Housekeeping hassles

One of the most basic hotel amenities is disappearing

Whether out of necessity due to staffing shortages, out of respect for social distancing, or perhaps just to save money, one of the primary amenities that sets a hotel apart from your home is disappearing: daily housekeeping.

The trend of no more daily housekeeping, while largely initiated by COVID-19, has become the norm at many hotels.

Marriott’s policies vary by property, but housekeeping is usually offered only upon request, with all rooms cleaned automatically every sixth night. Hilton’s default is no more daily cleanings at most properties unless requested.

Other hotels have schedules, like the Hotel Solares in Santa Cruz, California. There, three-night stays or fewer don’t get service, while six-night stays or fewer are cleaned once.

Part of the problem is supply chain and inflation issues. Hotels reported a 79% cost increase of cleaning and housekeeping supplies, according to a November 2021 American Hotel & Lodging Association survey.

Other hotel operators have explicitly stated it’s about money.

“The work we’re doing right now in every one of our brands … is about making them higher-margin businesses and creating more labor efficiencies,” Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said during a February 2021 investor earnings call.

There are some ways you can continue to get housekeeping on a trip.

1 Research before booking Hotels typically post cleaning procedures online. Look for pages on individual hotel websites labeled something like “amenities,” or “COVID-19 safety.”

2 Book high-end hotels Most high-end hotels are notably absent from this trend. Some Hilton brands, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts, still offer daily housekeeping. Most Four Seasons offer twice-daily housekeeping.

3 Request service Booking high-end hotels might be an unrealistically expensive solution. But here’s another trick that can work at even budget hotels: Ask nicely.

Be polite, and staff might take pity on your mess. After all, they don’t want stinky odors of days-old seafood takeout emitting from your room either. And the beach sand you tracked in could easily spread if not promptly vacuumed anyway.

For hotels where housekeeping is available on request, you can generally ask at check-in. Other hotels require you to request it each day.