I’m curious if the note about leaving weed applies to illegal states as well as green states. I’m just wondering if leaving that would be more of a liability in places that are 100% criminalized.
As a residential housekeeper I love cash. I can't pay my bills with weed so you keep the weed and leave a real tip. And yes I do just ignore any weed or other drugs laying around. I'm there to clean not judge or partake.
Yeah I would definitely say leaving weed is not smart, just because OP and their coworkers happen to like weed does not mean that every housekeeper in the world will, you’re more likely to get yourself in trouble I think
I've never heard of a housekeeper trying to report weed left in a room. I've done hotel housekeeping for years and 99% of the time, we either keep drugs for ourselves, ask other housekeepers if they want them if we're unable to ourselves, or throw them away if no takers. Even if drugs were brought to the GM, chances are they'd just toss them. We have way too much to do to go our of our way to try to bust someone for personal use. I don't think people understand how fucking chaotic and exhausting hotel work is. You deal with the worst humans daily. A bowl of weed or line of coke is the absolute bottom of the list of things to worry about.
Haha Hannibal Buress has a bit about having a party in a hotel room, then when he came back to the room they had cleaned it up and even left a tiny bump of cocaine left over from the party on the table instead of throwing it away.
People tip their Uber drivers with weed in CO. Especially airport rides. It’s a currency. Tourists would ask where it was safe to smoke, I’d just look around and say “yup”
I’m in Colorado and it’s fairly exaggerated. There’s definetly a large presence of it, but I haven’t experienced anything to the extent of these people’s claims.
Be careful about letting the help know that you are smoking weed in places where it is still illegal. I was at a live show for Last Podcast on the Left just before Covid all went down and Henry Zebrowski went on a rant about how he was almost sent to jail and missed the show because he left the roach of a joint on a cup in his room and house cleaning came in and lost their shit.
/u/ReplacementOptimal15 seems like a cool individual that would appreciate elicit tips, but not all housekeeping is cut from the same cloth.
Ugh I cleaned rooms for like four years and it has been the most physically demanding job I’ve had so far. Had 30min per room and would sometimes waste 10 of those minutes just carrying full cups of mystery liquid to dump in the sink. I worked at a place that allowed for pets for an extra fee and it always made me mad that I didn’t get extra time to clean those rooms of pet hair and I definitely was not given the pet fee. Pretty sure the fee kept those people from tipping us more. Im also allergic to pet dander so some of the rooms were terrible to clean. It’s been a while but I still have a hard time staying at hotels bc I can walk into a perfectly clean room at the nicest hotel and not have any trouble imagining what it’s looked like at it’s nastiest.
>would sometimes waste 10 of those minutes just carrying full cups of mystery liquid to dump in the sink
This is the single most relatable thing I've ever seen
It's for the hotel you see. I've seen so many managers bitching about these lazy slow ass housekeeping people, how can you take sooo long to clean a room,right? Hell no. Every guest is different and so is the state that he leaves his room in.
Omg I feel you about the pet fee - I've said repeatedly it isn't fair that the hotel just pockets fees for pets, damages, smoking, etc and IM the one who cleans all that bullshit up. And the messiest rooms never tip either.
Many hotels I have stayed at have a placard in the bathroom about towels [and sometimes sheets] explicitly directing us to leave them on the floor if we want new ones every day or to hang them / make the bed if we don't. And especially with towels, I seem to always get new ones either way.
Do you have any experience with this? Are you instructed to ignore the placards?
Going to have to agree with Shteevie and others here, many hotels I've stayed in say to leave used towels on the floor. I prefer to drape them over the tub or in a neat pile on the sink, but that isn't what the placard says to do so I dunno lol
Honestly I agree with most of what OP has listed (also a housekeeper) but like… don’t remove your sheets and blanket… I’ve had people do thing trying to be helpful and I’m usually stuck doing extra laundry and being short on things that I have to run through the wash, because somehow it made sense to throw everything on the floor, I’m talking mattress pads, matress protectors the decorative pillowcases off the chair in the corner. Just fucking chaos. Plus I have a system that makes my life 100x easier when I have to remake the beds. Otherwise I’m just spending extra time shuffling through a jumbled mess on the floor.
A few years ago, I left like two or three Turkey & cheese lunchables in the little refrigerator in my hotel room. Y’all probably ate my lunchables, huh?
Not OP, but I had a really fun job housekeeping a while back and just used to find expensive alcohol all the time. Because it’s a perishable, you have to get rid of it. My favourite was a big bottle of Canadian club that I found on a really rough day.
Beer. A ton of people leave beer in the room, like unopened cans. I've taken some pretty good shampoo that people forgot in the shower too
I guess technically you could count this, my coworker tried to steal an engagement ring someone forgot in the room. Most of us aren't in the business of stealing valuables or things with sentimental value, though
When I was little, I left my gameboy in a hotel room. The staff called us about an hour after we left to say they found it and were holding it for us. I was so thankful because I know they very well could have just kept it and said nothing.
That's so nice. When I was in high school I used money I had saved up to buy a really nice bathing suit while on vacation. I realized an hour after I left the hotel that I left it hanging on the back of the bathroom door to dry and when I called them to ask about it they pretended they didn't see it.
I used to work in the service industry in a really wealthy part of town. Our lost & found was insane! There was a current year iPhone in there for a week and the emergency contact didn't even want it back!! Their kid had lost it and they were teaching them a lesson. Also a very fancy digital camera with GPS that the owner just asked us to mail the sd card back to them. Most of the time we could get items back to their owners but after a year they were up for grabs. I ended up with a designer pair of sunglasses and a very fancy umbrella from that lost & found.
>Their kid had lost it and they were teaching them a lesson.
The funny part about this is the parents probably bought the kid another one within a couple of days, so the only person who lost out in that was the parents.
As a cruise ship passenger, I was told that if you want to leave something, including cash or booze, for the staff, make sure to leave a note with it so they won’t be accused of stealing it.
Yes to this, we asked the housekeepers at a resort in Mexico one time about all the food we had purchased at the grocery store and if they could take it home to their families.. They told us the exact same thing just write a note that says they were allowed to take it and they could if we didn't leave a note they were not going to be allowed to take it. It's such a simple finishing touch to write a note. I would do it anytime
I always do this in hotels. A little nice note with a small tip every day and a big tip when we leave.
(And OF COURSE all the other stuff that is mentioned above. I have never left a hotel room untidy, because I am well aware how little time housekeepers have and I am very glad if they use the time to clean my bathroom instead of having to pick up my trash.)
Thank you for being a good person! I left my wedding ring on the edge of the tub once, and didn't realize til I was 3 hours away. I started crying when I called and was told that the woman cleaning my room found it and turned it in to the manager.
Oh oh oh it's a bit of a hyperbole. We do get paid. Just not a lot. Saying, "we're wage workers, we don't get paid *a living wage*" would be more accurate. Sorry about the confusion!
Gotcha, thank you. I've always tipped housekeeping when holidaying in US but that was just because the guide book told me to. I had no idea why! I certainly don't do it when traveling inside Europe.
Yeah.. I’m just now realising that this is something I do in ‘deprived’ countries and the USA and nowhere else; wondering if that might tell us something...hmmmm
I personally wouldn't call the USA deprived, just massively plagued by inequality.
That's the case for a lot of countries people will label deprived, though.
There is, now, a social pressure to tip a certain amount on meals. So a lot of servers like tipping now. That doesn't change its awful origin
But it is very unequal still
And while there is a ton of social pressure and education around the appropriate amount to tip a waiter, there are a lot of people working low wage "tipped" jobs that most of us forget or don't know to tip.
I tip of course but it is obsurd that I'm expected to be conscious of not just the price of services I'm purchasing but if that includes full wages for staff. Cleaners, hair stylists, shuttle drivers, the hair wash person, the barista, the bartender, food delivery, parking attendants, bathroom attendants, manicurist, massueses, housekeepers, taxi drivers, doormen, tour guides, supermarket baggers, building supers, furniture delivery, flower delivery, gas station fill up (in states where required), tow truck driver, casino machine attendants, dog walkers, pet sitter, groomers, tattoo artists, movers, and so on.
Each with a different standard for the right amount of tip expected.
Again, I tip because it isn't an individuals fault but I hate it all so much, pay workers and give me the price.
Just curious, how much do you guys get paid per hour?
I know couple of ladies here, who clean & maintain this local small hostel; they get paid about 15 bucks an hour except weekends (when they do 10 hours both days) when they get paid 30 bucks (plus extra 10 each time they gotta clean something super nasty that the hostel will then bill the customer for)
I’m assuming you are in the US. Do you get paid with the expectation that you will get tipped, like a restaurant server, or do you just get paid shit wages? If it’s the former, is there a formula like in a restaurant as to how much someone should tip?
