Hotel room not cleaned for three days

[Primrose97]

We recently went on a short three-night break to a 4-star hotel in the UK. They said it was their policy not to clean rooms, this meant our bed wasn’t made, cups washed, etc. It’s a long time since we’ve been on holiday due to Covid etc, just wondered if this is now normal? I thought it was disappointing but need to know AIBU before I write the review.

I work in a 5* resort UK, we service daily unless told otherwise, we make beds/ change if dirty or stained, clean the bathroom daily, empty bins, wash cups and replenish tea/coffee, and dust round.

Depends on the hotel. I've never had that. Many hotels do a turn down / evening service as well.

Since covid we have found fewer do a daily bed making and towel check , top up tea and coffee etc as a matter of course. Environmentally we are encouraged to reuse towels and leave on floor if they need changing. Likewise in hotel restaurants breakfast tends to be more of a self service affair and some require a prebooked time.

@Dollshousedolly I agree totally

@Katrinawaves it has included four star hotels, including a Marriott, for me - they just weren't up front about it at check in.

I rarely stay more than one night. If I do, this really annoys me. I wouldn’t mind as much if there was somewhere to dry the towels. We’re actually staying in a hotel tonight. It has a towel warmer rail in the bathroom so I’d be happy to go a couple of days. In most though, they don’t have these so towels don’t dry.

People coming in my room is the reason i prefer self catering.
What on earth do you need?

Is it a Park Plaza? Had similar recently and it’s nothing but greenwashing. Was told our room would only be cleaned every three days and we’d be “rewarded” with a voucher for their restaurant (enough to get maybe two starters, with lots of restrictions). We declined and asked for daily cleaning.

This. Hotels, like many businesses, found they could severely cut back on service and get away with it so they decided to carry on. I have never stayed in a hotel though where there was no option for ask for cleaning during the stay, that would be completely unacceptable. But tbh you shouldn't even have to ask, it should be an opt out not opt in. And you shouldn't need to leave towels in the bath if you want them changed either. Staying in a hotel should be a luxurious experience, you shouldn't need to think about the cleaning.

I always take dettox wipes with me when I stay in a hotel. Even before Covid I liked to give the surfaces and door handles a wipe when I arrived, and wanted the bathroom to be clean for when the cleaner came round. Yes, I know its illogical.

I travel across the UK 2 or 3 times a month for work and stay in a mix of chain hotels and independents. Definitely most of the chains do this now and some independents, even the high star ones also do

It doesn’t surprise me or bother me now if that’s the policy as to be honest I expect it and if I am really desperate for it to be cleaned then I just ask for it to be cleaned, no big issue

It depends on the hotel. I stayed at The Sacher at the end of last year- I think they cleaned and tidied up every time we left the room. The Danieli in May wasn't quite as thorough but certainly everything was cleaned, changed and tidied when were at breakfast.

The Radisson Blu in Mercer Street is the same.

It's not at all illogical, I think it is respectful. I wouldn't dream of leaving a hotel room in a mess, purely because I wouldn't want someone else to clear up unnecessarily after me. I also don't expect another human to make my bed, just because they are paid to do it. Me being tidy isn't going to cost a cleaner their job because it needs to be cleaned regardless, but I can make sure they aren't left having to sort a shit tip - holiday or not.

I experienced this a couple of years ago in a Premier Inn. We were staying 7 nights,and 4 days in,no one had been in to make the bed,change the bath towels or restock the tea/coffee/milk. I asked at reception and was told that we needed to request it if we wanted it done. We weren't told this at the start of our stay!

It is illogical to clean door handles and surfaces in a hotel room.

I expect a hotel roon to be cleaned daily and beds made. It's part of what I'm paying for.

I turn rooms into a "shit tip" but maybe you do, if that's why you can't let the maids do the job they're paid to.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle it isn't illogical for the previous poster to clean door handles and surfaces if they want to, and it certainly isn't illogical for me not use a service I'm paying for. I'm primarily paying for the room and a place to sleep. I'm more than capable of making my own bed and tidying up my own shit tyvm.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle maybe you can edit twice?

Just come back from an 11 night holiday. In that time we had 1 clean. Our choice. The rest of the tiles the DND sign was left on the door. A bed takes seconds to make. Any rubbish was bagged up and dropped into the cleaning cart bin as we passed it and if we needed things like clean towels or toilet paper we'd just ask the maids as we were passing and pass the used towels over. Shoes came off at the door so up until the last few days the floors were clean, it was only after we'd come back from the beach they got a bit Sandy but nothing worth having a full room clean over. Even when I've stayed at the premier inn for a few days pre covid I've never bothered with someone coming in to clean my room. I did have a letter put under the door once saying due to the DND sign they'd not been able to clean. I just went to reception and said it was fine it didn't need doing and I was happy to sort any rubbish out myself and wash and re use the cup and I'd just grab any tea coffee and milk as and when I needed.

Pretty standard now. It’s environmentally friendly so works toward company ESG plans. There’s always a sign or something on the booking confirmation telling you to ask at reception if you want a room clean. Personally I think it’s a great idea. When I travel for work I’m usually out to an office by 7.30, back by 5, out for dinner by 6, then the usual company drinks. By the time I’m back at 11 I’m chucking my clothes off on top of a pile from the working day, showering and getting what sleep I can. I really wouldn’t want someone coming in the next day to see the pile of clothes and generally clatty standards I have when travelling and massively pushed for time. It’s a very poor representation of who I actually am!

I find these hilarious. It's not Downton Abbey. So what if they come in and draw your curtains and put a light on and put a chocolate on your pillow.....

Why don't you just get a self-catering place then, as that's how you seem to use the hotel room? You'd probably get more space and a small kitchen?

Former hotel manager here. Servicing hotel rooms doesn’t have to entail a sheet change every day, but a daily housekeeping visit keeps bins emptied, surfaces and carpets and bathrooms clean, replenishes towels, and keeps an eye - plus raises red flags for messy guests. Nothing worse than finding a trail of ants enjoying a pizza box in a bin, or smelly sanitary towels in the bathroom bin. People travelling for work or pleasure need to be able to have their rooms kept clean, as they’re not in their home environment, and shouldn’t be expected to live minimally cleaning up after themselves. Cups should be brought fresh each day, hot-washed, not rinsed in a bathroom sink. There’s nothing worse as a hotel housekeeper than cleaning a room where people - understandably, on their holidays - have piled up items to be disposed of. If I’m staying four-star, I expect my room and bathroom to be kept cleaner than home. And I’m not bringing wipes and toilet bleach on my holidays.

Thank you. I don't turn rooms into a "shit tip" but presumably some posters do if they have to clean up before the maids arrive.

On a daily basis at home I

*Wash coffee cups
*Empty bins
*Give my toilet and sink a quick wipe over with a spritz of antibacterial cleaner plus squirt abit of loo cleaner under the rim and give it a swirl with the loo brush so it's clean and smells fresh.

I'd expect this in a hotel.

I stayed for 3 nights in an ibis budget and they serviced the room each day so even budget hotels do.

Most hotels will ask you to dirty towels in the bath/shower.

I've just come back from 2 nights away and we were provided with a door handle sign that read "please service the room" on one side and "service not required" on the other side.

I expect my room and bathroom to be kept cleaner than home. And I’m not bringing wipes and toilet bleach on my holidays.

Same here. This thread has generated a new type of MN virtue signalling."oh I always clean my hotel room"

Your full post makes a good point- it's easier for house keeping to keep rooms clean giving them a proper clean every day than having to clean up after 5 days.

I went to one where they gave you a £10 bar voucher if you didn’t have your room cleaned.