Why using the Do Not Disturb sign actually annoys hotel staff
A LOT of hotel guests don’t like the idea of staff storming into their rooms while they’re out.
Putting up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign in a hotel can give you a bit of peace and quiet – but it can also drive staff up the wall.
Kanoho, a former housekeeper with years of experience, said putting up the sign can avoid human interaction.
If you’re barely messing up the room, skipping a day or two of housekeeping might seem harmless.
He said: “It leaves them one less room to clean.”
But for the messy ones, it can create a nightmare for cleaners.
Those who let the leftovers of their hotel stay accumulate, a once easy job can turn into an epic clean-up task.
Kanoho advised guests it is better to let the cleaners in at least twice during extended stays to prevent the situation from spiralling into chaos.
Many hotels rewarded skipping housekeeping in the past.
Giant hotel chain Marriott launched the ‘Make a Green Choice’ program promising loyalty points for guests dodging the daily tidy.
But a union survey in 2018 at one hotel revealed rooms left unattended were tougher to clean as mountains of rubbish and used towels accumulated over days.
However, the bid for a bit of privacy could also kick workers out of their jobs.
Back in 2016, housekeepers at six hotels in Boston, US, claimed they had lost over 6,800 shifts and a whooping $1.7million (£1.3million) in wages and benefits because of the scheme.
‘WELFARE CHECKS’
If guests leave the sign up for too long things could get even more out of hands.
One tourist advised hotel staff can become increasingly concerned about people who ask for privacy for too long – and could even send police offers to check on them.
Sophie Vershbow said: “So apparently in Las Vegas if you leave the “do not disturb” sign on your hotel door for more than 72 hours they automatically send over a police officer to make sure you’re still alive. Steve was very nice.”
These checks are labelled “welfare checks” and may not always be carried out by police officers, with the hotel staff instead assuming the responsibility.
Experts from Upon Arriving explained why you shouldn’t be too surprised to see someone come into your room if you’ve had the sign on your door for a while.
Some hotels consider 72 hours too long and will even perform these checks after as little as 24 hours.
It comes as an experienced hotel worker shared tips on how you can make their job easier.
Maria Mata, who works at W Hotel San Francisco, said: “After being a housekeeper, I would never leave the ‘do not disturb’ sign up for my whole stay.
“Maybe the guests think that when we don’t clean the room, it’s easier for us, but when a room has two or three days without cleaning, it’s very dirty.”
Hotel workers can have dozens of rooms waiting to be cleared in a day, and an extremely dirty one can delay their job.
Mistakes when checking out of a hotel room
HOTEL managers have revealed a stupid mistake guests make that will cost them £120.
Some guests like to take something extra as a souvenir from their stay, but not everything is up for grabs and it can come back to bite you.
While some items can be taken, such as toiletries and slippers, many of the items are not meant to be removed from the rooms – such as bathrobes, pillows and blankets.
It might be hard not to accidentally slip plush, cosy hotel bathrobes in your luggage, but it will not go unnoticed.
Since luxury hotels get out of their way to source the finest robes, it makes sense that visitors are frequently enticed to keep them as mementos.
On top of that, hotel merchandise has evolved into a sort of status symbol, proving that you have visited the Chateau Marmonts of the globe.
Azadeh Hawkins, creative director at Montage International, told Thrillist: ” We went through a very detailed process of sampling, reviewing many options of brands, and focusing on quality and fit to ensure we picked the perfect bathrobes to match the Pendry Hotels & Resorts experience.”
In the past, guests were quite open about their pilfering of bathrobes from hotels.
But in recent years, most properties have made it quite clear that a missing robe will be added to the cost of the room – the warning usually comes on the clothes hanger.