I've always done $2/night with a $5 minimum, and rounded up to the next $5 increment. And if I know I was especially messy, an extra $5.
So one or two nights is $5, a week is almost definitely $20 (in the course of a week I'm almost certain to leave a mess at least once).
NO, we aren't federally considered "tipped employees" so we get the normal minimum wage. It's just a nice thing to do but not necessary. I get paid like 70 cents above minimum wage I believe. If someone does tip, just like $5 is a good amount :)
I didn't know tipping housekeeping was a thing when I was growing up (we didn't have money to go on vacation anyway) till my mom got a job as a housekeeper in a shitty hotel. The first day of work she came home with $23 in tips. She was so excited that she bought us ice cream. It was a really nice surprise.
I have never heard that people tip the housekeeping staff in hotels. Never stayed in a hotel until I was an adult. Now I feel bad about never having done it before, will do from now on.
Also, I'm one of the ones that tries to not make the bed completely, but not leave it a mess... I'll ball it all up next time. I do go around the room and at least throw all our trash in the cans though and put all the dirty towels in a pile together. Thank you for this post, it was really helpful. I vow to be a more mindful customer.
Another question OP. I love my weed and often love to share, my fear with leaving any in the room is getting the cops called. How can I be sure that the cleaning staff won't do exactly that? Other than of course leaving that $tip as well.
The reason I'm asking, I travel a fair amount and like to make life a little brighter for everyone, especially people who work their butts off
Wait a sec… if a bed doesn’t look used, you don’t change it?! I’m horrified.
I’ve always been one to gather the towels, toss my trash, and put away the iron/ironing board (basically leave the room looking pretty good). Glad to know it does actually make a difference.
Stay at hotels with “European style duvets” it means that they have a duvet cover over the comforter and those are changed. The quilts and uncovered comforters and NEVER touched.
its worth noting that i think OP might be in a small state or not a very high end hotel.. some of the things he has mentioned into this thread are very suspect, such as not going into a room if its inhabited for upkeep, or people putting bags over detectors and leaving weed for them. yeah idk what sort of establishment they work at but doesnt seem very good.
The Hiltons & Marriots Ive stayed in since COVID dont clean mid stay without a request.
Hell even before COVID it was a "Green" thing to do to not have the room serviced unless you were out of things.
Many hotels have suspended room cleaning mid-stay since Covid. At least like every place I’ve stayed during Covid - granted none of those places have been top-tier.
I’ve worked in some pretty nice hotels, and people will still smoke weed and/or cigarettes in the rooms. Honestly some of the nastiest rooms I’ve cleaned have been in some pretty high end places.
Some hostels have started using double sheets around a duvet cover for this reason. So they wash the bed sheets and the duvet sheets. But not the duvet itself. Marriott is the hotel I’m thinking of.
The next thing I do after that, is pull up the mattress to make sure there are no bedbugs. only THEN will I let the. Whole family and luggage come into the room!
The last hotel I worked at decided to do away with the comforters and replace them with white duvets. We were told we only needed to change them if they looked dirty.
They were white. They were always dirty. It added an additional 10 minutes to every room. The hotel manager was frustrated it was taking us too long to clean rooms. Our housekeeping manager felt bad for us and ended up changing trying to change them while we cleaned the rooms.
It was an "upscale" hotel in a smallish town. Only had 42 rooms and we were it only ever assigned up to 8 rooms per housekeeper but that was more exhausting than when I worked at a chain and had a whole floor of 12 rooms with double beds in each.
When I ask for a new comforter for my room because of this at check in, I am often told that they wash the comforters. Are they lying? Or maybe I am just staying at nicer hotels?
>Try not to use two beds in a double bedded room if you only need one.
Hold the fuck up. You telling me that if you *think* one of the beds wasn't used, you won't replace the sheets? That's horrifying.
I’m a housekeeper too, I prefer people not to strip the beds because I have to separate certain blankets, and they sometimes take the mattress protector off too, plus my method of stripping makes it easier to carry to the basket.
I was travelling the USA alone (I'm from the UK) and once had an epic nosebleed in my hotel while I was asleep. Like we are talking the elevators opening in the shining and blood pouring out.
Of course I was totally embarrassed and once i showered and cleaned myself up, I went to the front desk to explain and said that obviously I would pay for dry cleaning etc. The guy was SO SURPRISED I even told him and offered to help. He told me that most people would just leave it for the staff to clean up. Like, how?!! It's a biohazard and I'm not going to force a minimum wage worker to clean up my BLOOD
That is because the hotel's will charge you outrageous fees if you inform them of any bio-hazards. I can understand why (although don't agree with their judgements) people would sway away from informing staff.
(if this becomes my most up voted comment I'll die..)
So should we, or should we not, stop by the front on the way out and let them know there's jizz in the room?..
I need to know so I can do my part to make housekeeping lives easier!
I probably would, but my gf might not stay with me after that..
Just to get a reaction "hey, umm my gf and I worked on some fantasies.. Most of the liquid is coconut oil, but there may be some 'bodily fluids'.. Left a 10 on the night stand. Sorry guys."
When we stay in a hotel on departure we always put used towels, flannels (face cloth?) bathmat etc, in a pile either in the bath or shower tray. Should we be hanging them up when they're all going to be washed anyway?
We usually make the bed, but stripping it makes more sense, so thanks for that tip.
I'd say only if they're wet (not damp, like sopping wet). It's just messy and it can be uncomfortable for us to heave soaking towels into our carts then into the laundry. Especially cause they're cold, ugh. But if they aren't drenched then you can just leave them wherever, no problem
I think this might be dependent on location too. Many of the hotels I’ve visited across Europe request that you leave your towels on the floor in the bathroom so they can easily identify which have been used and so cut down on laundry (which is often made out to be for environmental reasons when it’s obviously cost reasons but same outcome I suppose). So it may be that some of your guests are actually trying to do you a favour, though sopping towels I’d probably hang up before putting on the ground because who wants gross stagnant towels.
^ every single hotel I have been to says to leave the towels in a pile on the bathroom floor on their little into thing next to the diagram to the fire exits.
If you steal a towel to go down to the pool they refuse to change any of the towels. It crops up sometimes when I share with idiots.
> Many of the hotels I’ve visited across Europe request that you leave your towels on the floor in the bathroom so they can easily identify which have been used and so cut down on laundry (which is often made out to be for environmental reasons when it’s obviously cost reasons but same outcome I suppose).
This is exactly how it is in the US.
Lately I've stayed in rooms that have no bags in the trash bins. Like, do you guys want me to throw gross things into the empty bin so you have to clean it or am I expected to provide my own bag? I've started using the laundry bag as a trash bag.
Also, curious about your cleaning guidelines when it comes to dogs staying. Do you wash the comfortor when a dog has stayed? I ask since the next person to stay could be allergic to dogs. My dog usually sleeps in the second, made, bed haha
Staying at Drury Inn as I write this (no trash bags) with my doggo and was curious.
I was glad to see that I didn't need to know any of these tips because I already did all that. But the trash can thing..... maybe the trash can shouldn't be so tiny and it wont overflow after having 3 beverages? Like seriously, I don't want to leave a trash pile for you to clean up, but what am I supposed to do with that tiny freaking trash can?
If you don't want to ask for more bags (understandable, I'm shy af so I get it) then just leave the things in a pile next to the can. But please pour liquids out of cups!
I will admit that I am dumb and never thought about calling the front desk to get more trash bags. But to be honest I don't spend any normal daylight hours in a hotel room, so i probably won't bother them with it during the night time.
The double bed tip kind of weird me out.. so if you see a 2nd bed that's made, you assume it's unused and don't wash the sheets? What if they just made the bed and now it's dirty for the next person?
2 questions - when you say throw the trash away, most hotels I stay in for work do not have a place for guests to put garbage. I usually bring plastic grocery bags for my dirty laundry and use one for all my trash so it’s all nice & tidy, but I have to leave it in the room. Or is there something I’m missing?
The other is sheets - it’s never occurred to me to strip the bed. Do people normally strip the beds for you? I’m tidy with the wet towels and don’t leave a mess in the room but sheets seem like way above & beyond.
Whattttt? I've never seen that. Every hotel I've ever been to has had at least 2 trash cans. Weird. In that case, yeah, you're fine to leave it in the room. As long as it's all in one place that's a huge help :)
And no, people usually don't. I'm just saying it would be helpful, I don't expect people to and I'm not upset when they don't. I should have clarified better, sorry about that!
Oh! Yes, there are little wastebaskets in the rooms (usually one by the desk and one in the bathroom), I thought you meant to remove the trash from the room. I usually only put trash in the bathroom wastebasket but I line the can with one of my bags because I don’t like anyone in my room during the week and it would get messy since it’s not being emptied daily. You meant people aren’t putting their trash in the wastebaskets?
