The Guest Inspector.(International Edition; SPECIAL REPORT: TRAVEL)(hotel undercover inspection)

Byline: Sana Butler

At some point during Paul Watson's stay at a Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) property, the retired communications executive gets down on his hands and knees. "My favorite place to look for dirt is in the corners," he says. He expects the hotel staff to refer to him by name, the operator to pick up before three rings and the bartender to make small talk when pouring a drink. "I look for the same level of service no matter where I go," he says. "It should hit me in the face."

Watson (not his real name) is not just an overly demanding hotel guest. He is one of about 175 volunteer travelers from around the world who have signed up for the Mystery Inspector program offered by SLH, a member organization of more than 500 independent hotels. In exchange for one or two nights on the house, the inspectors fill out a 32-page questionnaire, scrutinizing everything from the bellman's shoes to the bathroom towels. The oncea-year visits are anonymous, and usually coincide with a preplanned vacation because volunteers pay their own airfare.

Most hotel companies have some sort of undercover inspection process in place, or they hire an outside consulting firm to manage it, like Coyle Hospitality Group, which refers to guests as "weapons of choice."

Feedback from guest inspectors is taken seriously. With SLH properties, for instance, if a hotel receives a bad report, another inspector is immediately sent out. If it fails the second inspection, the hotel goes in front of a trial committee. "We offer a six-month trial period for ...