also annoyed him.”

Anthea’s first lottery show appearance attracted a huge TV audience of around 22million. Eamonn reportedly lobbied GMTV bosses to get her sacked, accusing her of being “too ambitious” and giving her the disparaging nickname ‘Princess Tippy Toes.’

She told The Sun: “I was always asked if I was ambitious and, if I said yes, I was made out to be a ruthless person who would walk over anybody to get where I wanted. It would be said that I was hormonal, or I was stamping my feet.’

She added: “And yet ask that question to a man, and if he’s ambitious, we think: ‘What a guy’. You’d never hear anyone say that about Eamonn or Phillip Schofield. No, they’re just doing their job.”

Anthea walked away from the “toxic” situation at GMTV on Christmas Eve 1996. Over a decade later, the former Blue Peter presenter said she was still “hurt” by the way she was perceived.

Speaking on the Miranda Holder Weekly Fashion Podcast, she said: “I haven’t weighed myself down with anything from the past, or any of that negativity.

“Nobody likes injustice, nobody wants to be misrepresented. It hurts, it really hurts.”

In a televised reunion in 2018, Anthea said that she had mixed feelings about Eamonn, saying: “There is a fine line between hate and love isn’t there? We were chatting in the break, Eamonn and I are a bit lazy and it’s easier to stay friends.”

Her remarks sparked a somewhat tense atmosphere in the This Morning studio, with Eamonn’s then-wife Ruth Langsford visibly taking exception to Anthea calling him her “ex.”

Ruth stressed that she and Eamonn were “properly married,” before Anthea interrupted her, saying: “Ah but we were telly husband and wife.”

While Anthea and Eamonn were said to have put an end to their bitter feud with her This Morning appearance, she later said that any talk of a friendship was exaggerated, telling the Express:”I don’t think Eamonn and I speak lots. “Those are just headlines saying that we reunited.”

She added: “Obviously, there was the hullabaloo. In fact, I went to Belfast where he was doing a show, and I remember going up there, it must have been about 15 years ago, and we signed a Good Friday Agreement.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website.