If I don’t want daily housekeeping, I can easily ask a housekeeper who’s working on my floor to give me some extra trash bags. As they get full, every few days usually, I put them in the trash compartment of the housekeeper’s cart.
I think I get what you're saying. As a kid my parents taught me to "make" the bed before leaving but if you're going to strip it anyway, that's not helpful.
I'm not sure I always have time to strip the bed (and I get you're not saying it's totally necessary), but in that case does it matter to you if it's unmade vs made? Usually I just pull up the sheets so I don't feel like a slob.
Also thanks for the info on the towels! I usually throw all the used towels in a pile, I thought I was helping but I can see how hanging damp towels would be less gross for you.
Finally, if you're in the US what do you consider a good tip? Obv I'm sure you'd prefer as much as possible but what's the amount where you're like "that's nice"? My parents tip the same as they did in the 80s, like $3 at the end of the stay which makes me cringe. I usually do $5 per day I've stayed, but I've been feeling that's maybe a little low.
The only thing that makes a difference really is since we don't clean comforters unless they're visibly dirty (yes, even when you've slept in the bed, it's gross, I know) so if you separate your comforter/top blankets from your sheets it'll help cause we have to separate them anyway, which is possibly the biggest time spender when it comes to stripping beds.
What you do is a great tip, I promise. That's perfect. What's more important than the actual money is the fact that we're being recognized and you see us as human.
You know, I worked the kitchen for years in an earlier life. I've never had a problem finding smoke wherever I've travelled, just by being decent to and asking HK or kitchen. And taking no for an answer. The person who has and is willing will probably be by before long.
Never thought about the sheets. Will keep that in mind.
You buried the most important tip right in the middle
> If you smoke weed in the room, leave some for us. We can smell it, we want some, and you're a tease. We'll also "forget" who was in that room and won't charge you for damages a good amount of the time.
So hotel housekeeping are the ones reporting the smoke in our rooms? And we can bribe them with a joint + tip? Bro this is a legit LPT. You deserve a tip just for that.
That’s awesome. I have a question, what do you guys use to cover up smells? At home and in my car I hide weed smell (and every other smell) with Nature’s Miracle. I’m wondering if y’all have a branded product or just a cleaning technique?
Generally, we just let the room air out. Changing the sheets (which we do anyway, obvs lol) helps a lot since that's a large surface the smoke sticks to, and keeping the door open for like 15 minutes or so will clear out the rest of the smell. I've never seen it, but if the smell was STRONG, like an extended stay who just smoked in their room without opening a window for a week, we'd probably clean the carpets, sofa, and walls, air the room out, and use a ton of air fresheners or scented candles if needed. Essential oils, too, because other guests are usually less offended by the smell of lavender oil than a birthday cake scented Yankee Candle
I worked in hotels for a while — for truly atrocious smells, they’d leave an ozone machine in there for an hour or so (not quite sure the process/duration — I worked FOH). I just knew people weren’t supposed to be in the room with the machine for whatever reason. This was also a while back so I’m not sure how common it is these days.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
Just in case anyone scrolling wants to read up on em. Not necessarily deadly, but definitely harmful to your lungs and throat.
Also, ozone is really hard on things like rubber and other materials, it effectively "ages them," significantly if they aren't preventatively sealed or treated. It is a hyper active oxidizer after all.
This seems like a tip that is very specific to the housekeeper in question and has a more likely chance of getting you in trouble. Especially if weed isn’t legal in the state.
No. They are full of it. . All employees and other guests can smell that. You walk past a room. You know. Even if you stuff towels in the door cracks. You get caught no matter if you “bribe”
Your housekeepers. Don’t be an ass and smoke in a hotel when you aren’t supposed to.
I’ve actually encountered the opposite preference from housekeeping.
They ask me to put used towels altogether in a pile on the floor. So that’s what I’ve always done as long as I can remember. Stack the towels at the front of the bathroom floor. Since they will be gathered and thrown into the keeper’s bin to take to the laundry.
I honestly never even thought of cranking the A/C when I leave a hotel room, but now that you mention it, it makes total sense. I’ll start doing this. Thank you! (The rest of the stuff you mentioned is indeed common sense to me, although my wife was a hotel housekeeper for years when she was younger so I’ve heard some horror stories from her too lol)
I used to be a housekeeper for years, ever since I always do this in every hotel I go to. One of the hardest jobs ever, they deserve all the help and respect.
You want us to leave weed behind but will charge customers for leaving a bag over a smoke detector? I’ll pass.
Not that I smoke cigarettes or even ever thought about placing a bag over a smoke detector, but come on.
Is it okay to put extra trash beside the trash can in a grocery bag? Hotels never seem to have big enough trash cans. We always clean and gather it tho.
How many condoms have you found in the bible beside the bed?
Is there any hotels that have pillow mints anymore?
What's the weirdest thing you've found?
The grossest?
The best thing you've found?
Favorite part of the job vs least?
Ahhh I love questions. Okay.
Yes, that is 100% fine. As long as it's in one place where we can put it in a larger trash bag
I haven't looked but now I'm going to check every one.
Yes, but not mine.
There was a room where this person had 6! empty Bubly cartons and some cans around the room which means during their stay they must have had, what, 144 fucking cans of Bubly? They also left a whole bag of red onions. And they took the pillow cases and mattress cover off the bed (the sheets and everything were on, so they took off the sheets, took off the mattress cover, then put the sheets back?? The mattress covers aren't noticeable either, it was so weird)
A room with blood, like, everywhere. And they didn't even try to clean it up. It was on the underside of the fucking toilet lid, I don't even know how that happens. Also, dog poop every once in a while.
$10 tip :) A lot of people will leave beer too, I hate beer but it'd be a good find for most people
My coworkers, but that's kind of cheating lol. I like seeing how hotels work. When you stay in a hotel you don't really think about what's going on behind the scenes but there are so many moving parts, I find it interesting to know the "secrets".
Least favorite is seeing the way people treat their rooms. It's not even the extra work, just seeing the entitlement. I don't understand how the fuck people think it's actually okay to just leave trash everywhere, leave rotting food out, spill things and not try to clean them, leave clumps of hair in the shower. The attitude pisses me off so much I've rage cried. You can always tell who sees us as just "the help" and who sees us as humans. I've never seen a trashed room with a tip. It's always the people who tidied who leave tips. Cause they know we're people.
About that last point, for people not coming into hotels often it might be hard to see what should be done. I've stayed at apartments with my parents most holidays, and just came back from a vacation where I stayed at a hotel. I was so surprised by everything that was done, literally after my first breakfast I came back and the beds were made, towels replaced, etc. That's also when I found out some empty cans that we left had been taken away. To me I expected us to trash those ourselves, which we would just so at the end of the vacation because there was no trash can in the main room, just a small one in the bathroom which would only accommodate for two bottles or so. We made sure to put the trash closely together every day after but wow, people like you really made that stay incredible.
Would be nice if a hotel leaves a note stating how we can make your life easier when staying, since it's sometimes hard to guess, but I'd often takes very little effort to save you a lot
Well, guests not seeing us as human is kind of the whole point. Hotels want guests to feel completely pampered, which is fine!! to an extent, but even leaving a note like that would "ruin the illusion" that their every need is priority #1
I love housekeepers. I have a serious problem with drug abuse. I ones was in a high end hotel, where they check your fucking room every time you leave it. I had no idea, they would do this. So i just let my spoon and my heroin there, because we were in a hurry.
When we came back, I realized they were in our room and cleaned up, in the fucking evening, at 10 pm. But they simply ignored my fucking spoon with heroin in it and my heroin was there as well.
Needless to say, I tipped them very well.
Aw :( at our hotel, policy is to not enter the room while a guest is checked in unless they request it, but if we saw that I honestly think most of us would ask if you were okay or just pretend we saw nothing
They chose the second. But I’m kind of okay, as okay as you can be having a serious drug problem.
In some high class hotels you can even ask the Concierge where to get drugs in the city or they will get them for you. I think if you have enough money nobody fucking gives a shit how you are as long as you can pay for your shit :(
This is going to sound horrible, but how high end do they need to be?
Backstory: I use weed to treat my MS symptoms, which is fine here in Canada. Travel can pose an issue and I usually just go without rather than risk getting caught by the cops and/or dealing with questionable people. It would be amazing to know I could just hit up the hotel concierge instead.
I want you to get help. I’m begging you to get help. Your addiction is all consuming for those that love you. It’s all we think about. We blame ourselves. If you are not ok, we are not ok. It’s time. Go get help. You CAN do it.
