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Friday, August 13, 2021

Hotel Housekeeping Under Pandemic

Aloha Everyone,

Hotel stays are usually associated with business trips, holidays, break from daily routine and no housework. Therefore, when Hilton Hotels announced that in the U.S. (and now most of Hilton properties around the world) will not do daily housekeeping, but done only upon request, would be paying guests were miffed...

At GAMMA Hotel, we received daily housekeeping services including bedsheet changes every other day plus fresh sets of towels daily. We also received 4 small bottles of water. I am not sure if the level of service is the norm or if J.J. and I are receiving better service as long staying guests. We also gave generous tips to the housekeeping staff once a week.

Our new accommodation offers daily cleaning except on Sundays. We also ask for fresh sets of towels and supply of water and bathroom amenities (soap, shampoo & toilet tissue) when needed.

J.J. did a quick math and commented that US  hotels are not discounting their rates because of the diminished services. At Extended Stay America in Torrance, California, where we have been using their facilities for several years, the quality and quantity of their services have diminished. Yet claiming pandemic, lack of housekeeping staff and need to do extra cleaning of guest rooms, their rates have increased while we literally get no housekeeping for a week. One has to discard one’s own rubbish by taking it to the rubbish room.

We are seeing hotel stays and getting service as “pay as you need.”  In a retrospect, our accommodations at Mercure Accor Hotel in Quito and two hotels in Guadalajara are extraordinary.

Aloha -- Cathi