A complaint: lack of housekeeping

[Ensusieasm]

I'll share this complaint with the hotel as well, but I wondered how others feel on this subject. I recently stayed five nights at Art of Animation, and our room was not cleaned a single time. No beds made. No sheets changed. No floor swept. No bathroom wiped up. The only service we received was to have two visits where someone switched out (weirdly) SOME of the towels, left us more coffee, and emptied the trash. By the last night, I actually took a washcloth to bed with me to wipe the floor grit off my feet before going to sleep.

I had heard that housekeeping has been minimal since the pandemic started, but I had no idea it was so bad. I travel a lot, and this is the first hotel I've been to in the last year that has not provided actual housekeeping. I believe that if Disney can't get enough housekeepers, they should either (a) sell fewer rooms, or (b) provide a significant discount for this lack of basic service.

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts...You had a bad experience for sure! ..... but it could have been even worse...
I stayed 5 nights at Port Orleans Riverside in late January and the trash was never collected and I did not receive a single fresh towel. Housekeeping never entered my room at all.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yeah, I get it. That doesn't negate the "less-for-more" observations and frustrations we see often on these boards. I think, when dropping multiple hundreds to thousands of dollars on a vacation, guest sympathy for Disney's hiring issues only goes so far. And I'm not convinced WDW is trying to hire housekeeping staff to pre-pandemic levels. As I said, I would not be surprised if the current every-two-day light housekeeping service remains for a very long time or, perhaps, becomes permanent.

Why not wait for them to announce a policy before getting pre-mad at them for something you think they might do?

 

[RamblingMad]

It is completely ridiculous that Disney is charging $500+ for a room and not even making the beds.

Absolutely no excuse for that. We switched our stay to an offsite hotel.

If you can get service offsite for less, why pay the Disney premium? I don't buy it's hard to hire if offsite hotels can provide the service. Let's call this what it is: cost cutting.

 

[lockets]

I read this today. It’s a little troublesome to think about some of the services and inclusions we are used to that are possibly not coming back. There’s more on the list than housekeeping, but housekeeping was certainly mentioned with examples included (though not mentioned by name Disney does fit the examples they include). Also that hotels still charge resort rates and/or haven’t dropped prices.

Can daily housekeeping really be a thing of the past especially at 1- to 3-star hotels? It’s anybody’s guess, but I honestly thought it would come back! Now I’m starting to wonder if I might be wrong…

https://thepointsguy.com/news/missi...ec4f74643beada2f86d278ba9&utm_date=2022-03-05

 

[MermaidsMom]

WDW is the largest single-site employer in the country. No other company or industry is trying to hire as many of the same type of labor in the same small metro area, except for the Vegas casinos, which are in a similar boat.

Disney badly needs immigration as well as a return of the cultural representative programs.

Better yet, why don’t they pay a wage that attracts people to the jobs they need done? Housekeeping has always been an afterthought for Disney and they are taking advantage of a problem that most people consider over.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Better yet, why don’t they pay a wage that attracts people to the jobs they need done? Housekeeping has always been an afterthought for Disney and they are taking advantage of a problem that most people consider over.

As I've said elsewhere, I'm smack on the middle of ski country in Pennsylvania and I get zero housekeeping here either. I'm paying rates comparable to a WDW Deluxe resort. Absolutely zero in this situation is Disney, as a company, being cheap.

They've raised wages across the board and offered generous signing bonuses. There simply aren't enough bodies.

 

[Jen81NYC]

When you booked your room, and again when you checked in, you were told several times that housekeeping would be limited to trash and towels every other day. You agreed to pay the rate you paid having been provided this information.

I'm currently staying in a ski resort in the Poconos. $400 per night rack rate. I'm not getting any housekeeping whatsoever. No trash, no towels. I'm on my own.

The whole world is tough right now. If this stays permanent, I'll be upset with it. For now it's still within what I consider reasonable as everyone works through the post-COVID recovery.

Really like to defend shoddy cleaning on multiple housekeeping complaint posts, eh? OP, for the record, many many people agree with you that it’s very poor form of Disney to provide such subpar cleaning services in their hotels. And I don’t get trying to justify Disney’s poor record on housekeeping considering how high their prices are. I also completely disagree that Disney is transparent about this issue. I and many others I’m sure booked our room through a Disney agent and I received zero notice that housekeeping would be so minimal and bad when the room was reserved. I also just reviewed the reservation terms on the September 2020 booking I had made (which was postponed several times to now April 2022) and there’s zero mention of housekeeping issues. If I didnt happen to see other complaining posts about it on the board, I would’ve been very startled to arrive at Poly in two months and realize that was the case.
People shouldnt have to worry that their room won’t be adequately cleaned during their stay when they’re paying hundreds (or even a thousand or more) per night to stay at a Disney hotel—this shouldn’t be a controversial opinion

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think the OP has standing ground on the wiping of counters. Vacuuming perhaps too (not sure on the grit mentioned what that meant if that was just dust or things they tracked in on their shoes that needed to be cleaned not vacuumed). The wording is that they will clean counters surfaces and the vanity not that they will clean surfaces in general. Before you go into your room however that all should be done (in theory).