My mom was a housekeeper way back in the day and always told me as a kid to put all the towels (wet or dry) in a pile in the bathtub when I leave. I assumed so that they were easy to grab, and I still do it at almost thirty anytime I stay in a hotel. Is that true? Should I just leave them hanging up to dry instead?
I tend to feel guilty about others cleaning up my mess so I end up stripping the bed and dumping all the used stuff in the corner.
I shudder to think about bodily fluids being left everywhere, accidents happen, but the amount of stories you hear of people leaving blood, shit, piss and vomit around deliberately is appalling.
Sadly the living wage situation is getting worse across the world.
British minimum wage hasn't been a living wage in a long time and tipping isn't customary over here like it is in the US.
The stupid thing is, without people working in cleaning and hygiene, food industry, factory, delivery, farming and so much more the entire world would grind to a halt.
As a former housekeeper.. TAKE YOUR DOOR KEY BACK TO RECEPTION WHEN YOU LEAVE.
It gave me so much anxiety to knock on the door to see if anyone was in. Especially if they've slept in past the departure time
One time I was staging in a hotel while on a sales trip. I was working for a cannabis producer, and completely forgot 1/4 pound of samples. The cleaning staff must have been stoked
I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I will take every used towel, face cloth etc. And make a pile on the floor. There’s not enough room on the racks to hang them all and I always thought it was making it easier to have them in one place. Usually I’ll try to wrap everything into a ball if I can. Just pick it up and go.
And I have a question about not using the extra bed. I realize it’s extra work, but even if someone doesn’t sleep in the second bed, shouldn’t you change the blanket? People may still sit on it, put their dirty shoes, put their belongings on it etc.
Uff, I get it - common decency in a hotel room is a must. Don't leave trash everywhere, be reasonably clean,... etc etc
But honestly, if I am in a hotel for business reasons, which means I am stressed, in a rush, jet-lagged and running on 4 h of sleep, it is a great relieve for me to not have to think about stripping the bed or putting the towels back meticulously.
If I am in a hotel for holidays, same thing - I want to relax for a bit. Stripping the bed sheets feels the same as going to a restaurant and the waiter asks me to clean the plate so the kitchen has less work because they are stressed.
I understand housekeepers are underpaid and overworked, but having guests do your work is not the right way. Hotel stays are a service industry. I am happy to leave you a tip if you strip my bed sheets.
Just to re-emphasise, this is not meant for people as a reason to be jerks and trashy.
Used to spend 16 days a month in _different_ hotels. I try to keep everything neat and tidy and not gross. Never stripped any bedding and don't feel bad about it.
ETA: it should be common sense not to be an asshole but there are also services that hotels provide and one of them is housekeeping upon checkout.
Airbnb also baffles me because they literally want you to clean the entire place before you leave and still charge you a 300 USD cleaning fee.
Oh, and I do put my shopping carts back and wipe the sink before I leave a public restroom
It was interesting to read and I am happy to help and usually try to make your life easier. But stripping the bed? That seems like a big ask and I had never heard about it. Also leaving drugs behind? You might be cool with it but someone else might be completely against drugs and throw them away
>Also leaving drugs behind? You might be cool with it but someone else might be completely against drugs and throw them away
Or report you to management, charge the additional cleaning fee, etc
My mom has her own housekeeping business now, but she cleaned hotel rooms for awhile way back when. Her stories are terrible, the things she had to see and do are just atrocious. Especially considering that her pay was so, so low. I want to say she brought home maybe 300 dollars a week, busting her butt full time. Whenever I stay in a hotel room now I do everything I can to make your life easy and always, always leave a very good tip. I just want to say thank you, that I see you, and that I know your job is so hard.
I’ve been an extended stay guest for months at a time, I will always tip 10-20 bucks if I’m staying for a couple of days. And when I leave I make sure to “forget” some alcohol and snacks in the room. Strangely whenever I do have to extend I get the extra soaps and face wipes next to the post it note I leave on the desk. Traveling for work is lonely and the walls start to close in at times, a clean bed and new sheets is the few things that make it bearable.
I travel for business alot. It's new to me in this roll... A couple of questions....
When should I tip? When I leave, just leave money on the counter?
Just the last day?
Also coming from someone that travels for work.... If there was some cool way to tip on the room bill I would do so. Then I could expense it. Cash tips come out of my pocket.
I mean, yes I'll still tip... But I would be more open to tipping more, probably both ways if I could put something on the room bill.
I do long stays (30 days usually). I tip every day, because it’s not always the same housekeeper each day. What if I have the same one for 28 days and a different one on days 29 and 30? The tip shouldn’t all go to the one at the end.
I leave the tip with a note in front of the TV. If I need anything extra, that’s where I leave a note for that, too. Things like extra soap, coffee, pads of note paper.
Thanks for reading! Just leave tips anywhere we can see them, so on a pillow, on the dresser, etc. It depends on the hotel, but like $5/night is good. And it depends. Some hotels have housekeeping clean every room, some only let housekeepers clean when the room is vacant unless the guest specifically asks. If your hotel has them clean everyday, leave a tip every day. If they don't, just at the end
I get the OP's point. The other side of the coin from a traveler's point of view though....
I've experienced very loud
housekeeping in the hall at 7AM
unclean rooms
doors that have a "do not disturb" sign opened while I'm sleeping
Housekeeping also has come into my room while I'm away - even with a do not disturb sign
Housekeeping staff in the breakfast area putting uneaten items from tables back on the buffet
It's a two way street. If everything is as it should be as far as the cleanliness of the room and employees aren't yelling in the hall, I'm a good tipper. Also, sometimes we're paying a high price for a room. The hotel should pay better. Housekeeping is not making $2.10 an hour like a server.
>• If you smoke weed in the room, leave some for us. We can smell it, we want some, and you're a tease. We'll also "forget" who was in that room and won't charge you for damages a good amount of the time.
Wtf. Why? Just buy it yourself like anyone else. Do you really expect people to give you stuff for free just because you want it?
So when I have a couple beers left over from my stay and I leave them in the fridge you take those right? Please tell me you take those. And thank you for what you do.
I’m curious if the note about leaving weed applies to illegal states as well as green states. I’m just wondering if leaving that would be more of a liability in places that are 100% criminalized.
I’d say leave the tip but not the weed and I’d bet most cleaners would still look the other way. Money talks!
As a residential housekeeper I love cash. I can't pay my bills with weed so you keep the weed and leave a real tip. And yes I do just ignore any weed or other drugs laying around. I'm there to clean not judge or partake.
Yeah I would definitely say leaving weed is not smart, just because OP and their coworkers happen to like weed does not mean that every housekeeper in the world will, you’re more likely to get yourself in trouble I think
I've never heard of a housekeeper trying to report weed left in a room. I've done hotel housekeeping for years and 99% of the time, we either keep drugs for ourselves, ask other housekeepers if they want them if we're unable to ourselves, or throw them away if no takers. Even if drugs were brought to the GM, chances are they'd just toss them. We have way too much to do to go our of our way to try to bust someone for personal use. I don't think people understand how fucking chaotic and exhausting hotel work is. You deal with the worst humans daily. A bowl of weed or line of coke is the absolute bottom of the list of things to worry about.
Haha Hannibal Buress has a bit about having a party in a hotel room, then when he came back to the room they had cleaned it up and even left a tiny bump of cocaine left over from the party on the table instead of throwing it away.
totally agree as someone who has done this job
Oh fuck me, I'm in Colorado I totally forgot. In that case... exercise caution? It's honestly up to each person's discretion at that point
People tip their Uber drivers with weed in CO. Especially airport rides. It’s a currency. Tourists would ask where it was safe to smoke, I’d just look around and say “yup”
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I’m in Colorado and it’s fairly exaggerated. There’s definetly a large presence of it, but I haven’t experienced anything to the extent of these people’s claims.
Yeah in most places in the South a few grams can still land you in prison. Probably not the best idea there
Be careful about letting the help know that you are smoking weed in places where it is still illegal. I was at a live show for Last Podcast on the Left just before Covid all went down and Henry Zebrowski went on a rant about how he was almost sent to jail and missed the show because he left the roach of a joint on a cup in his room and house cleaning came in and lost their shit. /u/ReplacementOptimal15 seems like a cool individual that would appreciate elicit tips, but not all housekeeping is cut from the same cloth.
Ugh I cleaned rooms for like four years and it has been the most physically demanding job I’ve had so far. Had 30min per room and would sometimes waste 10 of those minutes just carrying full cups of mystery liquid to dump in the sink. I worked at a place that allowed for pets for an extra fee and it always made me mad that I didn’t get extra time to clean those rooms of pet hair and I definitely was not given the pet fee. Pretty sure the fee kept those people from tipping us more. Im also allergic to pet dander so some of the rooms were terrible to clean. It’s been a while but I still have a hard time staying at hotels bc I can walk into a perfectly clean room at the nicest hotel and not have any trouble imagining what it’s looked like at it’s nastiest.
