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.
