# Yes, hotels maids do go through your stuff



## abbekit (Nov 12, 2014)

Posted on Hotel Chatter, link to video...


http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2...otel_Housekeeper_Is_Going_Through_Your_Things


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## mdurette (Nov 12, 2014)

It is on the extreme rare occasion that we have house keeping services during any of our stays.

With a TS, I don't expect them and even if they have a mid week cleaning, I always decline.

If in a hotel and not more than a night or two - I keep the do not disturb sign out.   

In the event we do need a towel change (that is all that is really ever needed) I usually grab them in the hallway and ask or I'm around and I meet them at the door.

I travel with a work laptop and even though it has encryption software, I still bring a cable and tie it to some piece of furniture.  

I'm sure 95% of hotel staff are all honest....but one day, I'm sure I will bump into one of the remaining 5%.


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## hajjah (Nov 13, 2014)

I am so thankful that this information was posted.  I advised everyone in my address book to be aware of what can happen when staying away from home.  One thing that I always do, if not just for my peace of mind, I place all valuables, i.e. Ipad, Bose headphones, etc. in my carry-on bag and lock it before leaving the unit.  I only need to do this if a safe is not in the room.  On one trip, I'm so glad I asked a friend who was staying with me, if she had anything of value for me to lock.  Well, she had a roll of money in a gum wrapper placed inside her belongings in the drawer!  I advised her to never do this.  On my most recent trip to Aruba, I saw one Iphone left out in our unit on the charger.  No way!  I would never leave anything of value plugged while away from the unit or hotel room.  We must be cautious no matter where we stay.
Thanks so much for posting this message.


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## HatTrick (Nov 13, 2014)

Far worse, to me, than going through someone's things is throwing the pillows on the floor while making the bed.


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## dougp26364 (Nov 13, 2014)

What I find interesting is that the room door appears closed. In the hotels/timeshares we've stayed at, they've a.ways proper the doors open when they were cleaning. 

I have had a cap era and camera bag stolen while at a timeshare. Since then I've never allowed housekeeping in our unit.


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## Elli (Nov 14, 2014)

What do you do if you stay 2 weeks in the same unit, don't you get Housekeeping after 1 week?  I always decline the midweek towel change as well.


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## DeniseM (Nov 14, 2014)

If we want housekeeping, we stay in the unit, or out on the lanai, the whole time they are there.


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## Passepartout (Nov 14, 2014)

You folks are paranoid. 

Now, that said. I don't leave serious temptation out in plain sight. No salad bowl of cash, computers are put in closed suitcases or buried under clothes in drawers, cameras and passports and jewelry in the room safe. If I'm onsite, yes, a drink on the lanai/patio while the housekeepers straighten up, but I'm not arranging my schedule around any maid. 

Jim


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## DeniseM (Nov 14, 2014)

Just to clarify - on a one week trip, we decline housekeeping - we don't need it.  But on a longer trip, we do use housekeeping once a week.  Since we know when they are coming, it is no trouble to schedule an hour on the lanai at that time.  

I don't think we are paranoid, but I do think we get better service if we are there, and I do feel more secure.  Also, if they do a good job, that allows me to tip them directly and thank them, when they are done.


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## HatTrick (Nov 14, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> If I'm onsite, yes, a drink on the lanai/patio while the housekeepers straighten up, but I'm not arranging my schedule around any maid.



Who are you calling a maid? Now hand over that salad bowl of cash!


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## Free2Roam (Nov 14, 2014)

That's scary


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## Jimster (Nov 14, 2014)

*hotels*

i have worked in hotels for a long time and I find the rejection of housekeeping services humorous.  First, you are in a hotel!  If ANYONE wanted to get in your room to rob you, it wouldn't be difficult.  I could probably list 30 ways to get into someone's room.  What do you think is keeping that from happening? -the lock on the door, the safe, or even the hotel staff.  None of those things work to deter a potential robber.  Just like the security screenings at the airport-they are primarily for show rather than an effective deterrent.  Second, I like to live in a reasonably clean hotel or TS.  Keeping the maids out is not a good idea.  Third, in my hotel, we won't let you go a week without cleaning.  Because people are such pigs, we demand to clean the room after 3 days.  If you want to stand outside and watch the maids clean the room you can, but it is either get your room cleaned or check out.  Fourth, the maids are almost always pushed by their supervisor to get the rooms cleaned quickly.  They don't have time to look through everything.  Of course, it is prudent to put valuables away.  Fifth, at least in the US (not as much in a foreign country) even the allegation that the maid took something is likely to get them fired.  Most housekeepers want to keep their jobs.  Of course, if you leave a $30K diamond ring out on the desk that might tempt some of them.  Sixth, what some people call going through their things is merely an attempt to pick up the junk the tenant leaves lying around.  Seventh, some housekeepers are poorly trained.  You can tell a good one very easily.  When they come to clean your room, do they pull their housekeeping cart across the door barring entry from anyone?  If they don't then when their back is turned anyone can come in and take things.  You should insist this be done.  Sometimes when the maid is cleaning a room a person will appear and say "oh this is my room and I need to get something"  They shouldn't let them in even if you are the one saying that.  Likewise, any real housekeeper will not let someone into a room without fully vetting them.  Even if you say i am the occupants husband and shows ID that is not sufficient.  Do you have any idea  how many disgruntled divorced husbands out there would like to settle a score with the estranged spouse?  Finally, we sometimes get calls about missing items and most of them are just misplaced or sometimes people will look for things they never even brought with them. 