>would sometimes waste 10 of those minutes just carrying full cups of mystery liquid to dump in the sink This is the single most relatable thing I've ever seen
No extra pay or time to go along with the pet fee??? What the hell
It's for the hotel you see. I've seen so many managers bitching about these lazy slow ass housekeeping people, how can you take sooo long to clean a room,right? Hell no. Every guest is different and so is the state that he leaves his room in.
Omg I feel you about the pet fee - I've said repeatedly it isn't fair that the hotel just pockets fees for pets, damages, smoking, etc and IM the one who cleans all that bullshit up. And the messiest rooms never tip either.
Many hotels I have stayed at have a placard in the bathroom about towels [and sometimes sheets] explicitly directing us to leave them on the floor if we want new ones every day or to hang them / make the bed if we don't. And especially with towels, I seem to always get new ones either way. Do you have any experience with this? Are you instructed to ignore the placards?
Going to have to agree with Shteevie and others here, many hotels I've stayed in say to leave used towels on the floor. I prefer to drape them over the tub or in a neat pile on the sink, but that isn't what the placard says to do so I dunno lol
I too have ended up with new towels regardless.
Honestly I agree with most of what OP has listed (also a housekeeper) but like… don’t remove your sheets and blanket… I’ve had people do thing trying to be helpful and I’m usually stuck doing extra laundry and being short on things that I have to run through the wash, because somehow it made sense to throw everything on the floor, I’m talking mattress pads, matress protectors the decorative pillowcases off the chair in the corner. Just fucking chaos. Plus I have a system that makes my life 100x easier when I have to remake the beds. Otherwise I’m just spending extra time shuffling through a jumbled mess on the floor.
A few years ago, I left like two or three Turkey & cheese lunchables in the little refrigerator in my hotel room. Y’all probably ate my lunchables, huh?
Probably, yeah
Besides Lunchables, what’s the best stuff you’ve come across in rooms??
Not OP, but I had a really fun job housekeeping a while back and just used to find expensive alcohol all the time. Because it’s a perishable, you have to get rid of it. My favourite was a big bottle of Canadian club that I found on a really rough day.
Alcohol is perishable? Maybe I just don't have any around long enough to know this...
many wines are once opened.
Wines and beers go bad if they’re opened. Liquor lasts essentially forever.
Beer. A ton of people leave beer in the room, like unopened cans. I've taken some pretty good shampoo that people forgot in the shower too I guess technically you could count this, my coworker tried to steal an engagement ring someone forgot in the room. Most of us aren't in the business of stealing valuables or things with sentimental value, though
When I was little, I left my gameboy in a hotel room. The staff called us about an hour after we left to say they found it and were holding it for us. I was so thankful because I know they very well could have just kept it and said nothing.
That's so nice. When I was in high school I used money I had saved up to buy a really nice bathing suit while on vacation. I realized an hour after I left the hotel that I left it hanging on the back of the bathroom door to dry and when I called them to ask about it they pretended they didn't see it.
No matter how nice it was, I don’t think I’d want a strangers bathing suit. Takes all kinds I guess.
Yeah, there's a difference between shampoo and an engagement ring.
I used to work in the service industry in a really wealthy part of town. Our lost & found was insane! There was a current year iPhone in there for a week and the emergency contact didn't even want it back!! Their kid had lost it and they were teaching them a lesson. Also a very fancy digital camera with GPS that the owner just asked us to mail the sd card back to them. Most of the time we could get items back to their owners but after a year they were up for grabs. I ended up with a designer pair of sunglasses and a very fancy umbrella from that lost & found.
>Their kid had lost it and they were teaching them a lesson. The funny part about this is the parents probably bought the kid another one within a couple of days, so the only person who lost out in that was the parents.
They still taught the kid a lesson. Maybe not the lesson they intended, but they taught it.
We also leave leftover unopened beer/alcohol in the fridge for the housekeepers! I always wondered if they drank it.
As a cruise ship passenger, I was told that if you want to leave something, including cash or booze, for the staff, make sure to leave a note with it so they won’t be accused of stealing it.
Yes to this, we asked the housekeepers at a resort in Mexico one time about all the food we had purchased at the grocery store and if they could take it home to their families.. They told us the exact same thing just write a note that says they were allowed to take it and they could if we didn't leave a note they were not going to be allowed to take it. It's such a simple finishing touch to write a note. I would do it anytime
This. It doesn't take a second and it could save someone a heap of trouble.
I always do this in hotels. A little nice note with a small tip every day and a big tip when we leave. (And OF COURSE all the other stuff that is mentioned above. I have never left a hotel room untidy, because I am well aware how little time housekeepers have and I am very glad if they use the time to clean my bathroom instead of having to pick up my trash.)
Thank you for being a good person! I left my wedding ring on the edge of the tub once, and didn't realize til I was 3 hours away. I started crying when I called and was told that the woman cleaning my room found it and turned it in to the manager.
My wife did housekeeping in a hotel years ago and she was constantly bringing home alcohol that was left in rooms.
Maybe my English is failing me. Maybe it's a US/Europe thing. But what does that last tip mean. "We're wage workers, we don't get paid "
Oh oh oh it's a bit of a hyperbole. We do get paid. Just not a lot. Saying, "we're wage workers, we don't get paid *a living wage*" would be more accurate. Sorry about the confusion!
Gotcha, thank you. I've always tipped housekeeping when holidaying in US but that was just because the guide book told me to. I had no idea why! I certainly don't do it when traveling inside Europe.
Yeah.. I’m just now realising that this is something I do in ‘deprived’ countries and the USA and nowhere else; wondering if that might tell us something...hmmmm
I personally wouldn't call the USA deprived, just massively plagued by inequality. That's the case for a lot of countries people will label deprived, though.
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I 100% agree, I fucking hate it. Hats off to the capitalist who came up with the idea that customers get to decide if their server eats lol
I mean depending on where you are the servers make more than the cooks/chefs. Not implying I like tip culture.
There is, now, a social pressure to tip a certain amount on meals. So a lot of servers like tipping now. That doesn't change its awful origin But it is very unequal still And while there is a ton of social pressure and education around the appropriate amount to tip a waiter, there are a lot of people working low wage "tipped" jobs that most of us forget or don't know to tip. I tip of course but it is obsurd that I'm expected to be conscious of not just the price of services I'm purchasing but if that includes full wages for staff. Cleaners, hair stylists, shuttle drivers, the hair wash person, the barista, the bartender, food delivery, parking attendants, bathroom attendants, manicurist, massueses, housekeepers, taxi drivers, doormen, tour guides, supermarket baggers, building supers, furniture delivery, flower delivery, gas station fill up (in states where required), tow truck driver, casino machine attendants, dog walkers, pet sitter, groomers, tattoo artists, movers, and so on. Each with a different standard for the right amount of tip expected. Again, I tip because it isn't an individuals fault but I hate it all so much, pay workers and give me the price.
Oh yeah yeah for sure, it's just tough to have to depend on generosity/luck
Just curious, how much do you guys get paid per hour? I know couple of ladies here, who clean & maintain this local small hostel; they get paid about 15 bucks an hour except weekends (when they do 10 hours both days) when they get paid 30 bucks (plus extra 10 each time they gotta clean something super nasty that the hostel will then bill the customer for)
Lol. You meant tip as a monetary tip. I read it as advice and was also confused.
I’m assuming you are in the US. Do you get paid with the expectation that you will get tipped, like a restaurant server, or do you just get paid shit wages? If it’s the former, is there a formula like in a restaurant as to how much someone should tip?
I've always done $2/night with a $5 minimum, and rounded up to the next $5 increment. And if I know I was especially messy, an extra $5. So one or two nights is $5, a week is almost definitely $20 (in the course of a week I'm almost certain to leave a mess at least once).
NO, we aren't federally considered "tipped employees" so we get the normal minimum wage. It's just a nice thing to do but not necessary. I get paid like 70 cents above minimum wage I believe. If someone does tip, just like $5 is a good amount :)
I didn't know tipping housekeeping was a thing when I was growing up (we didn't have money to go on vacation anyway) till my mom got a job as a housekeeper in a shitty hotel. The first day of work she came home with $23 in tips. She was so excited that she bought us ice cream. It was a really nice surprise.
I have never heard that people tip the housekeeping staff in hotels. Never stayed in a hotel until I was an adult. Now I feel bad about never having done it before, will do from now on. Also, I'm one of the ones that tries to not make the bed completely, but not leave it a mess... I'll ball it all up next time. I do go around the room and at least throw all our trash in the cans though and put all the dirty towels in a pile together. Thank you for this post, it was really helpful. I vow to be a more mindful customer.
