My worst fears in a hotel room--confirmed!

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   Proud Momposted 15 years ago

   I just came across this article on yahoo! travel.  Being someone who has always been rather uptight about staying in hotel rooms, the title caught my eye, "Confessions of a Hotel Housekeeper".  She goes on to talk about how well (or not) she actually cleaned the rooms.  Take a peek.  I'm interested to know if you are as disturbed as I was.
   
   http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-25303242

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2. 76

   Lissieposted 15 years ago

   Hmm sounds pretty reasonable to me - do you vacuum your own home every day or clean the sink -  I certainly don't! I worked as a housemaid long time ago and I can assure you it is a fantastic way to get fit and work crap hours! IMHO people with kids should be charged an extra cleaning fee! Business men were the best - the basically walk in walk out - rarely even use a coffee cup.
   
   I expect the place to be clean - but if a toilet is already clean - what does it matter whether its scrubbed or not ? I insist on clean sheets and check before I accept a room - but that's at cheaper places overseas

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   SweetiePieposted 15 years ago

   My sister used to be a housekeeper at a resort up in the mountains and cleaning other peoples' rooms was an interesting experience for her.  Their boss would give them a time frame to clean each room on a daily basis and insisted only certain things be done, so my sister could not even do extra cleaning if she wanted too.  Honestly I can sympathize with certain things the housekeeper said in the article about the man who watched her clean the room and told her that was building character.  How demeaning can some people be? 
   
   My sister appreciated the good hours and pay that came with this particular job, which had better compensation than many hotels.  However, she said the number one complaint was how some resort guests went out of their way to make unneeded messes.  It was not unknown to find used condoms inside the beds or sanitary napkins left on top of dressers.  I also went to some hotels with friends who thought it was funny to make a mess for housekeeping because "they did not have to clean it up," so I guess I try to see this issue from both sides. 
   
   Of course a room should be clean, but I would not expect them to clean the sink every day for me if I was staying there.  I always tried to leave my rooms exceptionally neat and even made my own bed. 
   
   Another alternative for people that do not want to stay in hotels could be a house exchange.  This way you could get to know the people you were exchanging houses before meeting.  Also, it would be a potential way to save money on a trip because they are staying in your house, and you are staying in theirs.

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      Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I can't even imagine having to do that with someone watching you.  I think that is ridiculous.  I hope that's not the norm.
      
      It's sad that people would do something specifically to laugh at someone else having to work harder because of them.   I just don't care for the fact that I am punished for their behavior.
      
      Sounds like your sister has good work ethic.  She sounds like a very nice person.

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         SweetiePieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         She was happy to leave housekeeping, even though that particular job I think she made almost 13 dollars per hour and had full time.  That was a very well paying job for housekeeping  and the only reason she stayed as long as she did.

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            Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Out of curiosity, did your sister receive monetary tips as the norm?  I've met alot of people who never knew it was warranted.

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4. 61

   Proud Momposted 15 years ago

   Lissie,
   Thank you for sharing your experience. 
   It's probably unreasonable of me, but I do, indeed vacuum, mop and scrub bathrooms everyday.
   You make a good point, but what I have a problem with is that we as consumers are led to believe that cleaning is getting done that is, in fact, not getting done.  If the hotel is not going to pay well enough to warrant a vacuumed floor and a scrubbed bathroom upon arrival, they should not tell us we will be getting those services. 
   I always leave a nice tip for the service we receive and make a point to speak to each and every service person, letting them know how very much I appreciate what they do.  I do not leave dirty diapers in the trash.  I wrap them in one of the extra trash bags at the bottom of the can and take them to the dumpster.  I don't want to smell them, either.  My children are taught to behave, no matter where we are, as if we were at our own home.  i spread my own covers back up in the morning, and gather all used towels and glasses to one spot to try to make them easier to replace.
   The point of all of this is that we as the consumers of the hotel business are looked down upon for patronizing the business at all unless we "walk in, walk out and never use a coffee cup".  We pay for the service, are told we will get the service, and find out we're not actually getting the service.
   I'm very sorry for the bad experiences you have had, but I promise that none of them were with me.

