Tuesday, May 28, 2019

10 things hotel maids wish they could tell you, but can't

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There are a lot of things hotel maids wish they could tell guests.
We reached out to current and former hotel housekeepers to find the things they secretly wish they could share with guests but can't.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hotel maids have to put up with a lot, from filthy rooms to entitled customers.

And as it turns out, there are a lot of things they wish they could tell their guests.

We reached out to current and former hotel housekeepers to find out the things they secretly wish they could tell guests to make their lives easier. Each requested anonymity for fear of reprisal from their employer.

Read on to see 10 things hotel maids wish they could tell guests but can't.

At checkout, shut everything off in your room

"Don't leave your TV on as you're leaving to check out," a maid at a Hampton Inn told Business Insider. "We can't tell if that means you're in the room or not, and will leave us guessing (until we are able to contact the front desk staff, who are usually very busy at that time). Also, please don't leave a 'Do Not Disturb' sign up if you're checking out."

Don't dye your hair in a hotel sink

"Please don't dye your hair at the hotel. It takes an hour to bleach the tub and more magic erasers than I'd like to admit," a Hampton Inn housekeeper told Business Insider.

If you want to be nice, leave your housekeepers a snack

"We work hard, and (especially in hot areas) there's nothing better than finding a cold drink or ice cream during your shift. If you want to be nice to your housekeeper, then leave them an ice cream in the freezer when you leave or an unopened drink," a former housekeeper at an Australian resort told Business Insider.

Make a pile of used linens, towels, and sheets

"It's not necessary or expected, but it's really sweet when a guest takes apart their bed before they leave because you have to clean so many rooms in a certain amount of time. It helps a lot. Also, put all your used towels in a pile together on the floor," a Holiday Inn housekeeper told Business Insider.

And on that note, don't make your bed before you check out

"If you've slept in your bed, you don't need to make it when you leave. If we think you haven't used the bed at all, we may not change the sheet. So it's better if it looks slept in," a former housekeeper at an Australian resort told Business Insider.

Don't be afraid to ask for extra trash and laundry bags

"Plenty of people fill up the trashes and then throw trash into the floor instead of just asking for a new bag. We don't mind helping you keep your room clean, and we don't want to walk all over your dirty clothes on the floor," a housekeeper at a Hampton Inn told Business Insider.

Pick up after yourself, and keep the trash in one place

"If you want to do us a favor, put all the trash in one place so that we don't have to run around the room picking it up. That actually saves us time," a housekeeper at a Quality Inn told Business Insider.

Dispose of single-use medical items

"It's very common to find insulin needles from diabetic patients thrown into the trash uncapped. I personally got a needle-stick injury from one and spent six months getting blood work and taking medication to protect myself from that mistake," a maid at a Hampton Inn told Business Insider.

Use your 'Do Not Disturb' Sign

"Use your 'Do Not Disturb' signs if you don't want us to disturb you. I've been yelled at plenty of times when people didn't want room service but also didn't have their sign up," a housekeeper at a Hampton Inn told Business Insider.

Most importantly, treat housekeepers like human beings

"I know we're maids. Some of us don't speak great English, and some of us do. I know it's awkward when we come in to clean your room while you're there, and it's awkward for us too. We have a job to do, and taking care of you and your room is that job," a Hampton Inn housekeeper said.

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