HOUSEKEEPING!

Ficheall

I'm staying in a hotel for a couple of days (I know - what recession, la di dah, etc.) and yet again I'm awoken in the morning by people knocking on my door who want to empty my bin and make my bed. I know, I know, all I have to do is say "No, thank you!" and they go on their merry way, making noise all along the rest of the corridor. It's a pain though.
When I pop into the shower, there's the small chance that when I pop back out, there'll be someone cleaning the room (and no, no chance that it'll be a doe-eyed French maid in a skimpy outfit who wants to dust off the cobwebs in my nether-regions).
And if they don't call before I leave for the day, I have to tidy my fecking room in case they do pop in.
If I wanted to stay somewhere where people came in and made noise, and woke me at annoying hours, and meant I couldn't walk around my room in the nip, I'd stay in a hostel.

So I guess my point is this: What is the point of a house-keeping service? (For all, in the middle of your stay - I can understand the need to clean the room after someone checks out...) Does anyone actually like the housekeeping, or is it just that hotels have not conducted much market research into it?

Story Bud?

Put the do not disturb sign on the door!

Then they eh...won't disturb you.

Ficheall

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.
Why is the default not "Don't disturb me unless I have a "Please Disturb Me" sign on the door." anyway?

xabi

Ficheall wrote: »

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.
Why is the default not "Don't disturb me unless I have a "Please Disturb Me" sign on the door." anyway?

I have stayed in some **** holes in my time and never once did they not have a do not disturb sign. You sure its a hotel? Maybe you've been put in jail.

smash

Ficheall wrote: »

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.
Why is the default not "Don't disturb me unless I have a "Please Disturb Me" sign on the door." anyway?

Carve it in to the door with a key!

The_Valeyard

Ring reception, tell them , no knocks on the door, etc.

Story Bud?

I've never been in a hotel that didn't have a do not disturb sign. Fancy or otherwise.

I like housekeeping. If I could have someone come to my house every day to change the sheets and make the beds and give me new fluff towels. Then I would do that.

One day. Oooonnnne day.

Mint Sauce

Ficheall wrote: »

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.
Why is the default not "Don't disturb me unless I have a "Please Disturb Me" sign on the door." anyway?

Are Travel Lodges, Premier/Holiday Inns fancy, they have these signs as well!

SEPT 23 1989

hang a sheeps head on the door

Turtyturd

I stayed in a hotel that didn't have one once...took it off the door of the next room the next morning.

Story Bud?

Turtyturd wrote: »

I stayed in a hotel that didn't have one once...took it off the door of the next room the next morning.

I always wonder about the ones that have "please make my room up now" on the back of the do not disturb one.

Too much room for messing.

Atlantic Dawn

Fold an A4 page 6 or 7 times and put this under the door to act as a door jam.

sbsquarepants

Put porn on the telly and turn the sound right up - they won't realise you're alone inside, as an added bonus they also won't hear you crying yourself to sleep.

stimpson

Answer the door bollock naked. They won't disturb you again.

ScumLord

I'm not a morning person but even I'm up before the cleaning staff come around at about 10-11am. Book your rooms in the middle of the corridor so it take them a while to get to you.

Ficheall wrote: »

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.

Maybe there's a sign with "fuck off" written on it?

Alf Stewart.

Ficheall wrote: »

It's not that fancy a hotel - I don't have one of those.
Why is the default not "Don't disturb me unless I have a "Please Disturb Me" sign on the door." anyway?

Put a sock on the door handle mate. That's a universally recognised code for the ten toes up, ten toes down dance.

4ensic15

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Fold an A4 page 6 or 7 times and put this under the door to act as a door jam.

An A4 page won't fold 6 or 7 times.

corner of hells

Take the door off it's hinges , housekeeping will get confused and run off.

Collie D

Stayed in a hotel last night that was undergoing renovations. Was woken by a drill and my lovely view of the River Lee was blotted out by a monstrous hairy builder's arse when I pulled the curtains.

At least the maids observed the "Do not disturb" sign

Crazyteacher

Last hotel I stayed in Ireland they completely ignored the sign and knocked on and off again every twenty minutes from 7.30 until checkout time. Reception couldn't /wouldn't help. So much for a night away. Drove home and went straight to bed to catch up on the sleep I'd missed. Have had such a few bad stays in Irish hotels in recent years that I'd rather stay in my beautiful clean home.

Ficheall

Alf Stewart. wrote: »

Put a sock on the door handle mate. That's a universally recognised code for the ten toes up, ten toes down dance.

I can't afford to spare socks - I only have ten toes to work with.

Collie D

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Last hotel I stayed in Ireland they completely ignored the sign and knocked on and off again every twenty minutes from 7.30 until checkout time. Reception couldn't /wouldn't help. So much for a night away. Drove home and went straight to bed to catch up on the sleep I'd missed. Have had such a few bad stays in Irish hotels in recent years that I'd rather stay in my beautiful clean home.

7.30? They could **** right off..

Actually just remembered someone I know had the maid ignore the sign and walk in on her while she was eh..playing with her pet rabbit

Minderbinder

have to say I think housekeeping do a really good job. they're like cleaning angels who come into your bedroom, sprinkle their magic fairy dust and the massive mess you've made is no more. and let's be fair everyone makes a mess in a hotel room because we take these cleaning angels for granted. to all the housekeeping angels, I say thank you, and sorry.

jimgoose

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Last hotel I stayed in Ireland they completely ignored the sign and knocked on and off again every twenty minutes from 7.30 until checkout time. Reception couldn't /wouldn't help. So much for a night away. Drove home and went straight to bed to catch up on the sleep I'd missed. Have had such a few bad stays in Irish hotels in recent years that I'd rather stay in my beautiful clean home.

