Total random question about hotel washcloths

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't understand why the number of people checking in to a room isn't added to the housekeeper's sheet at every hotel across the country. It seems like common sense to me and would cut down on extra calls to rooms and unnecessary laundry.

I feel like that would add extra time to a housekeepers day for every single room because of all the double checking. Your room isn't serviced by the same housekeeper everyday. Not everyone gets their room serviced every day. So each time a particular housekeeper sevices a room they would have to check what reservation a particular room has at that time and then check how many people and then know exactly what the person wants and the combination. It's not just how many people are on the reservation but what they prefer. I use 2 towels whenever available just for me. I don't mind if there isn't one available but I do prefer it. The number of people on the reservation would be inaccurate for my preferences immediately off the bat. I know I'm not the only one either who uses 1 towel for my body and 1 towel for my hair.

I just see that as time consuming. I hear you that it would be ideal if everytime they just knew each time the room is serviced exactly how many towels and what combination you want. On the other hand doing it for every hotel reservation as opposed to just the ones that call or request some other way more I'm sure works out better in terms of resources used and time spent. I think a larger portion of people would be more upset in the end if their rooms were serviced at a slower pace and you would still have people calling in for more if they purely looked at how many people are on the reservation.

 

[Searc]

that would take a lot of assumptions
1) everyone books at least a day in advance
2) no one fibs on how many people they have, or doesn't count their children as people
3) no one makes special requests at check in that effect room selection
4) everyone arrives after all rooms have been cleaned
I could keep going

The rooms that are reserved have number of guests noted. People who lie will have to ask for extra. It isn't a difficult concept to implement.

 

[Deb]

The rooms that are reserved have number of guests noted. People who lie will have to ask for extra. It isn't a difficult concept to implement.

thanks, but I'll go with my 30 years of experience.

 

[mom2rtk]

I just love a good hotel wash cloth argument!

 

[bluezy]

that would take a lot of assumptions
1) everyone books at least a day in advance
2) no one fibs on how many people they have, or doesn't count their children as people
3) no one makes special requests at check in that effect room selection
4) everyone arrives after all rooms have been cleaned
I could keep going

This! I've mentioned before that when we're on the road, we only book our room a few minutes before we actually walk in the front door and check-in. I know we're not the only people who do that. We have reservations in advance for whatever our final destination is, but never the stops along the way.

We've also checked in to a room and there has been a problem and we've changed rooms. Should housekeeping now run ahead to our next room and make sure we have the right number of towels there?

It's nice to have enough towels and wash cloths in a room when we check in, but it's not a huge inconvenience or difficult to pick up the phone and request more if we need them. It makes more sense to just let people request more if they need them than to overstock every single room or to try and follow some list of how many people are in the room (which doesn't necessarily indicate the number of towels that room will need anyway).

If this was a huge issue in the hotel industry, I'm guessing they wouldn't put *any* towels or wash cloths in the rooms and just keep a supply at the front desk so when people check in the front desk clerk can ask how many bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths the party will need and just throw them in a bag and hand them over.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I agree I typically see 2 washcloths and many more towels.
Never use them ... I bring a loofah type squishy on every hotel visit.

 

[gary1955]

I frequently travel solo. when it is available I get a room with a single king sized bed because there is usually a couch and sometimes a table and chairs in the extra space.

the odd thing is is that I usually still see four sets of towels. sometimes there are more than four hand towels if they have an elaborate towel sculpture.

lately I have been leaving the "don't disturb" sign out so that they don't come in and clean the room every day. even though it says to hang up the towels for reuse, they always take them away and put new ones on the rack. seems like a waste. along with the the extra tissues they take out to remake the flower on top of the box.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

even though it says to hang up the towels for reuse, they always take them away and put new ones on the rack. seems like a waste.

Yeah I've experienced that too. All I'm doing is following their directions and yet I get new towels lol. Of course it's not a big deal to me but when they say it's about reducing or environmental or whatever it's just one of those odd things the times I get new towels anyways.

I suspect for a lot of housekeepers it's probably just an automatic thing to take the towels and replace them even if the towels aren't on the floor or some other place where it's clear you're wanting a replacement.