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
19 thoughts on “8 Disgusting Things Hotels Are STILL Doing to Save Money”
OMG – I quit my job and have taken the summer off to travel. The Quality Inn in Tyler TX has been the most disgusting hotel I have every stayed at. Bugs, flys, roaches, no pool, dirty, door didn’t close properly, safety issues, horrible and gross complementary breakfast. I wrote to the company and told them they really needed to fix that hotel. It’s not fair the Stagg have to work in that environment.
Try the SUPER 8 in . Fort Myers FL. I dry heave every time I think about the utter filth. Every inch of it should be burned down.
When I stay in a hotel/motel I bring along my can of Lysol and spray it on toilets, remote controls sinks and bathtub or shower floors. It may sound extreme, but after reading about housekeeping unprofessional lazy cleaning I’ll protect myself from infectious diseases. Housekeeping used to be a high standard of cleanliness. I’ve witnessed after covid was so called over, a housekeeping employee was not wearing gloves cleaning toilets and making up beds. Yikes!!
When Covid hit I purchased a hand held uv lite for about $70 from Amazon and ran it over the tv remote remote and and all touchable surfaces.
You are absolutely right to carry an anti-bacterial spray. When I travel I do the same thing. I spray everything until all surfaces are damp, then leave the room for a couple of hours because the fumes are overwhelming. Additionally, I never use the furniture drawers even though I spray them as well.
I carry spray Lysol and a can of Hot Shot bedbug spray. You know that mattresses are infrequently cleaned or changed; most of the time a mattress stays until it’s too late and bedbugs are visible.
No surprise. Unclean carpets, sheets, linens, etc. invite BEDBUGS which can adhere to you or your clothing, go home, and infect everything you have. Local health inspectors are few and far between.
Hola! I’ve been following your website for a while now and
finally got the courage to go ahead and give you
a shout out from Lubbock Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the good work!
You guys are smart and that’s exactly license covid my husband and I do the same exact thing. Everything gets sprayed everything and I’m talking pillows on the front and back the headboard I pull a the comforter back and I spray the sheets with My lysol I spray the sideboards I spray the chairs. The refrigerator. Curtains door knobs hangers drawers everything absolutely everything!
your site does not work
It is most unfortunate that several hotels that do not clean well cast a shadow over all of us who do take cleanliness to heart. If you hear an employee coughing, please refrain from automatically thinking they are sick. We have had lots of smoke in our area from fires over hundreds of miles away yet it wreaks havoc with asthma. Our hotel strips every room where the guest has checked out – EVERY TIME as it is supposed to be. Part of the issue is the hoteliers that bleed the hotels dry then sell them. We believe that money will follow the guest experience as they let others know we are clean and friendly.
The same as hotels, ever wonder why cruise ships have vomiting virus outbreaks? Ships in the 1950’s and ’60’s would stay in a port for a day before the next cruise to thoroughly clean cabins. Recently I returned from the UK to NY on the Queen Mary 2, the ship was in port 3 hours. Disembarking passengers could wait in ship public areas until US Customs let us leave, I chose to wait in the comfort of our cabin. During that time, by my watch, ship stewards turned over each cabin in 10 minutes, basically changing bed sheets and bath towels, nothing else. During my voyage my 4 yr old sone threw up on the carpet, I wiped it with a towel. I know that carpet was the same for the next passengers in an hour.
I travel constantly for work and the older I get the more grossed out with hotels I’ve gotten. There is a routine I do at every hotel I stay in regardless how nice it is. Upon check in I request to be taken off housekeeping list. I don’t want anyone entering my room because I bring my own sanitary wipes and sanitize my room completely before I do anything else. I don’t want a housekeeper coming in who just cleaned someone toilet touching my things as they move them. Next bed spread or covers on the floor immediately. I bring sweat pants and sweat shirts with hood for sleeping. I lay on top of sheets with my hood up. And I bring a thick towel to cover my pillow while I sleep and to bath with. I bring my own bar soap and shampoo also. I always wear thick socks and slippers even if the room has carpet. I bring my own bottled water and snacks and if there is a mini bar never open the door. I don’t drink out of glasses and NEVER EVER get a drink with ice especially if out of the US which I normally am. Always check sliding doors to balconies even if you didn’t open it. I’m surprised how many are un locked when I check in. And last when I check in and get to the room I try to open doors and windows for a bit to air it out as much as possible, then turn the ac very low and bundle up so I don’t have to touch anything. I know, a bit paranoid but I can’t get sick, too busy with work.
One trick on parking: If you are there for multiple days without leaving in the car, the costs can
go up fast. When you leave, list a “lost ticket”, and you won’t be charged but for one day.
Also do not si naked on the bedspread. they usually aren’t cleaned but 2x a year!
Some hotels, one in particular in Ohio, charge an additional “city tax” and/or “county tax” when checking out that they don’t tell you when checking in.
We stayed in a resort 1 night where they sell you 2 weeks a year ! The sheets had spots of blood , two other bedrooms the sheets were dirty ! You could tell the bedding had not been changed ! We made someone come and change them all ! We did not buy and never went back.
Holy father never dies!
For some reason my husband and I have done almost all of your recommended ideas. It came naturally. We also took our personal thermos bottles, my husband has a blue personal thermos and I have a black one. I also noticed the lack of having clean sheets, we called the front desk and asked if they could have someone come up and replace our bed covers, or sheets. Done. We never use the glasses that are left in the room, that’s why we take our personal thermos bottles. Thanks for the other tips, we will be traveling within the next four months, we will keep all of your tips in mind.