Towel Thief!

[GuySmiley]

For crying out loud, it was meant as a simple question, not to start a riot. It was my TOUR GUIDE who suggested pulling the towels from the cart in the hall, so I simply asked.

Towels are no laughing matter! How can you take this so lightly! First its towels from the cart in the hall, then your robbing liquor stores and selling crack and running over school kids with your car!

 

[burnsoc]

For crying out loud, it was meant as a simple question, not to start a riot. It was my TOUR GUIDE who suggested pulling the towels from the cart in the hall, so I simply asked.

I knew when I read the title what the responses to this thread would be. It seems like every six months or so a towel thread pops up. You should ask if it's okay to stay in your room past 11 AM on departure day in your next thread.

 

[DVCconvert]

Be careful what you "wish" for, as that's how pool towels are handled at HH. They are in the room when you arrive (one for each registered occupant) and you can exchange them for fresh towels at the pools, but they are accounted for and charged on the room bill if not returned at departure. It's entirely possible the same policy could be extended to the other resorts in the future. The HH pool towels are green/white striped, so they are pretty easy to spot - and they do need to be laundered separately.

It's already been extended now to include Vero Beach.

 

[Dean]

For crying out loud, it was meant as a simple question, not to start a riot. It was my TOUR GUIDE who suggested pulling the towels from the cart in the hall, so I simply asked.

Looking at your title, I suspect you knew it was wrong when you posted it. It is a simple question and a simple answer. I hope you misunderstood your guide or he's no longer with the company if he was encouraging members to violate the policies in place and to be dishonest. I know some guides have suggested the same of the pool carts, I've never seen where one suggested grabbing from the mousekeeping carts.

I too prefer the system that HH and VB has instituted. When the Trash and Towel goes away in a couple of years, it's issues such as this that will be partly responsible.

 

[crisi]

Be careful what you "wish" for, as that's how pool towels are handled at HH. They are in the room when you arrive (one for each registered occupant) and you can exchange them for fresh towels at the pools, but they are accounted for and charged on the room bill if not returned at departure. It's entirely possible the same policy could be extended to the other resorts in the future. The HH pool towels are green/white striped, so they are pretty easy to spot - and they do need to be laundered separately.

We stayed in a resort in Mexico that did this and it was a pain. Because of course a few people lost their towels (or left them in the room) and then pilfered towels of other people from the deck chairs. Who were then short towels so they pilfered towels from deck chairs. Leaving someone without a towel needing to go through the whole "someone took my towel" thing at the front desk. I was watching towels like a hawk (fortunately - it was all inclusive- including liquor - I was a harder target being relatively sober).

As energy and water costs have gone up, and environmental concerns have gone up as well, towel laundering has become a big deal for large resorts.

 

[dianeschlicht]

They have already started that at HHI and VB. Your pool towels are left in your villa and you are required to turn in that many towels when you leave. You don't get extra. If you choose to use the pool towels at these resorts as your bathroom towels, you may do so.

But don't complain when they remove the towels from the pool area and leave you pool towels in your villa.

Ultimately we pay for all the extras that people just take. And our dues go up.

That is the policy at several other timeshares we have stayed at as well. Some of them have the pool towels be a different color, and they are labeled as pool towels, because of the difference in laundering for those. I think all in all, that is an excellent idea, because it not only keeps costs down to the members, but also keeps the towel clutter away from the pool area. Folks aren't going to be as likely to leave a towel on an empty lounge chair to "hold it" all day while they play at the parks. If you are responsible for the number of towels still being in your unit at the end of your trip and are charged if they aren't there, then you would definitely be careful!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I too prefer the system that HH and VB has instituted. When the Trash and Towel goes away in a couple of years, it's issues such as this that will be partly responsible.

Dean, do you really think they would do away with Trash and towel? Would they include studios in that policy? At least in the 1,2, and 3 bedroom villas, it's easy to wash towels (and we usually do), but those staying in a studio would be hard pressed to do that.

 

[cseca]

Dean, do you really think they would do away with Trash and towel? Would they include studios in that policy? At least in the 1,2, and 3 bedroom villas, it's easy to wash towels (and we usually do), but those staying in a studio would be hard pressed to do that.

I was thinking the same thing. I have no problem whatsoever doing towel laundry ourselves IF we are staying in a 1br or above. But if we stay in a studio it seems like a "mean" thing to do to not get a new set of towels...
I mean I can use the same set of towels for 3 days no problem but after that I like a clean one. Even at home...

Heck come to think of it, I wouldn't mind them taking away trash and towel completely IF they put w/d in a studio...

 

[jodifla]

I always bring one beach towel a person from home, then I bring a small hair-drying towel I like.