The other things are something Disney advises they will be doing (or in this case not doing compared to before). Some are going to be very annoyed but it's still there that light housekeeping is what they are doing and that it's every other day.

I know people like to bring up the cost of staying at a Disney hotel but we do have to realize it's simply just what they decide to charge. I've stayed at 5 star hotels that don't do the housekeeping of the past.

I did wonder about some towels being switched out as in were they on the floor, counter, tub, shower, hung up, etc. Hung up generally means don't replace.

I'm not out here to defend Disney themselves but just that Disney isn't the only one out there doing it, there are places that def. are doing more than Disney but others are doing less. But in fairness I have never been one to say "It's Disney they should be..." and I've noticed often the complaints are the strongest when people identify most with what they think Disney should be doing. I do think saying "a hotel should be doing xyz" but I don't tend to frame it as "Disney should be doing xyz" those are different mindsets from each other.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Really like to defend shoddy cleaning on multiple housekeeping complaint posts, eh? OP, for the record, many many people agree with you that it’s very poor form of Disney to provide such subpar cleaning services in their hotels. And I don’t get trying to justify Disney’s poor record on housekeeping considering how high their prices are. I also completely disagree that Disney is transparent about this issue. I and many others I’m sure booked our room through a Disney agent and I received zero notice that housekeeping would be so minimal and bad when the room was reserved. I also just reviewed the reservation terms on the September 2020 booking I had made (which was postponed several times to now April 2022) and there’s zero mention of housekeeping issues. If I didnt happen to see other complaining posts about it on the board, I would’ve been very startled to arrive at Poly in two months and realize that was the case.
People shouldnt have to worry that their room won’t be adequately cleaned during their stay when they’re paying hundreds (or even a thousand or more) per night to stay at a Disney hotel—this shouldn’t be a controversial opinion

Don't agree to terms you don't like. I have zero sympathy for people who agree to pay for a service on particular terms, then complain about what they agreed to after the fact.

 

[bsmcneil]

Can daily housekeeping really be a thing of the past especially at 1- to 3-star hotels? It’s anybody’s guess, but I honestly thought it would come back! Now I’m starting to wonder if I might be wrong…

Daily housekeeping should be a thing of the past; it's wasteful.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

People shouldnt have to worry that their room won’t be adequately cleaned during their stay when they’re paying hundreds (or even a thousand or more) per night to stay at a Disney hotel—this shouldn’t be a controversial opinion

In fairness though hotel costs vary.

I could stay at the Wynn or Encore or Bellagio (all 5 star hotels) for $150 a night OR I could spend $400-600 per night. Just depends on when I go and if I have any offers. I don't say "gee I'm staying here comped I don't expect housekeeping because I'm literally not paying a single cent to stay here" nor do I say "I'm spending $400-$600 I expect housekeeping" I do get how we humans equate cost with things but objectively cost varies. If I want housekeeping it's because I want it in general not because I'm spending X or Y amount but I get it we feel stiffed more the more we pay.

As far as adequately isn't that in the eye of the beholder? Disney or other hotels may very well consider it adequate for the average guest. Several years back Disney even gave money to people who declined housekeeping, and no sheets were not replaced either, if you wanted sheets you had to ask for them and change them yourself. To people who declined back then they felt it was adequate housekeeping or at least enough to take cash. When I read the responses there were plenty of people who were all too happy to not have housekeeping and the Disney gift cards just bonus. I do think the hardest adjustment is for the guest who virtually always had daily housekeeping while traveling in general. Changes have been going on anyways pre-pandemic. Towels and bedding have been advised not to be changed out every day usually advertised as a ecological move (less water and less waste). Hilton branded hotels have been like that for years, usually a sticky note left on the bedframe talking about the sheets and in the bathroom a sign talking about towels and toiletries replacements. Trash not as often dumped, etc.

I do get the mentality it's human nature.

 

[bsmcneil]

I and many others I’m sure booked our room through a Disney agent and I received zero notice that housekeeping would be so minimal and bad when the room was reserved.

Your agent should give you updated info. That's not on Disney.

I also just reviewed the reservation terms on the September 2020 booking I had made (which was postponed several times to now April 2022) and there’s zero mention of housekeeping issues.

Postponed by Disney? Weird.
Postponed by you? Then why aren't you looking into what's changed? You do realize a lot is different now than in Sept 2020, right?