One thing I will say is that the housekeepers love people who decline cleaning-it makes their job sooooo much easier.   Now if people leave their pets at home because they are afraid of them being stolen or if they would use only their own pillows, blankets and towels from home rather than using and stealing ours, we would all be happy.


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## Yolie912 (Nov 14, 2014)

Gross! And she did the bed with the same nasty blue gloves she used to clean the bathroom!:annoyed:


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## Jimster (Nov 14, 2014)

*addendum*

Now if we are talking about a $25 a night low budget motel, then all bets are off.  You get what you pay for.  I would pass on the Bates Motel.  I'd sleep in my car.  I love it when people call and ask how much are our rooms and if I say anything over $40 they complain.  I never do, but I want to say "I'm sorry our free rooms are all full."  Recently, I had a woman call and ask if we would honor the rate of a hotel in our chain that is two levels in our chain below us and located in the middle of no where.  I politely said we can not do that  I explained as well as I could you wouldn't expect a hotel located on Disney property to charge the same as one located in Boondocks, USA.  Location along with demand and quality are all factors in determining the price.


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## MuranoJo (Nov 15, 2014)

I've had twice-daily cleaning service in MX and never had anything stolen.  No losses, either, in the Caribbean.  But I did have something (a clothing item) disappear in an Oahu hotel years ago. 

I also traveled for business for 20+ years, staying in hotels, and never had anything stolen from the room.

But I normally don't leave 'tempting' items in sight and will use in-room safes, if available, just as an extra measure.  (Not that they can't be accessed by cleaning staff or other hotel staff.)

Not to make light of the issue, as I know it does happen.  I guess perhaps we've just been lucky.


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## dundey (Nov 15, 2014)

Can't believe some of the responses here.  I travel for business about 50 nights a year and also travel extensively for leisure - skiing, beaches, etc.

In 30 years of doing this I / we have never had anything stolen.  My 2 girls have always left small electronic in the rooms without issue.

That being said, I do stay in nice places - mainly Marriott and Hilton brands so maybe that helps.


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## DeniseM (Nov 15, 2014)

Jimster said:


> First, you are in a hotel!  If ANYONE wanted to get in your room to rob you, it wouldn't be difficult.



Yes, but, don't you use an electronic system that that shows everyone who enters the room?

When we were on Kauai last summer, they accidentally changed our electronic key at the end of the week, and locked us out on a Saturday, when we were are the grocery store.  So when we came back with groceries, we couldn't get in.  

My husband went to get our keys fixed, and I stood there with the groceries.  An employee came by and I asked her to let me in, and she said, "If I use my card, it will show that I've been in your room, so I need to call security and get permission."  So I pulled out my ID, and she got security to OK letting me in.

Obviously, it's much harder to stop a determined thief whose intent is to steal from you, but in normal situations, taking precautions, "keeps honest people, honest."


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## Jimster (Nov 15, 2014)

*electronic monitoring*

Denise is correct.  Many hotels (certainly not the majority) are able to tell electronically when a key is used to enter a room.  One hotel I worked at used this system but my current hotel does not.

Having said that, without giving away any secrets, there are still many ways around that.  About 2 years ago one prominent hotel lock company admitted that it was possible for thieves to use an electronic devise they could make from parts at Radio Shack to open ALL of the locks in a hotel.  Subsequently, that company has redesigned their locks, but I am sure there are many hotels out there using the old model locks.

There are still many other modes of access to a hotel room.  In some hotels the door does not lock upon exit or your particular room door my not close upon exit. Etc Etc.


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## Ken555 (Nov 15, 2014)

While I use a room safe each time I leave, I am more concerned if a hotel (or timeshare) has been properly cleaned than the security of my stuff while away. I hate to say it, but it's rather obvious to me that many well respected hotels are not cleaned thoroughly. Standards should be higher in many respects in this industry, and security is just one of them.

On a related note, I'm looking forward to using my iPhone as my key to gain access to a room at a Starwood property sometime in the near future. 


Sent from my iPad


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## Elli (Nov 15, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> If we want housekeeping, we stay in the unit, or out on the lanai, the whole time they are there.


We try to do the same, Denise.  We usually get up early, so I asked for early housekeeping.  Guess what, no one appeared yet, wonder if they'll get here before lunch, can't sit around all day on the lanai waiting for them - frustrating!


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## Jimster (Nov 15, 2014)

*housekeeping*

Generally housekeeping has a schedule that they follow in most hotels and TS.  While they can sometimes honor requests, they can't and won't even try sometimes to honor all of them.   They won't for example push their cart and paraphenialia to let's say the second floor, to the fourth and back to the second.  It may seem logical to service the guest in a manner that you suggest but sometimes it is just too inconvenient and usually the housekeepers are pushed to complete their job ASAP.

As for staying in the room, if it is a family and they stay on the lanai, it probably won't be a problem.  However, housekeepers generally don't want the guests in the room (and that's not because they want to steal something).  It is for their safety.  I don't recall the name of the French banker who raped his housekeeper (allegedly) but those types of things do occur.  Even the hint of impropriety can cause problems for both the guest and the housekeeper.  It is far better for them if you leave the room.   Maybe you know that you are not a threat to them, but they don't.  Imagine making minimum wage and being asked to enter a stranger's sleeping quarters and then staying there alone with someone who may well be half naked.  Maybe that's part of the reason most hotels have a high turnover rate in housekeepers.


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## Elli (Nov 16, 2014)

Worked out well after all.  Soon after I posted 2 maids arrived, we stayed on the lanai while they worked inside.


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## Sandy VDH (Nov 16, 2014)

It looks like a Marriott based on the décor.


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