Hotel not cleaning rooms?

[Georgyporky]

Just booked a Best Western hotel in U.K., & they state that because of Covid19 they will not be entering our room during the course of our stay.

It probably won't get that dirty for 3 days, and I hope we can collect clean towels every day.

I think this is just a way to save money.

Anyone else had this ?

[unmarkedbythat]

If you need clean towels every day I'm sure you could take some with you or ask for extra when you check in.

I'd be pleased not to have people coming in for housekeeping during a 3 day stay.

[Thief0fTime40]

I would rather have a lovely relaxing break away, in a beautiful setting

Than fresh towels daily

Don't have fresh towels daily at home

[Disfordarkchocolate]

We had this recently, we could ask for anything we needed from reception. Not a problem at all.

[Thief0fTime40]

Some hotels have offered "breakfast in a bag" where no hot breakfast was no longer available due to the virus

Other hotels have offered breakfast served at the table as normal, with social distancing between tables & plastic screens

[Thief0fTime40]

I've stayed in a few different hotels recently

Staff don't show you into the room (not allowed in)

Informed rooms not cleaned during the stay

You can ask for extra towels, beverages etc

They are trying to minimize time spent & people in each room, due to the virus

Some hotels, breakfast or other meals have to be pre booked for a time slot for social distancing. No buffet food. Hand sanitizer everywhere

All the changes have not affected my stay anywhere

Things are different now due to the virus

[QualityFeet]

And you worse PPE and were temperature checked during your stay - or would that infringe your sense of luxury? So essentially you are happy to present a risk to cleaning staff whilst having more protection yourself because you have paid?

[JaJaDingDong]

It's part of the fun and luxury to have clean towels everyday

Is fun and luxury more important than not getting The Covid then? The OP isn't exactly staying in a luxury hotel anyway.

[ChaToilLeam]

Just want to add: the smaller hotels are a better bet if you want a good breakfast. Bigger places are all doing the breakfast in a bag because a buffet is too risky: the smaller places I’ve stayed in just asked me what I wanted and then made up an individual tray. Actually nicer than the usual setup.

[ChaToilLeam]

A lot of hotels are doing it this way. Minimal housekeeping during your stay but deep cleans in between guests, and extra towels/coffee/toiletries etc on request.

I don’t have a problem with it, I travel often for business and just appreciate that every hotel is doing the best they can.

[OctoberCupcake]

@underneaththeash

We’ve stayed in 4 hotels since Covid. 3 cleaned the room.
I don’t see the issue. As long as hotel staff are wearing masks and gloves, they can clean the room.

Unfortunately there will be some hotels who would probably be fine to offer a full cleaning service with appropriate PPE but having had to make all but one or two of their housekeeping staff redundant in order to keep the lights on it's impossible to manage, especially given the extra time it would take compared to cleaning a room in normal times.

This will also explain why some have gone to 'breakfast in a bag' rather than a seated service, they just can't afford to pay the chefs and wait staff.

The travel industry will never be the same again after this year 😕

[caffeinebuzz]

It's a very difficult line for them to balance. But the fact is that when I go on a hotel break in the UK part of what I'm paying for is to come back to a magically clean room at the end of the day. An equivalent thing I experienced recently was having paid a hotel bed and breakfast rate we were allowed to collect lukewarm sausage/bacon baps that had obviously been sitting on a hot plate for hours from reception.

It is reasonable that hotels vary what they offer in current times, but this should be made clear up front and I may then decide it is not something I want to spend the same amount on. Ultimately, I think that the hotels that compromise on service are those that won't survive.

[underneaththeash]

We’ve stayed in 4 hotels since Covid. 3 cleaned the room.
I don’t see the issue. As long as hotel staff are wearing masks and gloves, they can clean the room.

[Justmuddlingalong]

About 6 weeks ago we stayed in a UK hotel for 3 nights. If we needed clean towels, which we didn't, we were to ask at reception and would receive a package of fresh ones. The bathroom was fine without a daily clean. We managed to open the curtains, bin our rubbish, wash our mugs and teaspoon and keep the room perfectly tidy all by ourselves. Which we do in normal circumstances. The only difference was the bed making. We just pulled the quilt back to air the bed. We survived. And the change of scenery, someone else cooking breakfast for us and escaping from home even for 3 nights was well worth the maid not making a bloody bed!

