8 Disgusting Things Hotels Are STILL Doing to Save Money

Let’s Talk About The Disgusting Habits Of Hotels!

Hotels are often the best accommodations you can get when traveling. If you’re traveling to different countries, it can also be your SAFEST bet.

These buildings are usually in the middle of a city center, near a tourist spot, and are easily accessible from airports, buses, and train stations.

Since so many people stay in hotels, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that those rooms aren’t always as clean as they’re supposed to be. In one pre-COVID study, 81% of hotel surfaces had at least SOME fecal bacteria.

But that was before pre-pandemic, so things have changed now, right? …Not necessarily.

While travel experts say you can trust specific hotels to be clean, here’s the general issue: Hotels are in the business of making money, especially after the hospitality industry was hit so hard during covid. They earn more money by cutting corners.

What we don’t see on their websites, and while booking a room on an app, is the different ways a hotel milks its guests when checking in.

These hotels are machines that generate money for the owners and stockholders and obtain it from their honored and esteemed guests. Let’s discuss hotels’ sneaky methods to get guests to spend more money.

Click next to see the 8 habits they have!

They’ve chosen those colorful carpets on purpose!

Why? To hide stains. Imagine any kind of stains you want, and chances are, they’re ingrained in your rich, colorful carpet. Of course, tiles are easier to clean, but those colorful carpets can also be viewed as works of art and blend in with the decor.

So they’re technically doing double duty. In recent years, the popular colors include brown tones, grays, and non-directional designs with heavy layers of texture.

Even though the CDC DID indicate cleaning soft surfaces like carpets during COVID, it doesn’t give further specifications. One industry report, however, does mention that some hotels are moving toward installing more hard floors.

But for now, don’t sit on the carpet, and be sure to bring slippers.

Room Service And Minibar

This is obviously a classic of the hotel business, and it’s also probably the highest markup in the history of ALL markups: the mini bar and room service. Prices from these available services are so high that most people who check in know better than to even look at the minibar.

Our parents taught us well not to do it when we were younger, right? The funny thing is that some still get caught in this web of delicious treats. How comfortable is it to want something without going down and taking the elevator or using your feet and legs?

Too comfy lying on the bed to go next door to a store and buy something for $10 less? The hotel has you covered…at a high cost!

Reusing The Sheets

Yes, this is STILL a problem. If there aren’t visible stains, some hotels don’t clean the sheets regularly between guests. According to a 2016 Inside Edition investigation, 3 out of 9 hotels tested secretly didn’t change sheets. Gross, right?!?

An Inside Edition report from June 2020 STILL found the same horrifying results in at least 3 hotels in NYC: the Hampton Inn Times Square Central, the Hyatt Place in Times Square, and Trump International.

None of these hotels changed all the linens or cleaned thoroughly between visits, the report found, despite the strict COVID-related cleaning measures that hotels should be following right now. Of course, sheets should always be replaced.

After all, previous guests’ bodily fluids, hair, and germs could lurk around. Pro tip: Ask your hotel to change the sheets after you’ve checked in before you get comfy.

Parking

Free parking in an urban hotel setting seems to be a vanishing privilege. For hotels, this is a sure-fire way to make some extra income. Putting a hefty fee to park a car in the hotel’s parking lot is a particularly sneaky charge.

Guests shouldn’t just shrug and agree to this charge unless they scope the surrounding area first and find a cheaper parking spot. But considering the easy access and the added security and comfort, guests just don’t bother looking for an alternative anymore.

And, if, as a guest, you find it hard to pay such a ridiculous fee for parking, we’re sure there’s something near the hotel building. Just go and look for it.

They Skip Cleaning Days

Nowadays, most hotels are skipping housekeeping days. Although we miss the freshness of our rooms being cleaned daily, this one is probably for the best.

Pre-Covid, many hotels offered their guests a $5 per day credit if they chose not to have their room cleaned, or alternatively, they’d tack on some additional costs for daily cleaning. Today, however, most hotels won’t clean your room unless you stay more than 3 nights.

These hotels have discovered that it’s not cost-effective, necessary, or safe to do a detailed cleaning daily. While this means that no outsiders are entering your room, it also means that your room may not be as clean as it could be since it’s not getting its daily wipe-down.

Free Amenities? Watch Out For The Ones that Aren’t!

Most hotels offer complimentary breakfast but watch out for some other “amenities.” It’s easy to spend much more than the flat nightly rate at the average hotel, between the minibar, parking, and who knows what else.

Take advantage of the free amenities, like continental breakfast, and see if you can get any deals on the rest.

For instance, if you notice that the parking lot is packed, ask the staff if they’ll give you a discount on the daily rate. Some hotels charge a “daily amenities fee” covering a wide variety of services, like access to Wi-Fi, free cocktails, printing, and newspaper delivery.

If your hotel charges a fee like this, ask for a list of the included amenities when you check in. That way, you can be sure to take full advantage of what you’re already paying for.

They’re Letting Sick Employees Work

The stakes may be high regarding COVID, but apparently, the economic stakes when it comes to employees are even higher for hotels. Even when they go against CDC guidelines!

According to NBC, At the Holiday Inn LAX, when an employee told her boss that she had a headache and body aches, she was given the day off to take a COVID test but continued working until she received her positive result. How could something like this happen?

Well, research shows that many businesses are struggling to find and maintain employees due to the pandemic. While there isn’t much you can do about other people’s actions or inactions.

You should regularly wash your hands and engage in proper social distancing whenever you’re not in your hotel room.

Some Continue Skimping On Washing Glasses

Sadly, there aren’t any international standards for the cleanliness of a hotel, even in these times. And it’s easy to make glass look clean: You just rinse it under water or wipe it with a towel, especially if the previous guest only drank water out of it.

If the housekeepers don’t have enough time to clean the rooms, there’s a good chance they’ll save some precious minutes by not washing the glasses correctly.

An undercover investigation by ABC News in 2009 revealed that 75% of glasses examined had just been wiped down and rinsed out instead of adequately sanitized.

Other studies at various hotels found that cleaning staff washed the glasses with dirty cloths and a spray that was unsuitable for drinking. While there haven’t been any post-COVID-19 studies about this subject, many hotels have replaced their glasses with disposable ones.

It’s not as environmentally friendly, but at least it’s now safer. Pro tip: Don’t risk it. Instead, just in case, bring your own reusable water bottles when you stay at a hotel.

While everything we’ve just covered may sound disgusting, just make sure you stay vigilant in terms of hotels to ensure you have a pleasant vacation!

And for a few more helpful tips for your next getaway, we suggest reading: 8 Unexpectedly Cheap Travel Items You’ll Wish You Had With You