If I didnt happen to see other complaining posts about it on the board, I would’ve been very startled to arrive at Poly in two months and realize that was the case.
People shouldnt have to worry that their room won’t be adequately cleaned during their stay when they’re paying hundreds (or even a thousand or more) per night to stay at a Disney hotel—this shouldn’t be a controversial opinion

You do realize there are park reservations now, right? It seems like you think people shouldn't have to worry about things being a way they were before when a whole lot of stuff has changed (and you're adept enough to make changes to your vacation - so, you should be adept enough to figure out what's changing in the world and where you're taking your vacation).

 

[brockash]

Why not wait for them to announce a policy before getting pre-mad at them for something you think they might do?

In all fairness, Disney doesn't generally announce any policies that they can't spin in any kind of timely fashion.

 

[brockash]

Your agent should give you updated info. That's not on Disney.


Postponed by Disney? Weird.
Postponed by you? Then why aren't you looking into what's changed? You do realize a lot is different now than in Sept 2020, right?


You do realize there are park reservations now, right? It seems like you think people shouldn't have to worry about things being a way they were before when a whole lot of stuff has changed (and you're adept enough to make changes to your vacation - so, you should be adept enough to figure out what's changing in the world and where you're taking your vacation).

You do realize that Disney's housekeeping hasn't changed at all since Sept. of 2020 right?

 

[Miffy]

Post deleted. Apparently the OP and I are the only people on the DIS who would like or appreciate housekeeping.

 

[jo-jo]

Daily housekeeping should be a thing of the past; it's wasteful.

But isn't disney as a whole wasteful? There are millions of things that are wasteful...take coffee shops. Seeing people drive to a store, letting engines running while waiting in the drive thru for $8 coffee/ Stay at home and use your keruig (which is also wasteful). Why go out to eat? Stay home and cook. Why redecorate is your kitchen is perfectly fine but still gold and /or avocado in color? We have DVC now, but I remember the feeling of ahhhhhhh when we walked into a room and the beds are made, towels are not damp, etc.

The reason people like to have beds made and meals cooked, they like to be pampered once in a while.


I'm curious in the past if we needed more towels or coffee or whatever at our DVC room, we tipped the CM. Today, in a "normal" resort room, if you are calling for extra items, I mean ones that should have shown up in room, are you tipping?

I agree, the reason you are paying hundreds more is partly to location and size of room but also having all the extras. If Disney can't or won't do daily service or at least every other day , why isn't there a reduction in cost.

In a DVC room, we have a vaccumn and I don't use it for the whole room but for sure if a DGD ate toast and more crumbs are the floor than the tummy, I sure use it. What does one do in a resort room? You have a 18 month and their cup of cheerios went flying. Do you just live with crumbs underfoot for the rest of your stay?

 

[mrsap]

As a heads up…

Pre-COVID Housekeeping Schedule Restored at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Guests staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be aware that housekeeping is now once again cleaning guest rooms more frequently, as the original cleaning schedule (that is, the schedule that was followed before the pandemic began) was officially restored at these resorts on March 4, 2022.
As a reminder, the original cleaning schedule entails the following services daily (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) OR every other day (at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts):

1. Making the bed
2. Full bathroom clean
3. Wiping down all surfaces
4. Replacing amenities as needed (such as coffee, shampoo, soap, etc.)
5. Vacuum
6. Dust
7. Fold and organize loose clothing and other special touches

Please, note that the housekeeping schedule of DVC rooms has NOT changed, but the ability to purchase additional cleaning service has been reinstated at the resorts mentioned above.

On Sunday, March 6 (today), the following resorts will also go back to the original cleaning schedule:

• Disney's BoardWalk Resort
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Hopefully the other resorts follow suit soon.

 

[Dug720]

As I've said elsewhere, I'm smack on the middle of ski country in Pennsylvania and I get zero housekeeping here either. I'm paying rates comparable to a WDW Deluxe resort. Absolutely zero in this situation is Disney, as a company, being cheap.

Yep. I was in Anaheim over Presidents' Week and at my hotel (Hotel Lulu) and others I was pondering the housekeeping was either stated as every other day or it was "Please let the front desk know before 10am if you would like housekeeping." It's not Disney-exclusive.

 

[Miffy]

We were in NYC last week at a not-high-end hotel (the Michelangelo) and we had full housekeeping there. Just sayin'. The rate was less than what we're paying at POFQ right now.

 

[FreeTime]

Daily housekeeping should be a thing of the past; it's wasteful.

Wasteful in terms of more products being used? Time? Payroll? As another poster said, there are many wasteful things that need cut from our lives then. Being a prior hotelier I can tell you housekeeping is not wasteful. It actually saves dollars in the long term as it helps with upkeep. Daily cleaning of the faucets and shower floor prevent having to replace or resurface them as frequently. Wiping the damp cup ring off of the nightstand helps keep it in better repair. Sweeping and mopping the floor prevents build up that is much harder to remove later. What is wasteful is my future dollars being used to pay higher rates when a resort needs rehabbed sooner.