Cleaning Schedules? About This Page:

[Kelly66]

We are experiencing an extended stay at a hotel during our corporate relocation. Ok much more extended than we had anticipated. We actually stayed at this chain in a different state the last time we relocated for six months and they CLEANED the bathrooms-tubs, sinks, everyday. However, in the room where we are now, the baseboards behind the toilet are covered with slime, the tub isn't being scrubbed, just generally wiped down for obvious stuff, they haven't dusted the tv tables. Now we wanted a two bedroom, but the relocation company said, 'oh we didn't know you would need one' and there isn't one for 50 miles around for the rest of the summer, so three adults are in a one bedroom. I do admit, since it is tight, it does not stay very picked-up looking. And we do have a yappy little dog who is in the cage sometimes when they clean. I take him out of the room for several hours everyday, but they RARELY even attempt to clean before 4:30, just when we are getting back and winding down. I asked about this. I thought maybe we had said to come back later on our first day or something and got on some kind of list or something because I see all the rooms around us being cleaned around 9 and ten AM, and I take the dog out for a long explore. I was told the housekeeping person would call me but nothing ever happened. Now I am (paying) taking him to doggy daycare so I he can be out of the room when they clean. When we VERY first got here I mentioned that the 'return vent on the HVAC closet was visibly dusty and slimy.' I was corrected that those were only louvers and the return vents are elsewhere and something about it not being an HVAC closet, but told that I was right and it should be dusted. Also the sprinkler head right over the bed is COVERED with dust. I am afraid I will be sleeping with my mouth open when it all decides to drop. So anyway nothing ever happened with that-it was several weeks ago.
My husband saw a thing on TV where the housekeeping did mean things to people's toothbrushes because they didn't leave a tip. We are leaving the same tip we left at the other state, but not really getting much help. After he said that I did go buy a locking file box. I carried it in from the car in the box and didn't think it was THAT heavy, but it is hard to carry any distance out of the cardboard box-slippery little thing, and heavy.
I finally broke down and cleaned the tub myself due to severe skin irritation. I also cleaned the louvers, and the TV tables and the sink-the lip of the faucet was actually GREEN, and the baseboards behind the toilets, but I am afraid to go after the sprinkler head.
I don't want to gripe too much, just for my own sake because it isn't costing US anything, but it is costing the company something and I feel like somebody isn't getting the money's worth. But I keep hearing the people at the reception desk telling everyone that all the hotels in town are completely sold out for the rest of the summer, so I guess they just don't have to try hard.
Oh, and just to show how picky I am-what do y'all think about putting glasses in the cupboard upside down. I never do that. I don't clean the bottom of the shelf often, and definitely here the outside of the cabinets are sticky and nasty and light switches and....oh I digress.
Who likes putting down glasses upside down? I have heard it's so bugs don't get in your glass? If I took out a clean glass and there was a bug in it I would just wash it, but at least I would know that a bug had been in it. I am thinking something may be crawling across those cabinets shelves and now the lip of the glass from which I am drinking has all those germs.
I just don't like the way we are tipping housekeeping. At a restaurant we tip at the END of the meal if the service was good. We tip very well if the service was great. When we tip housekeeping we tip HOPING they will do a good job that day. It's sad.
Anyway, so is the plan for these extended stay places to just not do a deep cleaning until they are between guests? If so it wasn't done before we checked into this room. We had been in a couple other rooms in this same hotel and checked out and went to another town to stay with family. Those rooms were quite adequate, clean, I never noticed a problem, and these are things I would notice.
'I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world, and fool enough to think that's what I'll find.' NEVER saw a room this nasty at Disney....or even in Orlando for that matter. Competition brings up the level of everything, who knows, maybe this is the cleanest place in town?

[Belle320]

I would contact your relocation company and explain the unacceptable condition of the hotel. A one bedroom is not acceptable for three adults. Also explain that the condition of the hotel is causing health issues. Personally, I would not be tipping housekeeping for a room in such horrible shape.

[Teresa]

I second contacting your relocation company. And stop tipping. Really, I don't tip housekeepers much at all. If we've left an exceptionally messy room, or if the same housekeeper is there often, I tip. Otherwise, no, I don't.
I'd also go to the manager of the hotel and speak to him/her. And check on-line for available spots, even rental homes. Just because the front desk says there are no rooms available doesn't mean there aren't. I am currently sitting in our 2 bedroom timeshare. I booked a 1 bedroom for the 4 of us (staying a week), and that was all that was listed as available when I booked it. When we arrived, DH asked about upgrading to a 2 bedroom (the girls weren't happy about sharing a sleeper sofa). He was told no, there were no 2 bedrooms available. That night, we turned on the window air conditioners and they sounded like jet engines preparing for take-off. The next morning, we told the front desk and they said they'd fix them. Came back after a day of touring to find the air conditioners not fixed. Went to the front desk and asked what they had decided about the noise - and they handed us the keys to a 2 bedroom/2 bath room!! Yep, it was available. Long story to say: Don't take one person's word for it. Research. And threaten.
Tell the management you're contacting the relocation company about the dirtiness of the room, and mention that you've requested it be taken care of AND that you've done your own cleaning because of HEALTH issues. YELP is a powerful tool, too!
I understand why they would clean your room last - they don't have to have it ready for those checking in.

And - I store my glasses "upside down". Always have. The thought of storing them 'right side up' gives me the willies!