That's outrageous. I'd have cancelled payment and given it the full Fawlty Towers "American" at reception.

Edward Hopper

xabi wrote: »

I have stayed in some **** holes in my time and never once did they not have a do not disturb sign. You sure its a hotel? Maybe you've been put in jail.

What was it about the holes that made them four star?

josip

Don't forget to leave a monetary token of your gratitude on your pillow for those cleaning angels

chrissb8

I stayed in a hostel in Munich and they used to come in cleaning at 7am in the morning. There was some renovations meant to be happening after the hostel was empty of guests. Our room were one of the few ones left with any people in them. Was pretty funny. You could sense the passive aggression off the cleaners to get us out. We just slept in hungover.

ProudDUB

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Last hotel I stayed in Ireland they completely ignored the sign and knocked on and off again every twenty minutes from 7.30 until checkout time. Reception couldn't /wouldn't help. So much for a night away. Drove home and went straight to bed to catch up on the sleep I'd missed. Have had such a few bad stays in Irish hotels in recent years that I'd rather stay in my beautiful clean home.

That's shocking. You should have given them a piece of your mind later in the day, when the morning check in/check out rush was over and they weren't mad busy trying to get the rooms turned over in time.

Last time I was in Killarney, I was woken up at 7am by Housekeeping barging into the room while I was still sleeping. Got a real fright too. It's not a nice feeling to wake up and see a total stranger in your room. Anyway, they realized their mistake and left before I could roar WTF at them. Mentioned it to the receptionist later that day and she was very apologetic. Said that Housekeeping mistook my room for one they thought was empty. The staff member reported what she had done to her Supervisor, so I think they may have been expecting me to say something. "Yeah, whatever" sez I. " It's still not acceptable" and shuffled off still grumbling.

Not really sure what I was expecting them to do. Came back later that day to find a note from the manager, apologizing profusely and a box of Butler chox on the bed. Happy enough with that. Anyway, long story short, you should have raised a ruckus with the front desk, spoken to a manager AND left a snotty review on Trip Advisor, if they didn't give you satisfaction imo. Not enough people complain enough in this country !

bodice ripper

4ensic15 wrote: »

An A4 page won't fold 6 or 7 times.

Sure it will. It won't fold in half 6 or 7 times. But that's not what he said.

If we're being picky.

Ruu

Put a large piece of furniture up against the door then have something hot to drink and have a cigarette while you watch your favourite show in bed.

josip

ProudDUB wrote: »

That's shocking. You should have given them a piece of your mind later in the day, when the morning check in/check out rush was over and they weren't mad busy trying to get the rooms turned over in time.

Last time I was in Killarney, I was woken up at 7am by Housekeeping barging into the room while I was still sleeping. Got a real fright too. It's not a nice feeling to wake up and see a total stranger in your room. Anyway, they realized their mistake and left before I could roar WTF at them. Mentioned it to the receptionist later that day and she was very apologetic. Said that Housekeeping mistook my room for one they thought was empty. The staff member reported what she had done to her Supervisor, so I think they may have been expecting me to say something. "Yeah, whatever" sez I. " It's still not acceptable" and shuffled off still grumbling.

Not really sure what I was expecting them to do. Came back later that day to find a note from the manager, apologizing profusely and a box of Butler chox on the bed. Happy enough with that. Anyway, long story short, you should have raised a ruckus with the front desk, spoken to a manager AND left a snotty review on Trip Advisor, if they didn't give you satisfaction imo. Not enough people complain enough in this country !

Too many people whinge and moan in this country. What an over reaction.
It's quite common for guests to make a mistake when they hang out the DND.
It's also quite common for other guests, usually after a few drinks, to turn the DNDs around for a laugh on the way back to their rooms.
These "barging ins" as you describe them, are not infrequent in hotels, and most guests understand that it's not housekeeping's fault.

Speedwell

If you have a special request for a room, such as a time you want Housekeeping to come clean, it is always best to inform the front desk. This is a reasonable request. I have usually had excellent luck doing that.

And I've made some borderline unreasonable requests, such as asking for the in-room refrigerator "bar" to be cleared of all chargeable items before I enter it. I need the refrigerator to store medication and medically required food, and I don't want to be charged for the items that I don't need or want just because they have some sensor in the fridge that reads when I move something out of the way. Yes, I used to have to dispute charges regularly for things I never ate or drank. No, I've never had a hotel refuse to clear the fridge. All I had to say was, "I need the use of the refrigerator during my stay".

Crazyteacher

ProudDUB wrote: »

That's shocking. You should have given them a piece of your mind later in the day, when the morning check in/check out rush was over and they weren't mad busy trying to get the rooms turned over in time.

Last time I was in Killarney, I was woken up at 7am by Housekeeping barging into the room while I was still sleeping. Got a real fright too. It's not a nice feeling to wake up and see a total stranger in your room. Anyway, they realized their mistake and left before I could roar WTF at them. Mentioned it to the receptionist later that day and she was very apologetic. Said that Housekeeping mistook my room for one they thought was empty. The staff member reported what she had done to her Supervisor, so I think they may have been expecting me to say something. "Yeah, whatever" sez I. " It's still not acceptable" and shuffled off still grumbling.

Not really sure what I was expecting them to do. Came back later that day to find a note from the manager, apologizing profusely and a box of Butler chox on the bed. Happy enough with that. Anyway, long story short, you should have raised a ruckus with the front desk, spoken to a manager AND left a snotty review on Trip Advisor, if they didn't give you satisfaction imo. Not enough people complain enough in this country !

I complained and rated them on trip advisor to which I got snotty responses. Room was very dusty on arrival and I found a pillow with red blood specs on the bed. I'd love to know how that hotel got their 4 star rating I really do.