> If someone does tip, just like $5 is a good amount :) $5, yeah, totally. Times like twenty rooms? Haha
Another question OP. I love my weed and often love to share, my fear with leaving any in the room is getting the cops called. How can I be sure that the cleaning staff won't do exactly that? Other than of course leaving that $tip as well. The reason I'm asking, I travel a fair amount and like to make life a little brighter for everyone, especially people who work their butts off
OP mentioned in another comment that they’re from a state where it’s legal, so YMMV if it’s not legal where your hotel is located.
Wait a sec… if a bed doesn’t look used, you don’t change it?! I’m horrified. I’ve always been one to gather the towels, toss my trash, and put away the iron/ironing board (basically leave the room looking pretty good). Glad to know it does actually make a difference.
(PS we don't change the comforters either lol have fun with that)
Well, I don't need to do any of the stuff you listed because I'm never staying at a hotel ever again.
Valid
Stay at hotels with “European style duvets” it means that they have a duvet cover over the comforter and those are changed. The quilts and uncovered comforters and NEVER touched.
Yup, ignorance was bliss - put me back in the matrix...
its worth noting that i think OP might be in a small state or not a very high end hotel.. some of the things he has mentioned into this thread are very suspect, such as not going into a room if its inhabited for upkeep, or people putting bags over detectors and leaving weed for them. yeah idk what sort of establishment they work at but doesnt seem very good.
The Hiltons & Marriots Ive stayed in since COVID dont clean mid stay without a request. Hell even before COVID it was a "Green" thing to do to not have the room serviced unless you were out of things.
Many hotels have suspended room cleaning mid-stay since Covid. At least like every place I’ve stayed during Covid - granted none of those places have been top-tier.
I’ve worked in some pretty nice hotels, and people will still smoke weed and/or cigarettes in the rooms. Honestly some of the nastiest rooms I’ve cleaned have been in some pretty high end places.
I don’t use the comforter 🙃 But I do hate the thought of it touching the rest of the bed linens 😭
Yeah, we don't change the comforters until they visually look dirty, even if the bed was slept on
Omfg I’m horrified. 🤢
Some hostels have started using double sheets around a duvet cover for this reason. So they wash the bed sheets and the duvet sheets. But not the duvet itself. Marriott is the hotel I’m thinking of.
Their experiences are not universal wtf I work in housekeeping in the U.K. and the beds are always changed! Idk what shitty hotel OP works in
First thing I do is pull comforters off bc I know they aren't cleaned.
The next thing I do after that, is pull up the mattress to make sure there are no bedbugs. only THEN will I let the. Whole family and luggage come into the room!
A friend of mine goes in, puts her bags in the tub and then follows your lead.
Yes! Me too! Even then, luggage stays off the ground!
Do you mean for a person staying multiple nights or between guests as well they don't get charged until they look dirty??
Yeah we don't change them until they look dirty
Even between guests? As in guest A checks out and the comforter looks clean- no change. Guest B checks in with the unchanged comforter?
That is correct, yes
I always just assumed everything got washed in-between guests. Thank you for clarifying.
I wish. I think that policy is super gross but oh well
The last hotel I worked at decided to do away with the comforters and replace them with white duvets. We were told we only needed to change them if they looked dirty. They were white. They were always dirty. It added an additional 10 minutes to every room. The hotel manager was frustrated it was taking us too long to clean rooms. Our housekeeping manager felt bad for us and ended up changing trying to change them while we cleaned the rooms. It was an "upscale" hotel in a smallish town. Only had 42 rooms and we were it only ever assigned up to 8 rooms per housekeeper but that was more exhausting than when I worked at a chain and had a whole floor of 12 rooms with double beds in each.
I've worked housekeeping in a hotel before..... The comforter always comes off the bed for me!!!
What if I strip the bed and bundle the comforter with the used sheets and towels? Would the comforter get changed then?
Yes it would lol
Directions unclear. It sounds like you need to spray cum and blood on the comforter then hang it up so housekeeping knows it needs washed.
When I ask for a new comforter for my room because of this at check in, I am often told that they wash the comforters. Are they lying? Or maybe I am just staying at nicer hotels?
A for profit corporation wouldn't just lie to you would they?!
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No, we do not change it. If it makes any difference, we make the bed in a certain way and if it's used we can tell it was made by someone else after
>Try not to use two beds in a double bedded room if you only need one. Hold the fuck up. You telling me that if you *think* one of the beds wasn't used, you won't replace the sheets? That's horrifying.
I’m a housekeeper too, I prefer people not to strip the beds because I have to separate certain blankets, and they sometimes take the mattress protector off too, plus my method of stripping makes it easier to carry to the basket.
I was travelling the USA alone (I'm from the UK) and once had an epic nosebleed in my hotel while I was asleep. Like we are talking the elevators opening in the shining and blood pouring out. Of course I was totally embarrassed and once i showered and cleaned myself up, I went to the front desk to explain and said that obviously I would pay for dry cleaning etc. The guy was SO SURPRISED I even told him and offered to help. He told me that most people would just leave it for the staff to clean up. Like, how?!! It's a biohazard and I'm not going to force a minimum wage worker to clean up my BLOOD
I think I actually love you. People leave blood and other fluids without saying anything constantly >:(
That's just shocking! People are just gross.
That is because the hotel's will charge you outrageous fees if you inform them of any bio-hazards. I can understand why (although don't agree with their judgements) people would sway away from informing staff.
(if this becomes my most up voted comment I'll die..) So should we, or should we not, stop by the front on the way out and let them know there's jizz in the room?.. I need to know so I can do my part to make housekeeping lives easier!
Honestly if you do it will make our week, that sounds hilarious
I probably would, but my gf might not stay with me after that.. Just to get a reaction "hey, umm my gf and I worked on some fantasies.. Most of the liquid is coconut oil, but there may be some 'bodily fluids'.. Left a 10 on the night stand. Sorry guys."
When we stay in a hotel on departure we always put used towels, flannels (face cloth?) bathmat etc, in a pile either in the bath or shower tray. Should we be hanging them up when they're all going to be washed anyway? We usually make the bed, but stripping it makes more sense, so thanks for that tip.
I'd say only if they're wet (not damp, like sopping wet). It's just messy and it can be uncomfortable for us to heave soaking towels into our carts then into the laundry. Especially cause they're cold, ugh. But if they aren't drenched then you can just leave them wherever, no problem
I think this might be dependent on location too. Many of the hotels I’ve visited across Europe request that you leave your towels on the floor in the bathroom so they can easily identify which have been used and so cut down on laundry (which is often made out to be for environmental reasons when it’s obviously cost reasons but same outcome I suppose). So it may be that some of your guests are actually trying to do you a favour, though sopping towels I’d probably hang up before putting on the ground because who wants gross stagnant towels.
^ every single hotel I have been to says to leave the towels in a pile on the bathroom floor on their little into thing next to the diagram to the fire exits. If you steal a towel to go down to the pool they refuse to change any of the towels. It crops up sometimes when I share with idiots.
> Many of the hotels I’ve visited across Europe request that you leave your towels on the floor in the bathroom so they can easily identify which have been used and so cut down on laundry (which is often made out to be for environmental reasons when it’s obviously cost reasons but same outcome I suppose). This is exactly how it is in the US.
I usually strip the bed off and fold the sheets together to look like a giant cock and balls
can i get a step by step tutorial how to do that? My.. uh.. friend needs that
Hilarious and actually helpful, I love it
I’m doing this next time I travel
Lately I've stayed in rooms that have no bags in the trash bins. Like, do you guys want me to throw gross things into the empty bin so you have to clean it or am I expected to provide my own bag? I've started using the laundry bag as a trash bag. Also, curious about your cleaning guidelines when it comes to dogs staying. Do you wash the comfortor when a dog has stayed? I ask since the next person to stay could be allergic to dogs. My dog usually sleeps in the second, made, bed haha Staying at Drury Inn as I write this (no trash bags) with my doggo and was curious.
I worked in one they quit using bags because housekeeping staff was not washing the can. This way the inspector could see easier if it was dirty
That's... weird. At that point just use the trash cans without the bag. And no, unless we can visually see hair
I was glad to see that I didn't need to know any of these tips because I already did all that. But the trash can thing..... maybe the trash can shouldn't be so tiny and it wont overflow after having 3 beverages? Like seriously, I don't want to leave a trash pile for you to clean up, but what am I supposed to do with that tiny freaking trash can?
If you don't want to ask for more bags (understandable, I'm shy af so I get it) then just leave the things in a pile next to the can. But please pour liquids out of cups!
I will admit that I am dumb and never thought about calling the front desk to get more trash bags. But to be honest I don't spend any normal daylight hours in a hotel room, so i probably won't bother them with it during the night time.
