Do You Always Use Housekeeping?
 

I've noticed my last few business trips that I've started requesting no housekeeping.

Not sure why and was wondering if anyone else does this?

I only refuse housekeeping for business trips and not pleasure.

I pay for it I expect it and I use it.

I've never really thought about turning down housekeeping services, although I probably could since I don't really need it on a trip of only a couple or more days.

I'm pretty tidy and tend to pick up after myself so there isn't really much for them to do. Heck, I even make the bed before I leave the room each day. :D

If I'm staying at a place for a few days and the housekeeper makes the bed in a way that the bottom sheet won't stay tucked in--I make the bed.

The only service we might turn down would be "turn down" service. And that would simply be because we wish not to be disturbed.

In all the years that my husband has traveled for business, he has never requested "no housekeeping" -- he expects to return to a made bed and a bathroom with replenished towels.

I must have housekeeping. Paying for it, and one of the main reasons DH and I much prefer motels to RV's when traveling, I do not need to do a thing!!! If I wanted to make beds etc I would stay home. JMO

Oh, I meant to add...

I wonder if you are doing something differently on your business trips...

For instance, are you leaving your clothes spread out on the bed and rushing out the door? In that case, it's easier to leave your stuff on the bed. That might be a reason why you don't want housekeeping to make up your room.

No, I'm actually very neat in my hotel rooms.

I don't have them change out towels and I usually make my own bed.

Since I'm used to fighting for space in my queen bed at home with Mr.GoTravel and two large cats (they all snore), I don't even move in the King bed I usually get so there isn't really bed to make.

I must just be a weirdo.

:D

Sometimes I do... especially if there is no safe in the room.
I am pretty neat and really all I need is fresh towels, amenities and the trash removed. Even if I use the service I clean my room before I leave each day.
I bag my trash as I go and leave it on top of one of the cans. And since I clean certain things when I arrive, I often ask that they not clean them while I am there. For example, the bathtub.
I just have this fear that they use the same rag used to clean to toilet to clean the tub, the phone, etc...
I actually carry a small bottle of disinfectant. I travel a lot... and I just spray things before I use them. The bathtub is generally clean looking in the hotels I frequent, so I spray it down and let it sit for 10-20 minutes before I take a bath. I spray the phone handset, doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces.
I am sure this sounds extreme, but it takes just a second.
Anyway, after I get everything 'clean' I figure I can do without regular cleaning... just a refresh.

Ditto to Curt. I want clean towels and the trash taken out.

If I'm attending meetings on site, I like to be able to go back and forth to my room--if I don't need anything, I'll just leave the "no thanks" on the door.

I prefer to conserve resources by not having my towels and bedding washed daily, so I ask housekeeping not to come more often than I have them come.

I also prefer an unmade bed (I like to let the sheets air out during the day), so no need for me or them to do that work.

Occasionally I'll go ahead and have them come clean, and some hotels do offer the option to leave towels and bedding unwashed, but it's generally more hassle for me to have them come. Whether or not I've paid for it doesn't come into the picture - I pay whether I use it or not, but I have to deal with putting my things where they won't be in the way of cleaners if I do use it.

Cleaning your bathroom? Making the bed?? Lord, I don't do those things in my own home.

One of the joys of staying in a hotel is having someone do all this for me.

Always use maid service, always need towels and need trash removed. I travel with three slobs!!! I need someone to come in and make the beds and freshen the room!! I do pick up our dirty clothes and try to make it more liveable. I also bring wipes and wipe the phone, tv flipper and toilet seat down before we use them. That's it. I take my chances with the other bacterias that have been left behind. I never take a bath in a hotel room. I also like to bring my own pillow if possible. If flying, I don't. But if driving, I prefer my own pillow.

I always use housekeeping - esp on business trips. I end up using the room as an office and the second bed to spread out the projects I'm working on. (the desk is usually just big enough for my laptop and the one current project - not all the other projects and meeting materials).

But I definitely need someone to take out the trash, remove the breakfast tray, make the bed, bring fresh towels etc. Otherwise the room would be unlivable in 24 hours.

Once when I got sick I asked not to clean up as I had to stay in bed that day.

Do you worry about housekeeping rummaging through your belongings?

I just don't feel like depriving them from tips every day.

