Is your hotel too hip for you?

Here’s an interesting article from USA Today about hotels that are so trendy they’re actually making their guests feel uncomfortable.

Some of the hallmarks of cutting-edge urban hotel design — lobbies that double as party lounges, low-slung seating that (for those of a certain age) make getting up gracefully a challenge, complicated in-room control panels that bewilder, oddly placed fixtures (think bathtub in the middle of the guestroom) and lighting so dim it's hard to see what's where — are signs that your hotel might be too hip for you.

Hotel consultant Daniel Edward Craig says some hoteliers have gotten so immersed in cutting-edge design, they've neglected service.

"If the service and staff are warm, they can overcome the initial intimidation you feel when you walk into a foreign environment. The problem is that some hotels have put so much money into design and hired the wrong staff," he says.

I wonder if the increased number of “boutique hostels” and the competition to be the coolest place in town might drive some hostels in the same direction.

Have any of you ever seen a hostel that’s “too cool?” One that’s focused so much on a cool design that they sacrificed functionality and service and left you or the other guests feeling uncomfortable? (This is just a general question. Please don’t badmouth any particular hostel if you do feel this way:))