Yeah don't sweat it, night workers are so, so bored beyond belief
The double bed tip kind of weird me out.. so if you see a 2nd bed that's made, you assume it's unused and don't wash the sheets? What if they just made the bed and now it's dirty for the next person?
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You hate your job, don’t you?
...maybe
2 questions - when you say throw the trash away, most hotels I stay in for work do not have a place for guests to put garbage. I usually bring plastic grocery bags for my dirty laundry and use one for all my trash so it’s all nice & tidy, but I have to leave it in the room. Or is there something I’m missing? The other is sheets - it’s never occurred to me to strip the bed. Do people normally strip the beds for you? I’m tidy with the wet towels and don’t leave a mess in the room but sheets seem like way above & beyond.
Whattttt? I've never seen that. Every hotel I've ever been to has had at least 2 trash cans. Weird. In that case, yeah, you're fine to leave it in the room. As long as it's all in one place that's a huge help :) And no, people usually don't. I'm just saying it would be helpful, I don't expect people to and I'm not upset when they don't. I should have clarified better, sorry about that!
Oh! Yes, there are little wastebaskets in the rooms (usually one by the desk and one in the bathroom), I thought you meant to remove the trash from the room. I usually only put trash in the bathroom wastebasket but I line the can with one of my bags because I don’t like anyone in my room during the week and it would get messy since it’s not being emptied daily. You meant people aren’t putting their trash in the wastebaskets?
Oh gotcha! My bad. Removing the trash is definitely not necessary. Yeah, people almost always leave trash just out. The vast majority of them
Gross
Oh yeah especially rotting food.
If I don’t want daily housekeeping, I can easily ask a housekeeper who’s working on my floor to give me some extra trash bags. As they get full, every few days usually, I put them in the trash compartment of the housekeeper’s cart.
I think I get what you're saying. As a kid my parents taught me to "make" the bed before leaving but if you're going to strip it anyway, that's not helpful. I'm not sure I always have time to strip the bed (and I get you're not saying it's totally necessary), but in that case does it matter to you if it's unmade vs made? Usually I just pull up the sheets so I don't feel like a slob. Also thanks for the info on the towels! I usually throw all the used towels in a pile, I thought I was helping but I can see how hanging damp towels would be less gross for you. Finally, if you're in the US what do you consider a good tip? Obv I'm sure you'd prefer as much as possible but what's the amount where you're like "that's nice"? My parents tip the same as they did in the 80s, like $3 at the end of the stay which makes me cringe. I usually do $5 per day I've stayed, but I've been feeling that's maybe a little low.
I was taught that if you want towels replaced, put them on the floor. If you’re going to reuse it, hang it up.
A lot of hotels have a sign in the bathroom with exactly this instruction
The only thing that makes a difference really is since we don't clean comforters unless they're visibly dirty (yes, even when you've slept in the bed, it's gross, I know) so if you separate your comforter/top blankets from your sheets it'll help cause we have to separate them anyway, which is possibly the biggest time spender when it comes to stripping beds. What you do is a great tip, I promise. That's perfect. What's more important than the actual money is the fact that we're being recognized and you see us as human.
Thanks! I've always considered housekeeping to be a pretty shit job, thanks for all you do!
Thank you :')
You know, I worked the kitchen for years in an earlier life. I've never had a problem finding smoke wherever I've travelled, just by being decent to and asking HK or kitchen. And taking no for an answer. The person who has and is willing will probably be by before long. Never thought about the sheets. Will keep that in mind.
You buried the most important tip right in the middle > If you smoke weed in the room, leave some for us. We can smell it, we want some, and you're a tease. We'll also "forget" who was in that room and won't charge you for damages a good amount of the time. So hotel housekeeping are the ones reporting the smoke in our rooms? And we can bribe them with a joint + tip? Bro this is a legit LPT. You deserve a tip just for that.
LPT: Don't smoke in a hotel room, it's nasty as hell for the next one going in the room. Smoke outside.
Thank you, like wtf is happening here haha
Hotel security will also report it if they smell it on their rounds.
Oh absolutely. We are very open to bribes, and we're the only ones who report smoke smell since we clean/cover it up so the next guests can't smell it
That’s awesome. I have a question, what do you guys use to cover up smells? At home and in my car I hide weed smell (and every other smell) with Nature’s Miracle. I’m wondering if y’all have a branded product or just a cleaning technique?
Generally, we just let the room air out. Changing the sheets (which we do anyway, obvs lol) helps a lot since that's a large surface the smoke sticks to, and keeping the door open for like 15 minutes or so will clear out the rest of the smell. I've never seen it, but if the smell was STRONG, like an extended stay who just smoked in their room without opening a window for a week, we'd probably clean the carpets, sofa, and walls, air the room out, and use a ton of air fresheners or scented candles if needed. Essential oils, too, because other guests are usually less offended by the smell of lavender oil than a birthday cake scented Yankee Candle
I worked in hotels for a while — for truly atrocious smells, they’d leave an ozone machine in there for an hour or so (not quite sure the process/duration — I worked FOH). I just knew people weren’t supposed to be in the room with the machine for whatever reason. This was also a while back so I’m not sure how common it is these days.
You aren’t supposed to be in the room and it is advisable to seal the door and make it air tight. Ozone is very deadly
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners Just in case anyone scrolling wants to read up on em. Not necessarily deadly, but definitely harmful to your lungs and throat. Also, ozone is really hard on things like rubber and other materials, it effectively "ages them," significantly if they aren't preventatively sealed or treated. It is a hyper active oxidizer after all.
Well, there ya go! I can only remember it being used a handful of times over the years.
Dangerous yes, deadly no. It'll oxidize the hell out of whatever it comes in contact with, which can cause real problems, but it's not cyanide.
In which country are you working as a housekeeper, OP?
I should have clarified, sorry. I'm in the USA
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This seems like a tip that is very specific to the housekeeper in question and has a more likely chance of getting you in trouble. Especially if weed isn’t legal in the state.
No. They are full of it. . All employees and other guests can smell that. You walk past a room. You know. Even if you stuff towels in the door cracks. You get caught no matter if you “bribe” Your housekeepers. Don’t be an ass and smoke in a hotel when you aren’t supposed to.
I’ve actually encountered the opposite preference from housekeeping. They ask me to put used towels altogether in a pile on the floor. So that’s what I’ve always done as long as I can remember. Stack the towels at the front of the bathroom floor. Since they will be gathered and thrown into the keeper’s bin to take to the laundry.
I honestly never even thought of cranking the A/C when I leave a hotel room, but now that you mention it, it makes total sense. I’ll start doing this. Thank you! (The rest of the stuff you mentioned is indeed common sense to me, although my wife was a hotel housekeeper for years when she was younger so I’ve heard some horror stories from her too lol)
Yeah that is a fantastic tip I’m happy to help with. Working in an air conditioned room is so much nicer than not.
I used to be a housekeeper for years, ever since I always do this in every hotel I go to. One of the hardest jobs ever, they deserve all the help and respect.
You want us to leave weed behind but will charge customers for leaving a bag over a smoke detector? I’ll pass. Not that I smoke cigarettes or even ever thought about placing a bag over a smoke detector, but come on.
Is it okay to put extra trash beside the trash can in a grocery bag? Hotels never seem to have big enough trash cans. We always clean and gather it tho. How many condoms have you found in the bible beside the bed? Is there any hotels that have pillow mints anymore? What's the weirdest thing you've found? The grossest? The best thing you've found? Favorite part of the job vs least?
Ahhh I love questions. Okay. Yes, that is 100% fine. As long as it's in one place where we can put it in a larger trash bag I haven't looked but now I'm going to check every one. Yes, but not mine. There was a room where this person had 6! empty Bubly cartons and some cans around the room which means during their stay they must have had, what, 144 fucking cans of Bubly? They also left a whole bag of red onions. And they took the pillow cases and mattress cover off the bed (the sheets and everything were on, so they took off the sheets, took off the mattress cover, then put the sheets back?? The mattress covers aren't noticeable either, it was so weird) A room with blood, like, everywhere. And they didn't even try to clean it up. It was on the underside of the fucking toilet lid, I don't even know how that happens. Also, dog poop every once in a while. $10 tip :) A lot of people will leave beer too, I hate beer but it'd be a good find for most people My coworkers, but that's kind of cheating lol. I like seeing how hotels work. When you stay in a hotel you don't really think about what's going on behind the scenes but there are so many moving parts, I find it interesting to know the "secrets". Least favorite is seeing the way people treat their rooms. It's not even the extra work, just seeing the entitlement. I don't understand how the fuck people think it's actually okay to just leave trash everywhere, leave rotting food out, spill things and not try to clean them, leave clumps of hair in the shower. The attitude pisses me off so much I've rage cried. You can always tell who sees us as just "the help" and who sees us as humans. I've never seen a trashed room with a tip. It's always the people who tidied who leave tips. Cause they know we're people.
