How to be a courteous hotel guest
Hello! My name is Claude and I am a Texas cosplayer who also workers as a hotel housekeeper. I haven’t been working in housekeeping for very long but I’ve seen the impact of all sorts of guest and I have to say that Anime/Comic Con attendees are honestly some of the messiest guests and it puts a lot of strain on the housekeeping staff. Did you know we are warned in advance about you guys? I even have horror stories about con guest. This job is very physically demanding and we’re under a lot of pressure to meet our room cleaning times. Below are some tips about being a more helpful and respectful guest. These are only a suggestion. Not rules. Courtesy is a choice.
1.) Before leaving don’t make the bed. We understand you mean well, but all sheets need to be washed and therefore the beds stripped. The best way to leave the bed? Place all the sheets on top of the bed and remove the pillowcases from the pillows. You can leave them bunched up, that’s fine.
2.) Place all your trash into trash bags, tie it up, and leave the trash next to the door before leaving.That way we can just toss it in the trash cart and move on. Leave anything that we can vacuum. You can also leave the dirty towels next to the door before leaving.
3.) Please check all the drawers, cabinets, and closets to make sure you have all your things. Anything found will be placed into lost and found for 90 days. If you’ve left something, just call the hotel and tell them what you’ve lost and in what room.
4.) If you place a DND sign on your door we CANNOT ENTER at all. We mark it down and move on. If you later remove it and decide that you want service call the front desk and let them know because housekeeping usually end up leaving anywhere from 3pm-5pm.
5.) When housekeeping refreshes your room we make the bed, refill amenities, place fresh towels, take out trash, and do a quick wipedown. Don’t want your bed made? Need extra amenities? Need extra trash bags? Etc? Let us know! We leave notepads and pens in every room and you can write down any instructions for us. Ex: “No need to make the bed, just fresh towels and extra shampoos please.” “Extra trash bags and bath towels please, no more shampoos please.”
6.) Housekeeping cannot make the beds when you have personal belongings on the bed. Simple things like clothes and towels we move while making the bed then put back but anything else we DO NOT TOUCH. Laptops, jewels, suitcases, etc. Please keep this in mind if you want your bed made.
7.) Please do not leave your hair curlers and straighteners plugged in the bathroom. Guest always leave them connected usually next to the sink with water all over and it’s a safety hazard. Housekeeping will usually unplug them but I, personally, fear that maybe one day we won’t reach the room in time.
8.) If a hotel is Pet friendly, you still have to let the hotel know that you are bringing a furry friend along. We need to know what rooms need the pet treatment. What if the next guest is allergic and we weren’t notified about the previous guest?
9.) Try and bring some supplies to clean up after your pet. We’ve had guest allow their pets to pee and poop on the carpets and it not only affects the housekeeping staff but maintenance staff as well.
10.) Most hotels are non-smoking and we ask that you please respect that. We are trained to find out if a guest has been smoking and when we catch it, you get a $250 charge. Don’t risk it!! There are smoking areas that you can ask about.
11.) Have left over alcohol that you can’t take with you when you leave? You don’t have to throw it away. It’s very common for guest to leave them as a tip for housekeeping staff.
12.) Yes! You can tip housekeeping! It’s not required. But we constantly get tips and little notes to thank us for our work and we deeply appriciate it. (I actually have all my thank you notes!) How much you tip is up to you. Ive gotten anywhere from change to 25$.
13.) If you’re sick (like influenza, strep throat, cold, etc.) let the hotel staff know. That way we can notify the housekeepers to take extra precautions. (mask, gloves, etc) and provide a deeper clean. (I actually got Influenza B and ended up in the hospital from this one!)
14.) You don’t have to leave your room if housekeeping comes by to refresh it. You can stay and tell us how to make your stay more comfortable. Plus, we appreciate the conversation.
15.) Please notify ANY of the hotel staff when you encounter a problem. (bedbugs, clogged toilet, broken lamps, etc) We are committed to make your stay as perfect as possible and can be reached at anytime for help.
16.) If you throw up or bleed (excessively) in the room please notify us as soon as possible and we can have maintenance come clean up. Please do not leave it for us to clean until after your stay. It causes stains that won’t come out and a deeply embedded smell in the room.
17.) Things you can ask for that guest don’t usually know about (can vary by hotel. Some hotels require purchase.): cribs, extra blankets, shower caps, slippers, toothpaste, toothbrush, tampons, pads, razors.
That’s about all I can think of so far. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about how to be a more courteous guest or anything about hotel service. I’ll be happy to help to the best of my ability. I cant wait to see you all at San Japan! :)
Any questions?
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