Hilton hotels will now only offer housekeeping by request
"Hello, housekeeping!"
That familiar greeting following a knock on the door is familiar to most travelers. But that will no longer be the case at Hilton Hotels and Resorts. The company announced that moving forward, it will no longer offer daily housekeeping at its hotels. The news was first reported by One Mile At A Time. Guests who want their rooms cleaned can do so by calling the front desk.
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On-demand housekeeping became a staple of hotel stays during the pandemic as contactless experiences became mandatory. Hilton is the first major chain to make the change permanent, as it detailed in its press release announcing changes to the CleanStay program.
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Hilton says, "For your comfort, we want your stay to be as undisturbed as possible. Guests are invited to tailor their housekeeping services to their comfort level. To schedule, simply call the front desk."
A Hilton spokesperson told TPG, "We discovered that guests enjoy the flexibility of on-demand housekeeping services and have now implemented a flexible approach as part of the evolution of Hilton CleanStay."
As more people resume traveling, the hotel chain is emphasizing its commitment to making sure its properties are safe and sanitized. Hilton has partnered with Reckitt, the maker of products such as Lysol & Dettol, to continue meeting rigorous safety standards.
Of course, all Hilton guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guest stays. However, it will no longer place "cleaned and sealed" stickers on the doors of hotel room after the room has been cleaned.
We should point out the elimination of daily housekeeping only applies to Hilton's non-luxury brands. Waldorf-Astoria, LXR and Conrad properties will still offer daily housekeeping for guests, as will Hilton resorts in Asia Pacific.
Related: A look at how Hilton is cleaning
The decision to stop offering daily housekeeping is something that may not bother many hotel guests, some who may prefer not to have their mornings interrupted by the cleaning crew. But this will likely have a negative impact on hotel workers. Eliminating regular housekeeping will almost certainly lead to staff cutbacks. And there are of course questions about how long it may take for housekeeping to get to your room after you make the request. It will be interesting to see how the new policy will impact Hilton properties, and how the company reacts to feedback from customers.
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Hilton also told TPG the changes would be tailored to different areas of the world and different brands:
"Understanding that regions around the world are in various stages of recovery, we expect some elements to vary by region as it makes sense to do so. Properties in Europe, Middle East and Africa are still operating housekeeping as requested and properties in the Asia-Pacific region are still providing daily housekeeping. In the U.S., daily housekeeping is available upon request by contacting the front desk. On the fifth day of an extended stay, the guest room will automatically receive a full cleaning."