I know a lot of my travel tips are on the beginner to moderate side but here’s one that I bet many expert travelers don’t know. I thought of it during Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas last month when the organizers put us up at the Aria Hotel and Casino, one of my favorite Vegas hotels. I’ve been fortunate to stay there many times including with my late father.
This tip isn’t just for Aria or even Las Vegas hotels. It works at any property that is massive, popular with groups and has multiple elevator banks. I got lucky when the check-in agent assigned me to the 8th floor which was the first stop for the hotel’s second elevator bank.
Their banks run 3-7, 8-15, 16-24, 25-30 and 31-54. Being on the eighth floor was a game changer because I was always the first person off the packed elevator and the last one on when going back down. I could sense the frustration of guests on higher floors who were stuck with “local” elevators while mine felt more like express service.
A few minutes may not sound like much but they add up, especially if you don’t want to waste time stopping at every floor in a packed elevator. That’s why it helps to learn how the elevator banks work before you get your room assignment. Aria (and other MGM properties) as well as many Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Wyndham hotels let guests self-check-in online or with their app so you can pick the floor you want.
If you’re staying at the Aria you’ll want to be on floors 3, 8, 16, 25 or 31 for that “express” treatment. Avoid the higher floors of each bank if the hotel is busy, especially during conferences when everyone heads to their rooms at the same time. This small move will make your stay much smoother.
The only possible downside is if you’re on the lowest floor and trying to go to the lobby. By the time the elevator gets to you it could already be full. I didn’t experience that myself and I was there while the hotel was sold out but I can see how it might happen at other hotels.
If you are in the express level floor that Johnny mentioned and can’t find an elevator with space going down. You can always walk down a flight of stairs and be the first stop to go down on the next level
You have this completely backwards. The real problem exists when it is time to leave in the morning. Most guest leave their rooms around the same time. If you are on a lower floor, in your example, the 8th floor, by the time the elevator gets to you it is overflowing. I have waited in excess of 30 minutes for an elevator that has room for me and my family and our luggage. Best way out is to take the empty elevator up to the top floor of the tier and then stop on every floor on the way down. Same problems occur when I am traveling alone. I would much rather wait a few minutes and serval additional stops on the way up than the tremendous problems getting an elevator during “rush hour” on the way down. It is clear you do not travel as we, the common man, travel.
I did mention this scenario but should’ve given your advice about getting into an elevator going up.
Lot of NYC hotels are also having cleaning and maintenance staff share the guest elevators. Likely due to building footprint limitations. I imagine it’s a room revenue situation too. Another elevator shaft just for back of the house could mean one-less-room per floor. And ultimately that could mean 10-20 rooms less for a given property. I don’t mind the shared usage, but it can indeed be frustrating during, say, breakfast time when you have the perfect storm of people trying to leave/checkout, others going to breakfast, and others coming back from breakfast….combined with housekeeping and engineering trying to get a jump on the room turnover for next check-ins.
If you are on that lowest floor and the elevators are always packed. Choose to go up. Then select the floor you want to go to. You will be the first on one most likely.
I’ve started to – in crowded hotels with too few elevators – unless you’re on the top floor, then it doesn’t work, I’ll take an upper floor and always press both up and down buttons to call elevator, I dont mind going up a few more floors to get an elevator not packed with people and clean team (I’m noticing Marriott hotels esp their boutique lines of hotels ltg clean team and engineers use the same hotels as guests and calling for that elevator by pressing for it to come no matter what direction its headed in def has saved me up to 10-15 min esp during elevator ‘rush hours’