Clean hotels???
 

I have noticed that in a large number of posts one of the key questions being asked about hotels is cleanliness? I don't wish to offend anyone's sensibilities, but is there a rash of filthy hotels europewide? Do people routinely come across hotel rooms that are not clean? Is this a function of price and number of***? (But sometimes people ask if a 4 or 5* hotel is clean). Or is this a concern of only certain folks who expect everything to be sterilized like an OR?

I have only ever come across 2 hotels that were not clean. One was in Philadelphia and later became famous for legionnaire's disease. The other, in Paris, was taken only as a desperation move at 1AM - and at the price I'm not surprised it wasn't clean - I thought I would be sharing the room with wildlife.

I am sure I may have said the same thing once or twice myself, although I admit it sounds funny if you think about it.

I doubt there is a significant correlation to star level - at least I haven't noticed it.

However, more to the point, I suspect that what looks clean on the surface often isn't. Who knows what filthy, unsterilized rags they used to wipe those gleaming tabletops, for example? But I've resolved not to worry about such things - just focus on what I can do to remain healthy.

Hi
As someone who HAS caught Leagionaires disease in a hotel in Slovakia, I can tell you cleanliness is NOT the cause. The inn we stayed was a ski lodge that had not opened yet for the winter. Its shower had not been used since last season and the bacteria probably grew there. It is to me more important to have a hotel with some traffic in it, rather than an empty place.

I think asking if a place is clean has mostly to do with price and * rating and it's just a way to gauge expectations. It can be cheap, no frills, even threadbare but if it's clean it is probably a decent place to stay. I agree it sounds a bit odd as a stand alone adjective. I guess the question could be rephrased, "Would someone please convince me this place isn't a crack den or a whorehouse?"

Yikes! aieger, that sounds awful!

I also agree with WillTravel that sparkling does not necessarily equal clean. That goes double for the Merry Maids and the other agencies that clean private homes.

Generally top properties featured in T+L, Conde Nast lists and prestigious chains - Leading Hotels, Luxury Collection....

However, there are of course always exceptions, but you do usually (and I stress usuallly) get what you pay for!

I must admit, I've always been amused by the phrase, "all we want is a place that's clean". And I say to myself, I wonder if there are people who look for places that aren't clean? I can't imagine anyplace even a starless one that doesn't try or at least attempt to be clean. And from reports, I'm not sure that finding an unclean room is almost as likely to happen in a four or five star hotel as it is in a one star. Cleanliness has nothing to do with rust spots in the bathtub, corroding faucets, permanently stained carpeting, or even draperies that are hanging threadbare from the rods. Yet those are things I find equally offensive as dirt.

I find that one or two star places might not have the help or financial means to insure that a room is kept clean. I have found hair in the drains and tubs, rush and grime in corners, etc. in one and two stars.

I know you can find a hair or two in delux hotels, but the clientel would not stand for grime and mustiness, so they have to keep up their standards.

I have stayed at rundown places near the Rome airport for instance that were grimy and The Hilton which is spotless.

Some of the most obviously cleaned, bleached, and disinfected places I have stayed have been hostels. Many have lockouts during which no guests are allowed in for part of the day, and in the interim, they apply bleach solution to every surface they can find. Fine with me!

This reminds me of a funny ( SERIOUS)article I read a week or so ago. Some UK lab did testing in kitchens....the one that looked the cleanest and were wiped down regularly had the highest bacterial growth...the best of the lot were batchelor's kitchens that weren't sponged off , thereby spreading bacteria all around!

I meant to post that in my last post.
Here's that article:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstrac...A80894DC404482

Thanks, Willtraveler...I thought it was a UK paper

We nearly always stay in two stars (or fewer) and they have always been clean. If a room weren't clean, I would leave.

The only place I've stayed in that was really not up to my standards was a stupid Radisson in Tucson, Arizona. We were stuck there at a conference. It wasn't really dirty, but there was a loosely covered hole in the wall because they were in the middle of a renovation. I found it gross, but we stayed the night.

On the other hand, we stayed at a no-star in Belflou, France once that had several rooms sharing a bath. It was spotless and remained so during our entire stay. The food was superb also!!

Why does this discussion make me think of Woody Allen?

Cleanliness is very labour-intensive. It's one of the reasons for the success of establishments like McDonald's (after all, we all know it isn't the food that brings them the bucks...) As for star ratings, sometimes rooms that are more simply furnished are easier to keep clean.

I've cheerfully stayed in rooms that had smog-stained curtains but I can't stand any sign of mould - and my immune system can't, either. The other deal breaker would be insects or other fauna in the room.

I always wonder about that question also, because if someone feels it necessary to say that, to me it implies they are used to finding a lot of dirty hotel rooms.

I've never had a dirty hotel room in Europe, even 2* (never stayed in 1*). I have had rooms that were a little dirty in the US, but at budget properties. None were really filthy, but I mean when you find trash under the bed or places which shows they haven't vacuumed thoroughly, or trash in the wastebaskets or in odd places. I have had a couple budget hotels (in San Francisco and NY) with roaches, although the room looked fairly clean. Well, one of those was also one with trash in odd places including an empty wine bottle under the bed (the Grant Hotel in San Francisco). The other place with roaches was the Pickwick Arms in NY, which I rather liked except for that.

nytraveler
>...one of the key questions being asked about hotels is cleanliness?....is this a concern of only certain folks who expect everything to be sterilized like an OR?

I have only ever come across 2 hotels that were not clean. <

We are trying to not stay at those hotels if we don't have to.

We managed to find filthy hotels in Munich and London. Lucky us.

Ira -

That was 2 out of many dozens of hotels - and 1 was not unexpected (about $4 for the night - although it was many years ago) - so really 1 out of many dozens. Is it still something you really worry about?

I don't worry about it, but if someone else has information that's easy to get to help avoid it happening again, why not take advantage of it?

Hi NYT,

I second RTF.

When we stayed in Paris at the St.-James et Albany about 15 years ago the bathrooms were't cleaned in the 3 days we were in residence. The "suite" in general was grungy, and one of the cupboard doors in the mini-kitchenette was falling off the hinges.

Since this is the Europe forum I can't tell the story of a motel we stayed at in northern California, but it took the prize for pure Cold Comfort Farm--roaches and all.

I resisted posting earlier, but I'm with Underhill above! My TWO prize motels of nasty were on USA west coast road trips. Scary. Never experienced anything even close in Europe.

I agree, that surface cleanliness should be a given, even in a hostel, even in a room with a shared bathroom in a B&B.
I too have found that shabbiness, curling wall paper and stained carpet (such as I once found in a Four Seasons hotel in Toronto)can be just as depressing as seeing hair in the bathtub. If I want to look at a DIY special, I can just stay home.

I recently stayed in a B&B in London.
It was as basic a place as I've ever stayed in, including the tiniest bathroom outside of an airplane.
But not only was it clean, the room, bathroom, and public areas were in great condition. Not new, just well-cared for, and obviously replaced on a schedule as needed.