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The other day I shared one of my new favorite travel tech bits that I am simply in love with and so wished I had found this app so many years ago when I was traveling all the time. A while back I shared one of my biggest pet peeves about hotel rooms and that is the number of towels they include as a default offering, that is, 3 vs. some other number. When alone 3 is plenty but now I travel much more with my wife and 4 would be so much better as we only use a towel once (we do this at home also btw) and having 4 would at least cover us for two days under most circumstances.
But at a recent Hilton Home2 Suites we were presented with just 2 – yeah 2 bath towels. Really Hilton – really? Oh and there is more.
We have all seen big cut backs in daily room cleaning service that began during the worst of the COVID19 pandemic and have now stuck around as it saves the hotels money at our expense. Heck even cruise ships have gone from twice a day cabin service to just once (they better not cut even more). But now, per the sign on our bathroom mirror, there will be NO service unless we schedule it.
Sigh….
Not just that but there is no longer a “do not disturb” sign available and I guess I can see why because they are not going to “disturb” you period unless you ask to be disturbed!
I can see this spreading…
Think about it. If you always have to take the time to call and request service my bet is many will just say something like “eh forget about it” as it is not worth the effort.
For me I really don’t care for any 2-3 day stays as long as I can get enough towels but on week long stays I definitely want clean sheets at least once and a more thorough cleaning but I do like hanging out a “do not disturb” sign as soon as I enter the room and would miss them if they make an exit for good due to service changes.
What do you think? Are you OK with on demand ONLY room cleaning and service? – René
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Actually, as View from the Wing reported last week, Hilton is restoring daily housekeeping at many brands. They are also mandating a new brand of towels.
@FNT – He also pointed out they can offer guests to opt-out.
totally agree. All my work trips (which are solo) it is nearly automatic for me to put the card on the door when walking in. Very rare that I ever desire maid service.
I too have been disappointed in the corner cutting many hotel franchisees have taken with room cleaning and amenities (I like a lot of towels too). My preference is for daily cleaning remain an opt-out service. I agree with your comment that, when faced with the “task” of calling to schedule room cleaning, I typically don’t bother. And, on the occasions I have scheduled it (either at front desk during check-in or by calling), it’s about 50-50 that my room will be cleaned the following day. Even at hotels that provide daily cleaning for certain levels of loyalty, the follow through is hit or miss. Perhaps the compromise could be integrating the opt-in for cleaning on the hotel chain’s app. At least that way, it can be connected to a cleaning roster that is sure to get to the room attendant (vs. having to rely on a human to remember to write it down or enter it into a computer somewhere).
Please explain to me why people expect to have their rooms cleaned daily. Are these people slobs who don’t know how to keep their room tidy? Do these people have someone clean their homes daily? Other than bringing me extra towels, I have no need for any employee being in my room.
@David R – As mentioned in the post I tend to avoid daily cleaning but maybe think of it more like a cruise ship that is someone to empty trash, clean bathroom and make the bed for you so you can focus on relaxing or other things.
I replace my towels at home every day. If hotels eliminate or destroy what makes a hotel a hotel then customers will just use Airbnb. That explains Hilton reversing course.
I really prefer daily housekeeping if for no other reason than it tends to keep mildew out of the showers. In hotels where they’ve gone to every other day cleaning or even longer showers are getting gross. My perception may be skewed by the fact that most of my travel is in humid Florida.
Once we came out from under the cutbacks initiated during the pandemic, staffing in many industries and professions has remained a challenge. Consistent housekeeping staff are hard to come by, and this may be part of the issue Chris describes. However, my opinion is that some hotels and chains have used this as an excuse to cut back on these services for cost-savings reasons. When I do have housekeeping service my room, I tip generously because I know what a tough and usually thankless job it is.
I wish hotel rooms had bigger garbage cans. Often I wouldn’t have my room cleaned expect the garbage is full.
