It’s no secret that being a part of the service industry is a tough gig and in recent years, hotel maids especially have come forward revealing decade old secrets, tips, tricks and insight into their workplace.
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Some of these are basic knowledge while others will definitely surprise you, either way, they are must-have things to know, which will only make your next hotel stay more comfortable and easy.
They Take Food Off Your Room Service Plates
Most hotel maids don’t pack a lunch before heading out for their workday. Instead, they grab small things off the fresh plates of room service orders before they are delivered to the guests.
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Next time you take a look at your pricey, yet delicious room service and notice how small the portion is, just remember, the kitchen didn’t skimp you. Most likely, the maids were ready for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and took some from your plate.
They Actually Ignore Your Do Not Disturb Sign
You know that “Do Not Disturb” sign that comes with every hotel room you check into? Well, beware: most hotel maids admit to ignoring that doorknob sign so they can avoid coming back later to clean your room or switch out the towels.
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Sometimes, guests leave the sign on the door even when they’ve left the hotel grounds and by doing this, they take away valuable time from the maids trying to do their jobs. Just make sure you always respond to a knock if you’re in your room!
They Literally Nap In Your Room
A hotel maid revealed that staff sometimes have a nap in the guest’s hotel rooms. Especially if they are cleaning a large suite and have more time allocated to clean it. This sounds rather sneaky!
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They also use the bathrooms in guests rooms if they are really busy, even though they are not actually allowed to. So you should know that you’re never really the only one using your bathroom or bed at the time of your stay.
They Try On Your Most Expensive Clothes
When you check into a hotel of your choice, you expect your personal belongings and, most importantly, your clothes to be left alone. In the past, hotel maids have admitted to trying on guests’ clothing that they leave behind in their rooms.
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The maids are most likely to try on expensive apparel that you’ve hung in the room’s closet and typically, they put them back after they’re done playing dress-up. The guests never find out…
They Only Pat Down Duvet Stains
Ask almost any hotel maid and they’ll tell you the truth – duvets, coverlets, and sheets rarely get washed. An anonymous maid told the Daily Mail that if she comes across a duvet with a small stain that can be blotted out, she’ll pat it down with water until it’s barely visible.
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With the sheets, if they aren’t wrinkled and have no stains, they almost never get changed. Instead, the maid will smooth out the surface and lint roll the bed to freshen it up. A good tip would be to request fresh sheets, the minute you check-in.
They ‘Use’ Your Bathroom
You may or may not have seen this one coming, but hotel maids are human after all; when she’s gotta go, she’s gotta go! The hotel maids will go not just #1, but #2 in the bathroom you’ve booked to use on your vacation.
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In cases like this, it’s best to abide by the well-known “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule of thumb. As long as the bathroom is clean and looks untouched, then does it really matter at the end of your stay?
They Clock Out By 5:30
A small, but useful piece of information that most hotel guests aren’t aware of is that hotel maids clock out by 5:30. This isn’t a big kept secret but rather one which most people just don’t even know or think about.
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So, if you plan on requesting something from housekeeping, you’ll get it much quicker and in better condition, if you ask for it earlier in the day. The only service you’ll get in the evening hours at a hotel is a “fresh towel.”
They Lose Their VIP Roster For Breaking A Rule
While it’s true that most hotel maids have broken some fairly significant rules (and haven’t been shy when it comes to admittance), they still take a big risk when it comes to getting caught.
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If a maid gets busted trying on your clothes or giving an annoying guest attitude, they’ll lose their VIP roster and have to clean the less desirable and cheaper rooms. They can also have their hours docked.
They Are Friends With The Police
Hotels often have great relationships with the local police… for the most part. This seriously helps them protect themselves with all of the thousands of people coming in and out of the hotels all the time and helps keep things safe and sound.
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So if you were ever planning on not paying or not leaving your room on time, and you manage to aggravate them enough, you might not be able to stay in many hotels again. You may want to think twice before doing anything too crazy
They Fight Over Rooms
Senior members of the hotel’s cleaning staff will call dibs on the more expensive rooms and private suites. As a guest, if you leave anything behind and choose not to claim it at a later date, then the maid who cleaned your room can take it home with her as a lovely parting gift.
