Hotel Light Switches turn me off

Of late, I have noticed a trend in hotel light switches in that they are getting increasingly complicated. "What!", I hear you cry, "surely a light switch turns a light on and off?"

Well I have to agree with you on that and it is certainly my starting point. Increasingly though, I find myself wandering around hotel rooms, trying to get either some light or dark. Sometimes the switch for a table lamp will be on the floor, by the door or behind a desk. Not easy to find.

Then take the current room I am in. The picture shoes one of two light switches, or more accurate "light control panel". This is quite dark which some smart designer thought would look good against a dark wood wall. And they would be right. But try finding it in the dark.

From BrontoView 2012

And then when I do find it, it is not one switch but four. No symbol or word is offered to tell me how to turn on a particular light: actually, how can one room have so many lights? So as I stumble towards the bathroom, I end up stabbing all the buttons, until the light comes on in the bathroom. By this time, the whole room is lit up, so it is a good job I am not trying to disturb a sleeping partner.

Really, it is all too complicated. I do not consider myself stupid, but feel something is wrong if I am looking for the light switch instruction manual. Hotels need to stop trying to be clever and think about how their guests use their rooms.

And don't get me started that when all the lights are on, they are all too dim to see what you are doing ....