Thanks, housekeeping staff!

I'd stop down at the front desk and politely give them hell. Don't be an a***hole about it but convey your displeasure. They will usually come around the next day and offer you a free breakfast or some extra hotel points.

Had a situation last summer where the maid who cleaned my room decided to rid me of a small pile of quarters that I had sitting on the desk (about $5 total). I bitched to the manager, who said that the maid probably thought it was a tip. I eventually got the money back along with a gift certificate for a nice dinner at the ritzy restaurant at the place.

 

Don't waste your time complaining to housekeeping, call the front desk and ask to speak to the manager. Be sure to mention you work for a newspaper (not Peter King style, but as in, 'hi, this is ijag from the YadaYada Herald'). If you were paying out of your own pocket, I'd tell you to demand a rate reduction or free night.

My favorite recent housekeeping story: Boom and I get away for a few days, check into a very lovely/expensive hotel, the kind of place that does not make dopey housekeeping mistakes. We get to the room, there is an ironing board leaning against the wall. I look at him: If you ordered this, it better be for something really hot that doesn't require an iron. He puts it in the closet. It's late, we hit the Do Not Disturb, and go to bed.

Seven am, pounding on the door. Wtf. 'Go away,' Boom booms, not getting up. 'YOU GOT THAT IRONIN BOARD IN THERE?' shrieks the housekeeper. 'I JUST GOTTA GET ME THAT IRONIN BOARD.' Okay. We are on vacation, we are asleep, and we are not getting up for the ironing board. We ignore. More pounding on the door: "CAN I GET ME THAT IRONIN BOARD? JUST FOR ONE MINUTE? YO, HELLO IN THERE?'

We called the manager and told him we were being harrassed by a drunken guest demanding an ironing board. I think they took the housekeeper away in handcuffs, and sent up a very nice bottle of wine later that day.

 

no, what you need to do is get your receipt the morning you're checking out, THEN complain to the manager, give him the full treatment, and he'll offer to take $100 or whatever off your bill. then you get a new receipt, and when you do your expenses ... you turn in the old one

 

Wow, I guess I've been lucky. I doubt I've ever been up before 10. My wife will go have breakfast and then come up and wake me, and then we leave and housekeeping cleans the room. Usually on the other side of the Do Not Disturb, there is a Housekeeper, Please Clean Room.

 

That's ethical.

 

You use different towels each day?

 

not really

 

Did you leave a Seattle Hot Pocket behind for the cleaning staff when you checked out?

 

Last year, the A/C broke in the hotel I was staying at during the hottest night of the year.

Got two free nights out of it.

I can't explain it, but sleeping past housekeeping is one of life's little joys. "Housekeeping?" "No thanks." Back to sleep I go.

 

I would think upper decking the room might be in order, too.

 

i was so butt-ass naked on my honeymoon when the lady walked in one morning. when you don't speak the language it's not good