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5. 69

   Pam Robersonposted 15 years ago

   Proud Mom, I have to agree with you. I also saw a show on TV about this very thing. The things that end up on those bedspreads alone keep me out of hotels unless I absolutely have no choice. A friend of mine ended up getting bed bug bites all over her body from staying at a hotel. She spent months of treatment (including taking steroids) to control the itching and make it go away. Perhaps she was hypersensitive to the bugs, I really don't know because I've never experienced that.
   
   Oh...and my brother is the same. He actually takes an air mattress and his own linens to hotels. lol!

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      Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      BEDBUGS, Pam?????  Eeewwww!  I can't fathom!!  I bet she doesn't stay in hotels anymore!!

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   SweetiePieposted 15 years ago

   None of these experiences were mine, I was just sharing what my sister thought about working as a housekeeper.  Honestly I am also turned off by a dirty hotel room myself, and next time I thinking about a house exchange or staying with friend would be something fun to do when I travel.  Of course you as the paying customer have the right to ask for these services if the hotel advertises as such because that is false on their part.  I just have assumed all along whenever I stay in a hotel it is not very clean, even the ones that look clean to the sight of the eye.

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      Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sorry, Sweetie Pie.  (That's what I call my daughter ) I was responding to the first comment I guess at the same time you were typing.  The first reply I made was to Lissie.  Staying with a friend is definetly my preferred place of accomodations. 

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         SweetiePieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I am sorry, I am not real good at following the forums at times.  One thing I was thinking too of suggesting was if you stay in a hotel that advertises full cleaning services and does not do so, you could always ask for a partial refund.  I would imagine they want to keep their customers happy.

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            Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Once when my hubby and I checked into a very nice Hilton, he went straight to the bathroom to take a shower because we were late for dinner.  After the water turned off, I heard this expletive and saw something fly across the room.  When I went to investigate I found a pair of men's boxer shorts that were very obviously not his.  He said he reached for a towel on the shelf above the toilet, brought it to his face and realized something didn't feel right.  That's when he opened his eyes and found the boxers inside the towel!  We went straight to the desk.  Although we got to listen to some hearty laughs, we received NO compensation.

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      bgpappaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree that it comes down to basic customer service.  They shouldn't advertise and charge for expectations that they have no intention on keeping.  That being said, be nice to the people who clean the rooms.  They are doing a job and trying to make a living.  I have noticed the nicer you are, the better the service.  A little tip for good service is nice too.
      
      My own story, dirtiest room I ever stayed in was $300 a night.  When I complained the manager was shocked that I actually expected a clean toilet, but one that wasn't already full.  Refused any sort of accomadation.  I left, stayed at a $99 a night place.  The room was great.  Really the whole industry is hit and miss.

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         Proud Momposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Amen, bgpappa!  And I love your avatar!

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   LondonGirlposted 15 years ago

   After staying in hotels in India and MOngolia, none of the above would bother me at all.
   
   The worst was a "hotel" in Mongolia where the water wasn't working at all (incl. the loo), there was mould all over the walls, and a big hole in the (concrete) outside wall. It was mainly in business as the local knocking shop, as we discovered the noisy way.
   
   After that, we preferred to camp in Mongolia!

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   SweetiePieposted 15 years ago

   This is a very interesting topic, so I am going to create a hub request asking hubbers to share their worst hotel experience.

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   Proud Momposted 15 years ago

   Great idea!  I'd like to be the first one to read it!!! 

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    SweetiePieposted 15 years ago

    I just put in the request right now if even one is interested in tackling this topic.

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    LondonGirlposted 15 years ago

    I will -= but not tonight, Josephine.

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