To complain about cleaner walking in on me naked

[Yolojo]

Staying in a chain hotel, Western Europe, 8am. I'm up but also naked in bed, having a coffee. Someone knocks on the door, I ignore it, not sure if it's my door or someone else's. Then the door opens and a man calls out something, I dive under my sheets and I think I shouted out 'there's someone in here', so the door closes. I throw some clothes on, go in the corridor and say to the guy that check out is 11, and also angrily 'don't come in my room, what the hell!' I didn't have a 'do not disturb ' sign on my door, but then I wouldn't expect to have to use it if I'm checking out before 11. AIBU to complain?

Or possibly just put up the do not disturb sign and/or respond when there is a knock at the door...

I don't normally stay in hotels, I didn't think I'd have to use a do not disturb sign if I am checking out at the normal time of 11 anyway. If nothing else, surely it's bad practice to be knocking on hotel guests doors at 8am anyway? ah well you know now. Basically if a room appears empty they'll want to crack on and clean it. Or make a start and change towels etc.

I agree he shouldn't have been knocking and the DND sign is NOT there to prevent an early wake up call from staff - do people really think that's what it is for?? It should be a given that no one comes knocking at 8am on your check out day.

I would say it likely was a mistake on his paperwork or he was under terrible pressure to get rooms turned around so was knocking to see if anyone had already left. He did knock and did leave as soon as you called to him so there was no need to run after him and shout at him. I am sure he was already mortified enough.

So housekeeping staff are expected to start cleaning all rooms after what time? 10am maybe? Their shift would then finish 2 hours later but that's ok, they have no other life to attend to after earning a pittance. You would be completely unreasonable to complain about this for goodness sake. You were wrong to go out in the corridor and shout, he was just doing his job.

I agree he shouldn't have been knocking and the DND sign is NOT there to prevent an early wake up call from staff - do people really think that's what it is for?

That's exactly what it's for! It's so you can have a lie-in/afternoon nap/sex without worrying about house-keeping asking if you need clean towels

Well yes, I travel a lot for work too. But I actually tend to up and out later when staying in hotels for work. They will be very close to where I am attending a meeting or conference (sometimes the event is int he hotel) and kick off is usually around 9am or 9:30am.

yes I sometimes have breakfast meetings so on those occasions I would probably have left the room around 7:30 - but I would say 75% of times I would be in the shower or dressing - in the shower, or drying my hair I wouldnt hear the knock.

but I have never stayed in a hotel where they clean rooms this early if the occupant hasn’t checked out.

Most hotel doors have either a deadlock, chain or similar device to secure them from the inside. That’s the best way to make sure staff don’t enter. Otherwise they will legitimately come in if nobody reply’s when they knock unless there is a dnd on the door. What else are they supposed to do?

You already shouted at the guy, so complaining is pointless. Shouting at him was totally unnecessary.

throw some clothes on, go in the corridor and say to the guy that check out is 11, and also angrily 'don't come in my room, what the hell I hope you said this quietly so you didn't wake everyone else up

The cleaners have a list of who's checked out early. Of course they shouldn't go knocking on doors of guests who haven't checked out when they still have hours left in their room! And those saying OP should have responded when he knocked, yes she could have done but she could also have been asleep and not heard him.

Haha precisely. I mean the acronym gives it away what it's for, not to be disturbed 😂

There’s no dead lock on the door?

Does everyone really hang up their DND before they go to bed at night? Because that would have been the only way for me to have it up by 8am (I would be having a lie in on holiday!) I would only hang it up if I was having an afternoon nap or knew that I would not want to be disturbed before 10/11am.

On check out day, I would expect rooms to only be cleaned after you check out, which is pretty standard, and easy for the cleaner to be notified - the fault lies here with the management not the cleaner though, and I do think you were wrong to be angry at him, but I think it’s fine to make a comment to management.

I agree he shouldn't have been knocking and the DND sign is NOT there to prevent an early wake up call from staff - do people really think that's what it is for?? what do you think the sign is for? And better he knocks than just walks in!

Are you sure there wasn't a deadbolt so you can lock it from the inside?

8 am is too early for a knock.

Yes! Have you not walked down a hotel corridor and seen them all hung out on the doors?!

They knock to see if you are in the room

You ignored it so assumed it was empty

You have a do not disturb sign. That's what it's for

I would suggest cleaning later than 8am as most people don't want a 8am wake up call on holiday.

What if she was asleep or in the shower.

I would be fuming if a man walked in on me.

Not having DND sign up, doesn't mean please come in.

Cleaners don't clean rooms if the guest is checking out that day and it would be very unusual to check out at 8am on a Saturday. YANBU. I wouldn't expect to need to put a sign on my door to guarantee that nobody would walk in. I only rarely see them on doors in hotels, which makes me think most other people don't anticipate cleaners walking in before check out either.

You might not be on holiday. If you've left for a 5 am flight you'd be up and out.

MistyRuins I'm a business traveller myself, but it's a Saturday, not a day of work.

What times acceptable for you? Are you happy to have check in 4 hours later to accommodate for them having time to clean all the rooms? Most people will be up and out for breakfast at 8am on a holiday.

Next time use the do not disturb sign.

If he hadn’t knocked first then I’d say you’d be within your rights to complain, even if you didn’t have the DND sign up. However he did knock, and you ignored him, and then he left straight away when he realised you were there. So I’m not really sure what there is to complain about? The only thing you could do would be to ask management why someone was trying to gain access to your room at 8am and point out to them that plenty of people on holiday would still be asleep during that time so might not hear a knock.

It might not be very good hotel practice, but I wouldn’t think to use the DND sign if if I was planning on being up and about early-ish as I assumed they would clean the rooms they knew were empty first.