No, it doesn't have anything to do with tips. I usually leave $5-$7 my last day.

I guess I'm just a weirdo with freaky privacy issues.

GoT - We can be weird together - Mike T - Who said anything about cleaning their own bathroom??? Maybe I just missed it on my quick read-through.

But this clearly highlights some travel differences - I never have a breakfast tray in my room, and usually even after a few days in a hotel, my trash can is not full (what do you put in there????). I hang my towels at home to dry and use them for a week straight before washing, so I'm comfortable doing the same in a hotel.

It's not so much a concern that they'll go through my things, it's just more comfortable to feel the room is "mine" with no one else coming in and out while I'm gone. Or, heaven forbid, while I'm not gone! ;)

JLM. TTP says:

"Even if I use the service I clean my room before I leave each day . . . And since I clean certain things when I arrive, I often ask that they not clean them while I am there. For example, the bathtub . . . I actually carry a small bottle of disinfectant. I travel a lot... and I just spray things before I use them. The bathtub is generally clean looking in the hotels I frequent, so I spray it down and let it sit for 10-20 minutes before I take a bath. I spray the phone handset, doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces.

You're right - I missed it reading before. That's way cleaner than I choose to be anywhere! :-D

jlm, I'm with you on the towels and trash and will add vacuuming to your list! How many people use fresh towels every day at home, or vacuum, or empty the trash daily?? I realize trash cans at hotels are small, but how much stuff gets taken into the room that needs to be tossed out anyway? We don't have room service trays to worry about because we always put them in the hall when we finish.

That said, I DO use maid service, but only because beds generally need to be remade if they are using a flat sheet for a bottom sheet. If we are staying in a "green" hotel, we do reuse towels, absolutely.

I don't miss maid service in the least if we are staying in a condo that doesn't provide it and could do without it in a hotel.

Me too, JLM. The only time I'm that clean is for the two hours after my cleaning service has been to my place.

If I am staying only two nights, I almost always refuse housekeeping. I don't make much of a mess in one night, and I would rather not have my room and things disturbed.

Keith

jlm -

when I go to a meeting the work is usually non-stop, you collect and review and report on - and discard a lot of materials from competitors. I also take the opportunity of being away from the craziness of the office to review documents and proposals - send comments to the staff working on them and then throw out the originals. My trash can is full of papers - really stuffed - every day.

Plus I always eat breakfast in my room - it's a chance to catch up on e-mail while I'm eating - and an excuse to leave socializing with the client to some mid level folks (good experience for them and helps the client gain confidence that I don;t have to do everything - it's enought I have to take the clients to a foofoo dinner every night.

Usually we will refuse housekeeping for a few days at a time. I don't like to be without a room in the middle of the day if we come back from touring and the housekeeper has just arrived in the afternoon when we wanted to freshen up or whatever.

If we need soap or something I will get it outside from the maid at the cart in the morning. I never stiff the housekeeper though. There will always be the proper tip for the length of the stay on the table when we leave.

When traveling for business I almost always keep the "do not disturb" sign on the door and call down to tell them I don't need service. I'm a slob. I leave my stuff all over the room. I don't make up the bed. There are usually plenty of bath towels for my stay - and if not I'll switch out towels when I see the maid and cart.

But, the main reason is that I leave my laptop out and just don't anyone in the room while I'm out.

I DO remove the sign before evening turn-down service if it's offered. My new best friend is the night maid at the Ritz - she gave me handfuls of chocolates each night! :-) Of course, that was after a nice tip!

Interesting thread GoTravel, and interesting comments. Personally I would love to have Housekeeping at home every day if the truth be known.

I don't like clutter around..if I am staying for than one night in a hotel I hang my clothes up, put shoes etc. in the closet. My cosmetic's etc. go back in their bag when I am through with them. Reading material on the desk etc.

When I go back to the hotel to rest or get ready for dinner it is after 5:00pm so Housekeeping is finished.

I don't like reusing towels, especially hand towels for more than one day. And I hate making beds but love a properly made bed which Housekeeping always seems to do properly. Hate overflowing wastepaper baskets.

Actually I could live in a hotel and be quite happy.

oh boy...this is one of my favorite topics when I travel with my husband!

