Mystery shopper

A mystery shopper is a paid undercover inspector who stays at a hotel as a regular-seeming guest, then reports back on dozens or hundreds of service details, was the greeting warm, did the bellhop offer to call a taxi, did housekeeping miss a corner, was the bread served at room temperature? Major hotel chains use mystery shoppers 3-6 times per year per property. Forbes Travel Guide also uses them as the basis for star ratings. As a regular guest, you'd never know, they look exactly like anyone else (different ages, ethnicities, travel patterns), they pay full price, and their reports are confidential. The result: when service feels unusually attentive, it might simply be that the staff suspects you could be one.