- #1
Thread Owner
When you stay at a hotel, you probably are wound up in your vacation. You hope the weather stays nice. You hope the hotel has an indoor pool. You hope you packed everything you needed. You hope you don't get a flat tire or run out of money.
You also, probably don't give a crap about the hotel room you're in, as long as it's clean.
I'm a housekeeper at a resort hotel in the Poconos.
I'm sorry, let's rephrase...
I'm an underpaid housekeeper at a RESORT hotel in the Poconos.
I work long hard hours for NOT enough money. On the occasion someone leaves a tip. But this occasion is a rare one, unless it's around the holidays, when people feel more giving.
Housekeepers are humans. I don't know if the general public FORGETS this, or what it is...
We do not clean the same rooms every single day, and believe it or not, we get days off.
If the housekeeper did a horrible job? You don't need to harass the housekeeper the next day. It may not be their fault.
The housekeepers ALSO understand how frustrating it is for you that there are no fresh towels available. Keep in mind that the housekeepers only clean rooms. We don't do the laundry as well. That's what the laundry people are for. We can only get the towels to you as soon as the machines are done washing them. Hey, you give us your dirty towels? We can clean them faster.
Do not disturb signs? Are there for a purpose. If you don't want a housekeeper waking you up at 9am? PUT THE SIGN ON THE DOOR HANDLE.
We knock when we start work. If you don't have the sign? We will knock. And we will open the door if you don't answer. Which means, if you sleep naked, you will want to use that DND sign.
I have seen enough unattractive (and attractive but mostly not) people naked to last me a lifetime.
If you don't want any service for the day? PLEASE! If you see the housekeeper in the hallway? Let them know your room number and that they don't need to clean it. There's nothing worse than knocking a hundred times just for the person to say "WE'RE STILL IN HERE" a thousand times. If you don't want anything, speak up. We'll leave you alone. We'll be THRILLED to leave you alone.
If you leave a tip for your housekeeper while you're out? Write a note. We, believe it or not, don't LIKE to take money if we don't know for sure that it's for us. Leaving it on the bedside table will not indicate that it is for us. We get accused of stealing often, even though it's RARE that a housekeeper steals. It's near impossible to get away with. If you want the housekeeper to have a tip, we are not turning your tips down. Just... find a way to indicate that we should be taking the money you leave out.
Please ASK for extra towels. Don't just take them off the cart. When you ask, we will be happy to hand you some extra towels. But we get confused when things disappear. We like to know where they're going. You're welcome to the towels. Just... let us know so we know how many extra we'll be needing for the day.
There are so many housekeeping pet peeves...
OH:
Tip for you traveling people who stay at hotels: If you want your beds made by the housekeeper? DO NOT leave stuff all over them. A few clothes or the remote is no big deal. But a housekeeper will probably NOT make your bed if you have electronics on it. We try not to move that stuff. Because if it breaks? WE cannot afford that stuff. Really. Don't make a big fuss over it. We'll be glad to come back and do it if you want us to. But we probably didn't make the bed because there was something expensive looking on it.
You also, probably don't give a crap about the hotel room you're in, as long as it's clean.
I'm a housekeeper at a resort hotel in the Poconos.
I'm sorry, let's rephrase...
I'm an underpaid housekeeper at a RESORT hotel in the Poconos.
I work long hard hours for NOT enough money. On the occasion someone leaves a tip. But this occasion is a rare one, unless it's around the holidays, when people feel more giving.
Housekeepers are humans. I don't know if the general public FORGETS this, or what it is...
We do not clean the same rooms every single day, and believe it or not, we get days off.
If the housekeeper did a horrible job? You don't need to harass the housekeeper the next day. It may not be their fault.
The housekeepers ALSO understand how frustrating it is for you that there are no fresh towels available. Keep in mind that the housekeepers only clean rooms. We don't do the laundry as well. That's what the laundry people are for. We can only get the towels to you as soon as the machines are done washing them. Hey, you give us your dirty towels? We can clean them faster.
Do not disturb signs? Are there for a purpose. If you don't want a housekeeper waking you up at 9am? PUT THE SIGN ON THE DOOR HANDLE.
We knock when we start work. If you don't have the sign? We will knock. And we will open the door if you don't answer. Which means, if you sleep naked, you will want to use that DND sign.
I have seen enough unattractive (and attractive but mostly not) people naked to last me a lifetime.
If you don't want any service for the day? PLEASE! If you see the housekeeper in the hallway? Let them know your room number and that they don't need to clean it. There's nothing worse than knocking a hundred times just for the person to say "WE'RE STILL IN HERE" a thousand times. If you don't want anything, speak up. We'll leave you alone. We'll be THRILLED to leave you alone.
If you leave a tip for your housekeeper while you're out? Write a note. We, believe it or not, don't LIKE to take money if we don't know for sure that it's for us. Leaving it on the bedside table will not indicate that it is for us. We get accused of stealing often, even though it's RARE that a housekeeper steals. It's near impossible to get away with. If you want the housekeeper to have a tip, we are not turning your tips down. Just... find a way to indicate that we should be taking the money you leave out.
Please ASK for extra towels. Don't just take them off the cart. When you ask, we will be happy to hand you some extra towels. But we get confused when things disappear. We like to know where they're going. You're welcome to the towels. Just... let us know so we know how many extra we'll be needing for the day.
There are so many housekeeping pet peeves...
OH:
Tip for you traveling people who stay at hotels: If you want your beds made by the housekeeper? DO NOT leave stuff all over them. A few clothes or the remote is no big deal. But a housekeeper will probably NOT make your bed if you have electronics on it. We try not to move that stuff. Because if it breaks? WE cannot afford that stuff. Really. Don't make a big fuss over it. We'll be glad to come back and do it if you want us to. But we probably didn't make the bed because there was something expensive looking on it.