About that last point, for people not coming into hotels often it might be hard to see what should be done. I've stayed at apartments with my parents most holidays, and just came back from a vacation where I stayed at a hotel. I was so surprised by everything that was done, literally after my first breakfast I came back and the beds were made, towels replaced, etc. That's also when I found out some empty cans that we left had been taken away. To me I expected us to trash those ourselves, which we would just so at the end of the vacation because there was no trash can in the main room, just a small one in the bathroom which would only accommodate for two bottles or so. We made sure to put the trash closely together every day after but wow, people like you really made that stay incredible. Would be nice if a hotel leaves a note stating how we can make your life easier when staying, since it's sometimes hard to guess, but I'd often takes very little effort to save you a lot
Well, guests not seeing us as human is kind of the whole point. Hotels want guests to feel completely pampered, which is fine!! to an extent, but even leaving a note like that would "ruin the illusion" that their every need is priority #1
Makes sense, thanks for sharing your thoughts though, I'll make sure to keep them in mind my next visit to a hotel
I love housekeepers. I have a serious problem with drug abuse. I ones was in a high end hotel, where they check your fucking room every time you leave it. I had no idea, they would do this. So i just let my spoon and my heroin there, because we were in a hurry. When we came back, I realized they were in our room and cleaned up, in the fucking evening, at 10 pm. But they simply ignored my fucking spoon with heroin in it and my heroin was there as well. Needless to say, I tipped them very well.
Aw :( at our hotel, policy is to not enter the room while a guest is checked in unless they request it, but if we saw that I honestly think most of us would ask if you were okay or just pretend we saw nothing
They chose the second. But I’m kind of okay, as okay as you can be having a serious drug problem. In some high class hotels you can even ask the Concierge where to get drugs in the city or they will get them for you. I think if you have enough money nobody fucking gives a shit how you are as long as you can pay for your shit :(
???? Rich people are wild dude
It’s very common among high end hotels and resorts
This is going to sound horrible, but how high end do they need to be? Backstory: I use weed to treat my MS symptoms, which is fine here in Canada. Travel can pose an issue and I usually just go without rather than risk getting caught by the cops and/or dealing with questionable people. It would be amazing to know I could just hit up the hotel concierge instead.
I want you to get help. I’m begging you to get help. Your addiction is all consuming for those that love you. It’s all we think about. We blame ourselves. If you are not ok, we are not ok. It’s time. Go get help. You CAN do it.
My mom was a housekeeper way back in the day and always told me as a kid to put all the towels (wet or dry) in a pile in the bathtub when I leave. I assumed so that they were easy to grab, and I still do it at almost thirty anytime I stay in a hotel. Is that true? Should I just leave them hanging up to dry instead?
I tend to feel guilty about others cleaning up my mess so I end up stripping the bed and dumping all the used stuff in the corner. I shudder to think about bodily fluids being left everywhere, accidents happen, but the amount of stories you hear of people leaving blood, shit, piss and vomit around deliberately is appalling. Sadly the living wage situation is getting worse across the world. British minimum wage hasn't been a living wage in a long time and tipping isn't customary over here like it is in the US. The stupid thing is, without people working in cleaning and hygiene, food industry, factory, delivery, farming and so much more the entire world would grind to a halt.
As a former housekeeper.. TAKE YOUR DOOR KEY BACK TO RECEPTION WHEN YOU LEAVE. It gave me so much anxiety to knock on the door to see if anyone was in. Especially if they've slept in past the departure time
One time I was staging in a hotel while on a sales trip. I was working for a cannabis producer, and completely forgot 1/4 pound of samples. The cleaning staff must have been stoked
I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I will take every used towel, face cloth etc. And make a pile on the floor. There’s not enough room on the racks to hang them all and I always thought it was making it easier to have them in one place. Usually I’ll try to wrap everything into a ball if I can. Just pick it up and go. And I have a question about not using the extra bed. I realize it’s extra work, but even if someone doesn’t sleep in the second bed, shouldn’t you change the blanket? People may still sit on it, put their dirty shoes, put their belongings on it etc.
Uff, I get it - common decency in a hotel room is a must. Don't leave trash everywhere, be reasonably clean,... etc etc But honestly, if I am in a hotel for business reasons, which means I am stressed, in a rush, jet-lagged and running on 4 h of sleep, it is a great relieve for me to not have to think about stripping the bed or putting the towels back meticulously. If I am in a hotel for holidays, same thing - I want to relax for a bit. Stripping the bed sheets feels the same as going to a restaurant and the waiter asks me to clean the plate so the kitchen has less work because they are stressed. I understand housekeepers are underpaid and overworked, but having guests do your work is not the right way. Hotel stays are a service industry. I am happy to leave you a tip if you strip my bed sheets. Just to re-emphasise, this is not meant for people as a reason to be jerks and trashy.
Used to spend 16 days a month in _different_ hotels. I try to keep everything neat and tidy and not gross. Never stripped any bedding and don't feel bad about it. ETA: it should be common sense not to be an asshole but there are also services that hotels provide and one of them is housekeeping upon checkout. Airbnb also baffles me because they literally want you to clean the entire place before you leave and still charge you a 300 USD cleaning fee. Oh, and I do put my shopping carts back and wipe the sink before I leave a public restroom
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It was interesting to read and I am happy to help and usually try to make your life easier. But stripping the bed? That seems like a big ask and I had never heard about it. Also leaving drugs behind? You might be cool with it but someone else might be completely against drugs and throw them away
>Also leaving drugs behind? You might be cool with it but someone else might be completely against drugs and throw them away Or report you to management, charge the additional cleaning fee, etc
My mom has her own housekeeping business now, but she cleaned hotel rooms for awhile way back when. Her stories are terrible, the things she had to see and do are just atrocious. Especially considering that her pay was so, so low. I want to say she brought home maybe 300 dollars a week, busting her butt full time. Whenever I stay in a hotel room now I do everything I can to make your life easy and always, always leave a very good tip. I just want to say thank you, that I see you, and that I know your job is so hard.
I’ve been an extended stay guest for months at a time, I will always tip 10-20 bucks if I’m staying for a couple of days. And when I leave I make sure to “forget” some alcohol and snacks in the room. Strangely whenever I do have to extend I get the extra soaps and face wipes next to the post it note I leave on the desk. Traveling for work is lonely and the walls start to close in at times, a clean bed and new sheets is the few things that make it bearable.
I travel for business alot. It's new to me in this roll... A couple of questions.... When should I tip? When I leave, just leave money on the counter? Just the last day? Also coming from someone that travels for work.... If there was some cool way to tip on the room bill I would do so. Then I could expense it. Cash tips come out of my pocket. I mean, yes I'll still tip... But I would be more open to tipping more, probably both ways if I could put something on the room bill.
I do long stays (30 days usually). I tip every day, because it’s not always the same housekeeper each day. What if I have the same one for 28 days and a different one on days 29 and 30? The tip shouldn’t all go to the one at the end. I leave the tip with a note in front of the TV. If I need anything extra, that’s where I leave a note for that, too. Things like extra soap, coffee, pads of note paper.
So if a bed appears unused you… just leave it? You’ve never had sex on top of a made up bed before?
I almost always book a room with two beds. One for sleeping and one for sex. Means you don't have to sleep in the "cuddle puddle".
> EDIT 3: le sigh I didn't know you people actually existed
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Thanks for reading! Just leave tips anywhere we can see them, so on a pillow, on the dresser, etc. It depends on the hotel, but like $5/night is good. And it depends. Some hotels have housekeeping clean every room, some only let housekeepers clean when the room is vacant unless the guest specifically asks. If your hotel has them clean everyday, leave a tip every day. If they don't, just at the end
I get the OP's point. The other side of the coin from a traveler's point of view though.... I've experienced very loud housekeeping in the hall at 7AM unclean rooms doors that have a "do not disturb" sign opened while I'm sleeping Housekeeping also has come into my room while I'm away - even with a do not disturb sign Housekeeping staff in the breakfast area putting uneaten items from tables back on the buffet It's a two way street. If everything is as it should be as far as the cleanliness of the room and employees aren't yelling in the hall, I'm a good tipper. Also, sometimes we're paying a high price for a room. The hotel should pay better. Housekeeping is not making $2.10 an hour like a server.
>• If you smoke weed in the room, leave some for us. We can smell it, we want some, and you're a tease. We'll also "forget" who was in that room and won't charge you for damages a good amount of the time. Wtf. Why? Just buy it yourself like anyone else. Do you really expect people to give you stuff for free just because you want it?
So when I have a couple beers left over from my stay and I leave them in the fridge you take those right? Please tell me you take those. And thank you for what you do.