“You Make Someone Clean Up YOUR Mess?” I Was Scolded for Using Hotel Housekeeping

I grin to myself literally every time I leave a hotel room for the day and expect housekeeping to tidy up the joint.

Why?

Several years ago, a coworker (now a close friend) was very upset that I had the audacity to “make” another person clean my hotel room.

Here’s what happened — and I’m curious to get your thoughts afterwards.

”Seriously?”

I’m writing this post in a hotel lobby while housekeeping tends to my room. That’s what triggered the memory and I wanted to share it with you!

Let’s flashback to around 2016.

I traveled to events around the country and worked as a photo editor. One of my clients made their editors share hotel rooms. (Most jobs are handled remotely these days. We now have the luxury of having our own rooms on rare occasions we do travel.

I roomed with a variety of coworkers, all of whom were male. Problems rarely popped up.

A guy we’ll call “Bob” eventually became a frequent roommate and a dear friend.

But we had a rocky start. I remember this quite well.

Our call times for award shows were usually around 12:00 or 1:00 PM. As we left our room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (a home away from home), I hung the placard requesting housekeeping service.

“What are you doing?” Bob asked.

“Putting the housekeeping request thing on the door,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because I want them to make up the room,” I answered. Like, duh, right?

Bob scoffed. Loudly. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. He was genuinely offended.

“Is that a problem?” I asked.

“Seriously?” he challenged me.

“You don’t do housekeeping in hotels?”

“No!” he answered. “You really make someone else clean up your mess?”

“Well, I don’t really make a mess,” I explained.

“I would never expect someone else to clean up after my family!” he barked. “You should see the mess my kid creates!”

I wanted to ask if his child was a member of Led Zeppelin or The Who.

“I don’t make messes,” I told him, gesturing inside. “Our room is fine.”

“Whatever,” he said.

“You sure, honey?” I asked and closed the door — with the housekeeping sign on the handle.

A passive-aggressive war was about to break out — both of us are native Midwesterners. We could’ve kept fighting all day.

We eventually settled everything like adults: talking smack about each other in the press room and polling people about who was in the right. (I won by a narrow margin.)

In the end, it became a running joke. We roomed together until COVID changed the world. Bob knew to put his clothes and toiletries away before we left for work “so (I) could enjoy (my *expletive*) housekeeping, sweetheart,” he’d say with a wink and smile.

Reasons For and Against Housekeeping

Housekeeping is a service provided by hotels. People are hired specifically to perform that job. I don’t feel guilty using it.

This is generally how I leave my room for housekeeping:

Nothing too out of sorts, right?

When my family travels, there’s more “stuff” but we generally keep it out of the way. Any “mess” we leave is something that can usually be cleaned when housekeeping vacuums the floor or wipes down the surfaces. Like they do anyway. (I think we accidentally spilled wine or juice once. We told housekeeping and gave them an extra tip. Problem solved.)

My wife and I make our bed and wash the towels at home. Coming back to a hotel room with fresh towels and crisp sheets on a made bed is practically a luxury — especially now that we have a child.

When I don’t bring my laptop or tablet for the day, I lock them in my suitcase. The photographers I work with have very expensive equipment. Some of their lenses cost around $20,000 each. That’s not an exaggeration. They also have multiple cameras and other, less expensive lenses. Nearly all of them don’t want anyone else in their rooms — especially people they don’t know. Even when their gear is under lock and key, the “Do Not Disturb” sign is on the door throughout their stay. They’re fine reusing towels (or liberating some from housekeeping carts) and making their beds.

Final Approach

I have zero guilt about using hotel housekeeping services — when they’re actually provided or offered these days. I don’t trash hotel rooms or make disgusting messes.

Do you use hotel housekeeping? Or do you prefer that no one enters your room? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!