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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That hotels are using covid as a reason to not service rooms to save their costs?

93 replies

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 26/09/2021 20:42

I'm currently in a premier inn by Euston. It may only apply to PIs but they are not servicing rooms at all during my stay. They blame this on the threat of covid 🙄

I find this must be a cost cutting exercise. I'm not a fan of changing towels/sheets daily but new cups, more loo roll etc would be appreciated. If I've paid money I don't see why I should go down several
Floors to reception tbh. Aibu?

OP posts:
Lulu1919 · 28/09/2021 06:35

I don't mind as such IF the price of the room is reflected in the lack of housekeeping...
The last few hotels I've stayed in it hasn't ...
One night ..fine
Two nights ...mmm
Three nights ...I wouldn't be happy
Some of the pleasure of a hotel stay is the housekeeping side to me !

icedcoffees · 28/09/2021 07:23

A lot of is down to staffing.

I have a friend who works in a hotel - they have been trying to recruit for months now and there is just no interest.

They are lacking staff everywhere and the staff they do have are being run ragged. An obvious place to cut down labour is to stop unnecessarily cleaning rooms and changing towels on a daily basis.

AtillatheHun · 28/09/2021 07:32

Yes it’s staffing but they are lying and hiding behind covid and not reflecting the reduced service in the price. I can swallow that from a small family run business but not Hilton / Marriott etc. Yes they’ve suffered (so have customers) but they clearly didn’t keep staff on throughout (didn’t want to suffer that badly) and now can’t rehire and these are multinational viol lions of dollar businesses.

rookiemere · 28/09/2021 07:33

I stayed in a small twin room with a friend for 3 nights.

If hotels are not going to empty the bins, it would be helpful if they could designate a bin for guests to put them in and more bags to refill. Also strangely enough I didn't bring washing up liquid so my cup was a bit grim after 3 nights despite rinsing in the sink - again somewhere to pick up clean cups would be helpful.

I'm due to stay in a Premier Inn in London for 4 nights later this year - we might be moving around anyway, but now I'm thinking I might book it in chunks so I get a clean room sometimes. 6 nights as a family with no bin emptying/cup replacement/change of towels does sound a bit grim for a holiday.

JustLyra · 28/09/2021 07:54

@JovialNickname

Yes, Premier Inn are absolutely doing this - the one near me won't allow you to check in til 4 pm either (normally it's 2) "because of covid". They don't tell you this before you book though, only in the confirmation email afterwards!
Premier inn announced the change from 2pm-4pm check in months ago.

It’s moving to 3pm after october 1st.

HateJudgmentalPeople · 28/09/2021 07:57

I know covid is real etc but so many people have used this as an excuse to not work, go to certain appointments etc and they don’t all have it and neither have they all had it, it’s a cop out.

HotelCaliforniaOnRepeat · 28/09/2021 08:17

Some of the judgements on this thread Shock
Where I work cleaning during stays has not been brought back yet. The reasons are simple, the government advice was that rooms / holiday let's should be aired before going in to clean - you're hardly likely to leave your room vacant with the window open and advise reception when you leave; touching personal belongings etc.
We offer replacements of everything on request, towels/ tea trays / linen / toilet rolls.
Many places furloughed their staff at great expense only for them to work elsewhere and not return when hospitality re-opened.
They didn't say until the last minute in order to screw every last penny they could.
Hotels were left training new recruits in difficult times. All the wonderful grants you heard about didn't cover their costs; they are struggling to pay back their 'bounce back' loans that they only needed because they were forced to close. Costs have gone up massively in all areas, energy and grocery as well as wages.
Prior to covid hospitality businesses were closing left, right and centre. The way things are going there will be a few chains left and that's it. They will become expensive as they will have no competition and they won't care about standards as you won't have alternatives. Maybe try appreciating what they still manage to do for you despite the pandemic.
For me personally, I couldn't work while on furlough as had to home ed and had no other childcare, I was terrified that the business wouldn't make it through. It was an awful time.
I'm looking to get out of hospitality, an industry I've loved for decades because it's soul destroying now.
Is it really such a hardship to phone reception or ask a member of staff for clean cups?

ThinWomansBrain · 28/09/2021 08:28

I could live with this - but there should be a discount on booking two or more nights compared to the single night price to reflect the lack of in-stay servicing.
Presumably you're not in the room 24/7 - Request more loo roll/tea bags on your way back to the room?

gogohm · 28/09/2021 08:36

Just stayed in 8 hotels on a road trip, none serviced the rooms daily. Apparently it's guidance from their national body

gogohm · 28/09/2021 08:39

@Flup self catering varies, officially we had 4pm check in 10am check out but actually we arrived at 2.40pm and it was ready (lock box with code) and we left at 10.15am a few days later, no issues

rookiemere · 28/09/2021 08:40

I appreciate many businesses are struggling and I absolutely want independent hotels to remain in business. However the issue remains that people want a hotel to be a treat and nicer than staying at home.