[LindaEllen]

To be honest, if I was staying for three days I'd be fine using the same towels (how dirty could they be?!) or take a couple of your own if you're so concerned.

I wouldn't want to have maids coming in and out of the room if I was staying somewhere anyway. The fewer people you come in close contact with, the better - and IMO someone cleaning your room is 'close contact'.

[HowFastIsTooFast]

90,000 jobs in the travel industry have already been lost or are at perilous risk of being lost, businesses are folding at an alarming rate and the entire industry is on it's knees but yes OP, they're not making your bed to save themselves a couple of quid

[movingonup20]

I get it but half the attraction of staying in a hotel is the room being made up magically whilst you are out. Without this, nor the breakfast buffet you might as well self cater. We've stopped one night a couple of times and premier inn annoyed me by only putting one pillow on the bed and having to wait ages for another to be brought (late check in due to why we were staying meaning i wanted to go to sleep) I'm fine with no extra fancy cushions but 2 pillows per person is normal!

Surely housekeeping can wear a mask and gloves???

[FelicityPike]

@Georgyporky

Thanks for the replies.

I was in Italy recently, & the room was serviced, towels & bed linen changed every day - which is why I was so surprised at the lack of service in the U.K. Cleaning staff wore PPE, & we were told they were temperature checked every day. This was only a 4, so equivalent to 3 back home.

When I'm paying c.£100 per night, I do expect clean towels & a clean bathroom at the very least.

I know the industry is struggling, but reducing standards is not encouraging customers.

I can't recall any hotel room that had adequate towel rails to spread out & dry 4 or 6 towels + bathmat

Who uses 6 towels in a day?!
How dirty would the bathroom get in a day?

[Georgyporky]

Thanks for the replies.

I was in Italy recently, & the room was serviced, towels & bed linen changed every day - which is why I was so surprised at the lack of service in the U.K. Cleaning staff wore PPE, & we were told they were temperature checked every day. This was only a 4, so equivalent to 3 back home.

When I'm paying c.£100 per night, I do expect clean towels & a clean bathroom at the very least.

I know the industry is struggling, but reducing standards is not encouraging customers.

I can't recall any hotel room that had adequate towel rails to spread out & dry 4 or 6 towels + bathmat

[CaptainMyCaptain]

I'm in a b and b now. The room was fogged before we arrived but won't be serviced during our stay unless we need something. They have even asked us to take the remaining toilet roll away as they they won't leave it for the next people.

[seayork2020]

Why do you need clean towels every day?

[Wingedharpy]

We had this experience too at a hotel in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and I was delighted.
I knew the score, as I booked, as it was all spelled out clearly on the website.
As well as the staff/guest safety aspect, it was stated that, as rooms were vacated when guests checked out, each room was being "deep cleaned" and this was more thorough and time consuming than normal between guest servicing.
That sounds very reasonable to me and a much better utilisation of resources than faffing about doing things for guests, that most would be perfectly capable of doing themselves.
It was completely acceptable to request your room to be serviced, if that's what you needed.
Hotels have to provide a Covid secure space for staff to work in as well as attending to guests needs.
It's a balancing act.

[Thedot90]

I’ve had both on recent UK trips. Personally I like my bed to be made if I’m paying to stay in a hotel, but not fussed about clean towels every day - every other day is fine. I do think if you’re staying for more than a few days then it’s a bit ridiculous to blame covid for not providing a room cleaning service at all.

[Khajit]

Yeah same with the one we stayed at recently. We never needed anything but you could just ask if you did. It was totally fine.

[jamdonut]

I had a 2 night stay in a travelodge recently and we were told our room would not be entered by housekeeping for the duration of our stay. We could help ourselves to tea/coffee/sugar etc at reception etc.
It worked out fine!

[helpfulperson]

Every hotel I've been in recently. I love it. No need to tidy up. If you want new towels, bin emptied etc you just leave it outside the door. About a year ago at a conference hotel I was in offered a free drink if you didn't want the room cleaned. We all had a drink