They Nap in Your Room
Staying in a hotel and getting away is always an exciting experience. The staff creates an environment that paints the picture of vacation each time, but what really goes on behind the scenes will definitely surprise you.
Here are some eye-opening secrets that hotel employees shared.
A hotel maid revealed that sometimes, they will take a nap in the guests' rooms when they are supposed to be cleaning them. They purposefully take advantage of large sweets which naturally need more time to clean.
They Try on Your Clothes
If they are too busy, they use your bathroom even though they are not allowed to. You should know that you aren't the only one using your room during your stay...
When you check into a hotel, the last thing you want to be worried about is someone else having a personal fashion show for themselves with your belongings. Maids have admitted to trying on the clothes you leave behind and even keeping them for themselves.
They Take Food from Your Dishes
You'd never know that they always look in your closet for the most expensive things you brought along because you are more likely to hang it up if you care about it. Sure enough, you never knew.
If they forgot to bring their lunch, no problem, they've got yours. They grab small things off the fresh plates for room service orders that you're less likely to notice. We've all complained about how little food they give us and how expensive it is.
They Ignore Your Do Not Disturb Sign
What's worse is we always think that's just the standard for these hotels. Actually, it was most likely that the maids weren't ready for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The almighty "Do Not Disturb" sign... well, be warned. Most hotel maids admit that instead of taking note of your sign and coming back later, they won't wait.
They Only Pat Down Your Stains
They'll carefully listen to hear if there's anyone there and then replace the necessities quickly. Maids don't trust the guests because some leave that sign on the door even after they've already left. If you hear a knock on the door, just be sure to respond, or else you might have a pretty awkward encounter.
The ugly truth – duvets and sheets rarely get washed. Anonymously, one maid admitted that if she came across a stain, she'd rather blot it with a damp rag until invisible rather than replace it.
They "Use" Your Bathroom
If the sheets look like they are clean enough, they will straighten them out for you and lint roll the bed just to make it look fresh.
This comes as no surprise as you might do the same thing if you were in their shoes, but as the book says, "Everybody Poops". That's right, the maids will do all their deeds in the same place you expected to be your sanctuary on your vacation.
They Clock Out By 5:30
We all know that someone's been there before, so as long as it looks and smells clean, why bother throwing a fit about.
A useful piece of knowledge is that by 5:30, the maids are all checked out. So, if you plan on putting off asking for service or something fresh, make sure you do it earlier in the day.
They Put You On Their Black List
The only thing you'll get besides room service for dinner is a "fresh towel".
Did you know there's such a thing as a Blacklist for people that break hotel rules? They will even spread your name to other hotels so you are denied your stay. With anything, there's a breaking point.
They Have A Limited Time To Clean Your Room
Whether it be overstaying your welcome, not paying for the room, or trashing the property, you might find it hard to get another hotel after that. So remember, hotel staff may have more power than you think.
Ever had a room "cleaned" and it seemed like they just made the bed? Well, it could be the maids' fault but it may also be the hotel's fault for giving the maids a time limit. One maid who worked for a larger chain of hotels reported that she was told to either work through her breaks or find another job if she couldn't clean the rooms in time.
They Fight Over Rooms
Naturally, this causes staff to cut corners wherever they can. Sometimes being bigger isn't always better.
Seniority still rules in this industry as maids who've been on the job longer get to call dibs on the luxury suites. People leave things behind all the time. If a maid finds your belongings and is willing to risk it, they will take home a little gift for themselves.
They Want You To Steal
Believe it or not, staff fight over trolleys too. The new employees get stuck with the rickety ones that never stay in-line.
Okay, so this one is more of a corporate confession than the maids. They actually want you to take products from your stay home with you. Sure, it makes you feel like you're really getting your money's worth, but more importantly, it's an advertising tactic.
They Get A Compensation Budget: For You!
Now they have their hotel label in your bathroom at home, reminding you of your stay with them. If you take an ironing board home on the other hand, you'll be sure to see that on your bill.
One former employee who of the Ritz-Carlton revealed that the staff receives a budget of $1,500. They are supposed to use this to make you feel like royalty during your stay with them.
They Allow You To Cancel Without Paying The Fee
They recalled that one time they replaced a lost Rolex for a guest, using their budget to cover it.
Did you know there's a way to cancel your reservation without paying fees? They really just want you to stay with them at some point, so you won't get charged for changing the date of your stay.
They Take Revenge Against Rude Guests
Now that you've created space between now and your reservation, you can then call back a little later in the day and another clerk will answer the phone. Then the cancellation fee won't apply anymore because it was before the cut-off period.
Some people have more will-power and restraint than others. Some maids report that their coworkers get back at rude guests before reporting them to management.
They Get A Higher Salary If You Keep Your Room Clean
An anonymous maid confessed to the Huffington Post that she used a bathroom towel to mop the floor and simply hung it back up for re-use when the guests return. Be careful who you're rude to in hotels, and maybe get your towel replaced just in case.
Being a maid, like many other jobs is performance based. If they are able to report they cleaned more rooms, they may be eligible for higher pay.
They Snoop Around Your Stuff
So if you keep your room clean, they can spend less time there and move on to the next one quicker. Who knew we could be doing them such a big favor by not being slobs?
You aren't paranoid if you think that they've been snooping around your belongings. It's not the most exciting job, so snooping through valuables and finding stains can make for some interesting stories to tell their co-workers.
They Have Probably Stalked You Online
Sometimes they even make a game out of trying to come up with what type of person you are based on what they can find out about you through snooping around.
When you book a room, some hotels look for your social media accounts to see what type of person you are. They can use this information to provide a more enjoyable stay even if they slip tiny details into a conversation about similar interests.
They Don’t Scrub The Tubs
It can even help them tailor your room to your personality. Who knows, maybe it pays off to post pictures on your social media that show a lifestyle of luxury so they'll spruce things up for you!
Once the maids reach your bathroom, they often look for the easiest cover-ups they can find! Instead of scrubbing the tub, they'll just run the water to wash away residue.
They Never Touch The Remote Control
You might want to take a second to see if your tub smells like cleaning product before you use it or else you might not be getting as clean as you think. It can't hurt to empty a bottle of shampoo in there after you check in just to be sure.
Want to know what the dirtiest thing in your hotel room really is? Multiple maids have confirmed that the one thing they hardly ever clean is the TV remote. It's the one thing most likely to have bacteria and dust on it.
So much for thinking the door knob was your worst nightmare as a germ freak. Hopefully, if you're on vacation, you won't be watching TV anyway.