If hotels can't for whatever reason offer the services people would expect on a longer stay, then alternatives should at least be sign posted. So a place to put your full bins/pick up new tea cups and room towels.

The vast majority of people are reasonable and just want to enjoy their trip, but don't want to smell rotting banana skins from the bin or drink from stained cups. Knowing that the hotel has provided alternatives that don't require staff to go into your room is perfectly acceptable.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 28/09/2021 08:42

but new cups, more loo roll etc

They don't give you new cups they just rinse the ones you have.

Just call them and say "I'm leaving the bins outside the door, can someone empty them, and leave me some extra loo rolls please?"

621CustardCream438 · 28/09/2021 08:49

Completely fine with me. They’ve always been happy to give me more toilet roll or whatever and I have no interest in someone poking around my stuff and making a bed when I can fling the duvet straight myself. Given the difficulty I’ve had in finding a hotel room for next week (in London!) I think lots of people remain happy enough. If they can’t get the staff I’d rather have a room they don’t service than no room at all.

FangsForTheMemory · 28/09/2021 08:52

This wouldn’t bother me tbh. I only change the sheets and towels twice a week at home.

Salou10 · 28/09/2021 08:54

Just reading through these comments and I feel the need to comment. I work as a housekeeper in a hotel, we don't service a guest room at the moment unless it is specifically asked for by the guest. It's nothing to do with Brexit or cost cutting, it is due to covid measures in place. if guests require clean towels or the bins emptied we advise to place outside their door and the next passing member of staff will change your towels and place in a sealed bag, the bins will be emptied,desanitised and placed outside their door. As for tea coffee etc there are sealed bags made up in reception for guests to simply collect. If you require clean or more cups and glasses ask at reception. Beds are changed on the 3rd day of your stay if you require. Extra bin bags can also be left for you if you just ask. Also a housekeeper is a person too, it's not hard to be polite to us instead of looking down on us and being rude

BranchyBranch · 28/09/2021 08:55

I don't think people want tips on how to get towels etc or a discussion about what constitutes a fresh cup really. The issue is that hotels are charging the same or more money for less service than previously. Whether or not it "bothers" you personally is also not something most of us are interested in.

Sirzy · 28/09/2021 08:57

Surely you just go to reception and say “could I have some clean cups please” or whatever

ThinWomansBrain · 28/09/2021 08:59

Given the difficulty I’ve had in finding a hotel room for next week (in London!)
oooh - conspiracy theory - has the petrol crisis been engineered to boost the hotel and hospitality industry?

Wazzzzzzzup · 28/09/2021 09:00

Yeah that's an excise. Same with Travelodge. Another brand was reasonable and said you can request service as you want. That's a solid approach

Alltheprettyseahorses · 28/09/2021 09:17

It's a non-problem imo. I can get rid of the little rubbish I might have myself, no worries, and I'm always a lot more house-proud when we're staying in a hotel because I don't want the housekeeping staff to think I'm a slob like I am at home so it takes a bit of pressure off the tidying routine before we go out for the day. I have respect for the room because it's not mine so I wouldn't let it get messy anyway.

I'm sorry to hear people are unpleasant to you Salou10. It's not right, especially when you're doing your best.

hm246 · 28/09/2021 09:22

In my hotel we are using it as we just don’t have the staff to clean the rooms. We do inform guests on check in and on the welcome letter that rooms can be fully serviced on request.

CounsellorTroi · 28/09/2021 09:26

It’s likely more to do with the fact that they can’t get cleaning staff or enough linen.

Yes, a lot of cleaners are from Eastern Europe……

daisy46 · 28/09/2021 10:17

YANBU -- and they sell it as a benefit to you, "for your safety." Just like when they introduced "we know you want to save the planet so we're not going to change your towels or sheets." It will be the new way going forward to cut costs.

621CustardCream438 · 28/09/2021 10:17

“oooh - conspiracy theory - has the petrol crisis been engineered to boost the hotel and hospitality industry?”

Probably not. To be fair I want a family room at a particular chain of hotels in central London! It was easy to find in early summer - not any more! But that’s probably more because theatres etc are open now rather than petrol related.

621CustardCream438 · 28/09/2021 10:29

“I don't think people want tips on how to get towels etc or a discussion about what constitutes a fresh cup really. The issue is that hotels are charging the same or more money for less service than previously. Whether or not it "bothers" you personally is also not something most of us are interested in.”

So what? Hotels aren’t priced by what it costs them to provide, it’s on what people will pay. Clearly many people are still happy to pay (and many here say they don’t value daily service anyway) so that’s what they’ll charge. If you don’t like it find a different hotel you are happy with the price of.