Did your room service dinner arrive just in time--for breakfast? And did you sprout a few new gray hairs waiting on line for check-in?

Bad beds, slow room service and interminably long check-in lines are just three pet peeves plaguing the hotel industry according to Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

"Hotels constantly monitor `service failures' which is simply a fancy way of saying service goofs," said Robert Cotter, Chief Operating Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE:HOT), Sheraton's parent. "Industrywide, there are what I like to call the Big 10 - ten gaffes that really drive hotel guests nuts, and which they encounter far more than they should."

1. Wrong Room (wrong size bed, wrong view, smoking/non smoking room)
2. Room Not Clean
3. Bad Bed (hard mattress, poor quality, not enough pillows, etc)
4. Missing Wake-up Call
5. Missing Bathroom Amenities
6. Slow Room Service/Restaurant/Bar Service
7. Uncontrollable Noise (train running, garbage truck)
8. Billing Errors (incorrect posting of charges to bill)
9. Slow Check-In
10. Room not Ready

Here's how the Sheraton Promise works:

• If a guest experiences an inconvenience such as missing bath amenities, slow check in, or billing problems he or she will receive an apology plus a $15 value or 500 Starwood Preferred Guest points. 

• A large problem that the hotel can fix like a room that isn't clean, problems with the heating or controllable noise will result in an apology plus a $25-$75 value (based on the hotel's average daily rate). Guest's are offered several options for compensation including a credit toward the stay, a gift certificate for a future Sheraton stay, amenities such as spa services or Starwood Preferred Guest points. 

• Slow room service, no wake up call, uncontrollable noise, poor food quality, a bad bed or other large problems that cannot be fixed will result in an apology plus credit for a free room night or meal; or a gift certificate good for one night at another Sheraton; or Starwood Preferred Guest points. 

According to Barry S. Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the Sheraton Promise is designed to tell travelers that Sheraton is a different hotel company than it was five years ago, or even last year.

More Improvements in the Works

Following the lead of its sister brands W Hotels and Westin, the Sheraton brand is investing in improved comfort and consistent design. New beds, called the Sheraton Sweet Sleepersm Beds, have begun to roll out in hotels throughout North America. Featuring a Sealy Posturepedic Plush Top mattress, down pillows, crisp sheets and duvets in rich colors, the beds are the highlight of the room. It's a bed one might find in a beautiful home rather than the outdated polyester bedspreads, foam mattresses and cheap pillows typical in most chain hotels.

In addition, Sheraton's elite design team, recruited from Ralph Lauren, Holly Hunt, and Williams-Sonoma has revamped Sheraton's room design and created a second prototype Sheraton guestroom. Dubbed The Westchester Room, the room's traditional design is "Ralph Lauren-like" with rich jewel-tone colors; new wall coverings, mahogany desks and of course, the new Sheraton bed. The room is accessorized with attractive chrome hooks for luggage and toiletry bags; stylish sconce lighting to address poor lighting complaints that plague the hotel industry, and laptop-size safes - little touches that tell the Road Warrior that Sheraton understands their particular needs.

Starwood is investing more than $50 million to upgrade its most profitable hotel, the 2,400-room Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, the largest hotel in the Sheraton brand. The hotel will soon feature   The Westchester Room and the public space will feature a warm, club-like aesthetic inspired by New
York landmarks.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.