Is each day housekeeping in motels actually lifeless?
- Many hotels were forced to cut services during the pandemic.
- The cessation of daily housekeeping was one of the options for many hotels.
- Hilton was one of the first to introduce a formal approach to housekeeping.
Hotels struggled to stay upright in 2020: even breaking even was considered a monumental achievement. To do this, many hotels were forced to perform the unenviable – if necessary – task of cutting services where they could.
One of the most notable was and is the daily cleaning of the rooms in many hotels. The service, once taken for granted by guests, was delivered on request and usually only offered several days after check-in.
Hilton was one of the first companies to take a formal stance on housekeeping, but most brands followed suit, either by stating this publicly or by letting customers know when they checked in. The measure was reportedly a strategy to keep guests and staff from exposure to COVID-19, but it was also viewed as a money saver and limited housekeeping hours.
Some say switching to housekeeping on demand could be a cascade of services and amenities, similar to what airlines do, where there are costs associated with various things that used to be free.
Does the transition have a real impact on the bottom line – save money and increase profits? Will it continue when the workload increases? What do guests think?
Like most aspects of the hospitality industry, the subject is more complex than meets the eye.