Hotel maids make barely above minimum wage. Many of them work two jobs to help support their families. If I can ease their aching back and legs even a tiny bit by letting them skip scrubbing my toilet and emptying my trash cans, I am happy to do so. It could just as easily be me in their shoes.

Vicki

But if a majority of hotel guest told the desk they didn't want Housekeeping it would seem there is a possibility that the hotel would cut down on the number of employees and consequently some people would be out of work. Just the other side of the coin.

" I can ease their aching back and legs even a tiny bit by letting them skip scrubbing my toilet and emptying my trash cans, I am happy to do so. It could just as easily be me in their shoes."

But you aren't. If they finish early, their boss will ask why they are done early and then assign them to other rooms. they also lose out on the tip.

I tip for every day I'm there - whether or not I use maid service. If anyone on this planet deserves a tip, its hotel maids.

If there is no demand for the service, the supply will be reduced. And that would certainly be unfortunate for those who need the paycheck.

I have at times stayed at a hotel during the day while SO is working (vacation for me). The one thing I have never seen is a housekeeper wash their hands. Never, ever. Not after collecting trash, cleaning toilet, collecting damp towels or sweeping the floor(dragging cord as they go).

Never before stocking clean towels, soap, glasses, making bed etc.

In other words, the appearance of clean is what it provided. Yes, I have at times been bored and looked by way of peephole in door when I heard noise from the hallway. I have seen bags of trash thrown on top of the cart (and "clean" towels, glasses, toiletries).

So, what do I do? Same as above, spray door handles, bath handles, shower area and bath counters. That is after I look at sheets, towels and bathroom to see that there is nothing really ick when I check in.

I don't want the housekepper handling everything after I spray it. I really don't want the housekepper handling my personal things.

I always tip well. I call housekeeping to request no service, leave the no service sign on the door. If I see the housekeeper in the hall (when I don't leave early for the day before they are in the hall) I tip them daily since I know some people work only some days. Otherwise, I leave a nice tip at the end.

I don't know what anyone else does at home. However, when I pick things off the floor or clean the toilet, I always wash my hands before hanging clean towels, making the bed or handling clean drinking glasses.

I love to travel. However, I know lower levels of hygiene are part of it. At the cheap hotel or at the fancy ones I've seen the same things.

Once I saw how things were done at hotels, I decided that new "clean" towels were not needed every day for me. I like to "let the germs die off them a little" (my little joke that SO and I share) before I dry with them.

What does everyone else do at home? Clean the toilet then hang clean towels or replace glasses with no handwashing?

I hope I haven't made anyone worry that didn't before. Before I saw the housekeepers at work I never worried about the "clean" things being really clean.

"but love a properly made bed which Housekeeping always seems to do properly"

But to my way of thinking, housekeeping never properly makes the bed. Another reason for me to avoid using them.

Keith

I also keep the Do Not Disturb sign on my door at all times.

I do give the maid my trash daily and get coffee packet refills.

Okay, another one of my weirdo things, does anyone else bring creamer and sweetner for the coffee machine from home?

I like Splenda and the creamer most hotels provide is chalk dust.

You know, I always thought I was:

>a weirdo with freaky privacy issues.

And maybe I still am. People have told me I should live in a bubble, but I'm willing to exit my bubble every now and again.

There are germs everywhere. If you live in a world filled with anti-baterial wipes, you will kill good germs along with bad. Wash you hands every now and again (esp. after using the bathroom and petting animals) with regular soap and water and live dangerously.

By the way, yes, I have put the do not disturb sign on the door to keep the maid away.

Sometimes i decline housekeeping services if I'm working nights, which is often. I can go a couple days with out service..trade out towels and take care of my own trash.

Never really thought about the supply and demand thing and its effect on jobs, but that does make sense.

On pleasure trips I do use housekeepind daily as I don't leave valuables in the room. Still I reuse towels if possible.

Nope, never have. I want the towels and am certainly not making my own bed in a hotel -lol!

On my last trip I requested no housekeeping simply because we had so many valuables laying around the room and we were in too big of a hurry to hide them all. For me it made the trip more relaxing because I didn't have to worry about my stuff while I was out of the room. When I'm not too lazy to put my things away then I guess housekeeping is nice. I usually don't have them change the sheets if I'm only there for a few nights, because I like conserving water too.