Every serious restaurant and hotel is looking for signals. Information that allows them to do their job well, not demands or theatre. The empty notes field is a missed opportunity.
A thoughtful request is not an imposition. It is a contribution. A higher floor if available. Feather down pillows rather than synthetic. A room facing away from the street. At a restaurant: a quieter table, a booth rather than a chair, a position away from the entrance or deliberately near it.
None of this guarantees an outcome. That is not the point.
The point is that a precise note gives the staff something to work with before you arrive. It allows preparation. It signals that you care how the evening unfolds, which is itself a form of respect for the effort they are about to make.
The guest who says nothing receives what remains. The guest who communicates briefly and precisely is often met halfway.
The line is small. The leverage is not.