My husband and I don’t want housekeeping at a hotel. When I check in, I request enough towels for 4 towels each day that we will be there. Also other appropriate hand towels and washcloths. I also, now, request a trash bag as the little tiny trashcans are way tooooo small for my 4-5 day stay! Oh…. And more coffee, creamer, and cups. Then, we are all set and we don’t need anything else. The ONE thing I do want is the DO NOT DISTURB sign for my door! That is plain annoying!!
My wife and I PREFER to not have housekeeping in our rooms during the day when we are away, just from a security perspective. We feel it is less likely that an iPad or other valuable will be “misplaced” if nobody enters the room when we are not there. Almost invariably one of the housekeepers is in the hallway at some point during the day when we are in the room, and we just swap out the towels at that time. On longer stays, which are pretty rare, we will ask for fresh sheets every few days.
What I’m not OK with is picking the “I don’t want my room serviced” on the website during check-in, and then coming back one day and finding that my room had been serviced. I don’t want someone touching my toothbrush or pajamas, etc. If I know housekeeping is coming, I move everything away. When I complained when I checked out, I received a, “Let me check our database, yes, it says no housekeeping. Sorry, they must have misread it.”
If you say you are not coming in my room, don’t come in. To make matters worse, the supposed DND signs had such cryptic messages (some marketing guy trying to be cute or something) that I wasn’t sure it really was a DND, so I didn’t put it out.
Having sufficient towels is my requirement as well (not one per day, but at least spares for if I want a second shower after being out in the sun and the first one is still damp). I don’t mind asking for extra towels at the front desk.
If we are in a room for 5 days or more (rarely), we like room service midway through that time. We like to display the “do not disturb” sign right away. We switch towels every couple of days. We definitely don’t need daily service.
So, the next time you travel, keep the do not disturb sign and take it on all of your trips. Then you will always have one.
@Emmett – Well I am not going to pinch one but you have a good idea as I may make my own! Thanks.
Using a towel once is [redacted]. Wasting resources is selfish. Get with it, we’re more enlightened these days about ecology.
@jsn55 – You may want want to do some research how quickly nasty stuff develops on bath towels!
And even though 100% clean I don’t want my face day two to be hit by what I dryed last the day before.
I stayed in June at a Hampton Suites Hotel (A Hilton hotel) for 4 days. The room was not cleaned a single time & there were only 3 towels for the 4 days! Now, I have been in a Comfort Suites Hotel (a Choice Hotels hotel)for 3 days & the room is cleaned daily & 4 sets of towels are changed daily. I guess that Choice Hotels value their customer more than Hilton does!!
You really only use a towel once at home?? WOW
@Perry – Yup! Much more sanitary.
I’m a germaphobe, but I use my towels at home multiple times except for unusual circumstances. After all, I am only drying my body or hands that I just cleaned well with soap. And, I’m very concerned about doing good for the planet. So, perhaps reconsider? If we are in a climate emergency, like many politicians and scientists say we are, emergencies require behavior changes.
@Robert – I suggest you do some research on the negative impacts of using a bath towel more than once.
René, all I can say is I’ve done this all my life. I may use the same towel for months. I do hang up the towel so it dries fully. I haven’t been sick in many, many years.
New hotels: I press the button for the DND light to light up by my door. from the moment I enter until the moment I check out. Old hotels (what reviewers call “dated:” i hang the paper “Do Not Disturb” or whatever gimmicky saying sign on the door knob, which generally works. Last week, I stayed at an old resort hotel with screeching energitic children on the same floor running up and down and slamming doors. I opened the door to find that my paper door DND sign with the gimmicky saying was no longer there. A nearby housekeeper had no extra tags on her cart. She noted my room number, and told me to handwrite a DO NOT DISTURB sign on a scrap of cardbard ripped from the facial tissue box, and wedge that into the door nameplate, which I promptly did. That stayed put for the remainder of my stay, and I had no issues. Yeah, I’m in the “Stay out of my room, don’t mess with my stuff” camp (aka, “i’m too old for this 5h1t;) and I just grab whatever extra coffee pods or towels I need from the housekeeper cart which usually is nearby while the housekeeper is cleaning other rooms.