Solves most issues.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Our first trip "home" is scheduled for July in a 2 bedroom at BLT. If I understand this correctly, that will be 9 towels for 5 people, with new towels on the 4th day. Seeing we will have a washer/dryer, I can wash/dry the towels, if we feel they need it. If we do take a pool towel back to the room, as a cover-up, we should return the pool towel to the pool area? Is this all correct?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our first trip "home" is scheduled for July in a 2 bedroom at BLT. If I understand this correctly, that will be 9 towels for 5 people, with new towels on the 4th day. Seeing we will have a washer/dryer, I can wash/dry the towels, if we feel they need it. If we do take a pool towel back to the room, as a cover-up, we should return the pool towel to the pool area? Is this all correct?

Spot on!

 

[Chic]

Add additional laundry charges against a few hundred thousand members all "taking extra" towels, plus replenishment as the towels wear out faster for more frequent laundering. Add it to our dues. Listen to the moans and cries every year when the dues bill arrives.

Whether you're using pool towels or the ones in your room, they all have to be laundered. Either way, it seems to me the cost is the same if not less because the pool towels appear to be a less expensive towel than the type used in the rooms.

 

[robinb]

I'm not the kind of person who needs to have a fresh towel every day. I don't do it at home and I don't need it when I stay at a timeshare. That being said, when we stay in a studio my bathroom towel is often still damp in the afternoon from my morning shower. We always take a break in the afternoon for a swim, otherwise my little fish's gills get all dried out and I don't want to use a damp, icky towel for my after-swimming rinse. So, I grab a dry towel as a wrap for my walk back and use that for my shower. We then return the used pool towels to the pool on the next trip.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm not the kind of person who needs to have a fresh towel every day. I don't do it at home and I don't need it when I stay at a timeshare. That being said, when we stay in a studio my bathroom towel is often still damp in the afternoon from my morning shower. We always take a break in the afternoon for a swim, otherwise my little fish's gills get all dried out and I don't want to use a damp, icky towel for my after-swimming rinse. So, I grab a dry towel as a wrap for my walk back and use that for my shower. We then return the used pool towels to the pool on the next trip.

That is EXACTLY as it should be. Our last trip, we saw someone walking back from the South Point pool with his arms completely loaded down with clean towels. I would estimate he had maybe 30 towels from the pool! THAT is NOT an appropriate use!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I love clean towels, and we are ALWAYS charged for them. ALWAYS. I read these threads where people say the Housekeepers just hand them extras. I am here to tell you that NEVER happens to me. And yes, I am polite and I do tip.

Not only do I NOT get free towels, but the one time I called to report that we had NO linens for the pull-out sofa the lady came in and looked around herself before she gave them to me. I just wanted sheets for the bed so DS wouldn't be sleeping on the bare mattress! I wasn't attempting some sort of sheet scam!

This year we will have a washer & dryer so I will just launder the towels myself. I am also bringing beach towels that I will leave in the Owner's Locker.

 

[Chic]

For crying out loud, it was meant as a simple question, not to start a riot. It was my TOUR GUIDE who suggested pulling the towels from the cart in the hall, so I simply asked.

I'm glad to see your post regarding your Guide. To be completely truthful, when I initially purchased my DVC contract, my Guide told me that "most" people go to the pool to get extra towels since they don't receive a fresh batch each day. With that being said, I'm sure DVC is fully aware of what is happening and has already incorporated that cost into our dues. I don't steal any pool towels, I just use them and leave them in the room. As I mentioned in an earlier post, housekeeping has never had an issue with the pool towels. I've been in my room several times as they collected the towels and the housekeeper had no problem with my stack of pool towels.

 

[crisi]

Yes its already in the cost of our dues, but is it fair that I'm paying for your need for clean towels when DVC has a mechanism in place for YOU to pay for your own clean towels?

If DVC didn't offer the towel package, that would be a fine defense. But they do offer the towel package for a price - plus the ability to launder your own towels. If you are getting towels without paying the price (and without housekeepers 'gifting' you clean towels....), aren't you stealing.

Housekeepers aren't generally in the enforcement business (frankly, they don't get paid enough to get into arguments with guests that they are going to loose anyway).

 

[fishermouse]

LOL!!! I never see the seriousness in some issues!!![/QUOTE Thanks yours is the best response I've seen yet
,,
if you need a couple extra towels just take some.. Nobody really cares.... and don't forget to tip housekeeping, it's much more important than how many towels you use.

 

[Snurk71]

I can't believe in 4 pages no one has brought up the easy solution - go to a non-DVC resort and steal the towels from that resort. Staying at BLT - roam the halls of the Contemp and pilfer the towels (and soap and shampoo as long as you made the trip). That way our dues stay low.

And no, I've never done this.

 

[smjj]

Taking items from the cart is not the proper thing to do.

DVC Members are expected to pay for extra towels so technically, that person would be stealing and defrauding an Innkeeper.

Bill

I do not aggree. To take the towel home is stealing. To use it then leave it for them is not. Maybe it is not the proper way to get extra towels, I have ask and been given them but stealing, I don't thing so...smjj