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• Good Housekeeping?

  Jan 12, 2007Posted by Dave Darby

  Do you think that staying in a highly-rated national hotel chain buys you a certain level of comfort and cleanliness?  We did.  As a by-product of our little cross-country adventure, we are unknowingly becoming somewhat knowledgeable about the hospitality and vacation rental industry – sometimes to our chagrin.  I’ve always heard that people who have worked in restaurants do not usually like to eat there.

  As we make our way West towards our next house, we try to stay in hotels that offer suites-only rooms to get the best of economy and space.  The Hampton Inn & Suites where we landed was not actually a suite, but a king bed and a couch-bed.  It was also a motel which was nice to have easy access to the Suburban, but had no scenic value for Jul and kids to wander.  Also, my desk chair butted up against the bed and 4 kids were bouncing off the wall – not exactly conducive to getting alot of work and planning done.

  So, the next day (yesterday) we looked at local condo options and ended up bolting down the road to the Embassy Suites.  We’re only here through the weekend, so the hotel offers the balance of space and price.  But is it clean?

  Today, housekeeping came through.  Jul had already been to the manager to discuss the dried nacho cheese on the couch and floor and overall uncleanliness where the kids sleep.  They knocked half off the bill and were going to bring us up to par when housekeeping visits today.  To a degree, a little something-something back in the wallet usually calms me down.

  So Jul was in the atrium area with the girls working on school work while I worked at the desk and helped Jonathan on his presidential report when housekeeping showed up.  She made beds and changed the towels then walked away.  “Excuse me, did we get new glasses?’ I said as I looked at the empty glasses tray.  ‘Oh,’ she said before she rocked my world.  She then grabbed our dirty glasses, put them in the sink, sprayed a couple of squirts of industrial ammonia glass cleaner (aka Windex) then proceeded to rinse and dry.

  That can’t be good I thought.  So I called the front desk to ask if that is how housekeeping sanitizes and cleans glasses.  I’m thinking maybe ‘glass cleaner’ was lost in translation?  The lady on the phone played perfectly ignorant to the housekeeping methods and acted surprised as she promised to send up new glasses immediately.

  First off, I have a sinus infection and really want the glasses sanitized for Jul and the kids.  Secondly, ammonia is an irritant and I’m sure the label directs you to drink milk and call the poison control center if swallowed.  Not that trace amounts would harm the kids or the baby, but hey, do you want the same service and quality of a McDonalds when you visit and pay for Ruth’s Chris?  Me neither.  As the housekeeper left the second time, I stuck my head out the door and inquired about vacuuming.  She said something in Spanish – now, my Spanish is crude and derives my Greek and Latin derivatives classes in the 80s, but I think she said, ‘Oh, you handsome goat!  Thank you for reminding me how to do my job.  How foolish of me.’  Turns out she didn’t have a vacuum on her cart and disappeared for a few minutes.

  So, all is well now – at least to the naked eye.  I was frustrated but wanted to show my appreciation to her for going ‘above and beyond’ so I gave her a small tip.  Oddly enough, I was surprised to hear that she had noticed I had been working out when she made a comment, again in Spanish – something about how tight my ass is. :0

  I’ve learned alot about housekeeping this week and I’ve decided when we leave, I am going to drop a USA Today at the manager’s doorstep and slip a bill under his door that says ‘Housekeeping management fees: $50’.

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