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Same goes for trolleys – the senior staff members take the best ones and leave the entry-level maids with older, more rickety ones. Who knew, the world of hotel maids was so competitive?
They Want You To Steal
Contrary to what you would obviously assume, hotels actually want you to steal their towels, soaps and shampoos. It is not only their way of making you feel like you really got your bang for your buck and had a memorable stay, but it is also advertising for them.
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If you leave with a memory from the hotel – perhaps with their logo on the towel – it will keep the hotel in your mind. Furthermore, ordering towels in bulk does not actually cost them so much. However, if you take other items, such as the iron, they will bill your credit card.
They Get A Compensation Budget: For You!
A former employee who worked for the Ritz-Carlton revealed that the staff are actually given a budget of $1,500 in order to ensure that their guests have a memorable stay and feel like royalty.
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In an actual case, there was a guest who lost his Rolex watch and complained a great deal. He was therefore given a new Rolex by the one Ritz staff as part of their compensation budget.
They Allow You To Cancel Without Paying The Fee
A hotel worker revealed the secret to cancel your reservation without paying any fee. If you wait to cancel after the cancellation time, call first and ask to change the date of your stay and then hang up and call back.
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Hopefully, another clerk will answer the phone the second time and then the cancellation fee will no longer be relevant as there will be a new cancellation deadline. Some clerks will even help you with this hack.
They Take Revenge Against Rude Guests
Some maids are unable to control their desire for vengeance on others. In the past, hotel maids have reported colleagues for misconduct against a rude guest or saw them getting payback first hand.
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An anonymous maid confessed to the Huffington Post that one of her co-workers used a bathroom towel to mop the floor in one of the rooms and simply hung it back up for re-use when the guests returned.
They Get A Higher Salary If You Keep Your Room Clean
Wait, what?! Most hotels pay their housekeepers per room that they clean, which means that if you keep your room as clean as possible, they will be able to clean more rooms and eventually get a higher paycheck.
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And in general, they will just like you much more. Remember, maids work very hard, so next time you feel like leaving things lying around your hotel room, try to be considerate of them.
They Snoop Around Your Stuff
In case you were wondering (and we know you were), hotel maids do in fact enjoy snooping around your hotel room- so no, you are not just paranoid. With long and somewhat boring days, they find it very exciting to see a stain on your bed and come up with all kinds of conspiracy theories of how it got there.
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They also think it’s super interesting to explore your possessions and figure out what kind of person you are, and makeup fantasy stories on what you do. Whatever it takes to get through the day, right?
They Have Probably Stalked You Online
Once you book a room, some hotels are actually looking at your personal social media accounts, such as your Facebook and Instagram. It is so important to them that you have a pleasant stay that they want to know exactly what you like and what your personality is.
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With this, they will aim to tailor your room to the type of person you are. Although this is slightly creepy, it surely makes for a great time and will help them keep their hotel successful.
They Don’t Scrub The Tubs
As we’ve gone over, hotel maids don’t usually have the time to clean the room as spotless as you’d probably prefer. When they reach the bathroom, instead of scrubbing the tubs, they’ll just run the faucet or shower and rinse it out.
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Therefore, the next time you check into your hotel room, you might want to make sure the tub smells like bleach or cleaner. If it doesn’t, dump some of that fancy hotel shampoo in there and let it run for a minute or two.
They Put You On Their Black List
A hotel worker revealed some valuable information for anyone that was planning on misbehaving at a hotel – some hotels actually have a blacklist for people who do not respect the rules of the hotel, and they share them amongst other hotels.
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So if you were ever planning on not paying or not leaving your room on time, and you manage to aggravate them enough, you might not be able to stay in many hotels again. You may want to think twice before doing anything too crazy.
They Will Give You A Discount If You Complain
Hotel workers also admit that complaining is always the best way to go and will most likely score you a discount on your room rate. If it’s an older person they are dealing with, they very rarely will question their claim.
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If you give the clerk a complaint about your rate, you are surely going to be given a 10% discount because they understand that selling the room at even 30% of the regular price is still better than having an empty room. But they also reveal that you need to know the right time to haggle – not in front of a large group of other guests.