A complaint: lack of housekeeping

[GBBTomorrow]

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?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

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.

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.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

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.

Where was I given this information? I don't recall seeing this on anything I encountered during booking or during online check-in.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Where was I given this information? I don't recall seeing this on anything I encountered during booking or during online check-in.

 

[jormom1030]

But according to what was posted above everything in the OP that wasn’t done except for the bed making should have been done every other day.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

View attachment 652283

Interesting! I don't remember ever seeing that. But what you are showing me here actually illustrates my point: it says they'll vacuum and clean surfaces. That never happened. And towels and amenities were only partially replaced. So even with this agreement, the cleaning they said would happen definitely did not happen.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

But according to what was posted above everything in the OP that wasn’t done except for the bed making should have been done every other day.

He said he got trash and towels twice on a 5 night trip. That's exactly what he was supposed to get.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Interesting! I don't remember ever seeing that. But what you are showing me here actually illustrates my point: it says they'll vacuum and clean surfaces. That never happened. And towels and amenities were only partially replaced. So even with this agreement, the cleaning they said would happen definitely did not happen.

Did you have towels hanging, or did you leave them on the floor? They won't change towels that are hanging because they assume you want to reuse them to "be green" or some such thing.

I won't pretend to know what standard they use for "vacuuming..... as needed."

 

[Farro]

.

 

[MermaidsMom]

No matter how or where they post it, there is zero excuse for not cleaning the guest rooms at a Walt Disney World‘s Resort Hotel guest room.

 

[Marthasor]

OP, I understand your frustration. On our first trip, post-closure, we stayed at YC and had the every-other-day, trash/towel service - they didn't make our beds, but, strangely enough, one of the housekeepers moved my toothbrush during one of their visits . . . . that's when the "can't go in your room due to covid" excuse kind of went out the window for me (you can't make my bed but you can touch my toothbrush?). I gave them a pass on staff shortages. Eight months later, and it's wearing thin. Everything seems to be running at capacity - the parks and resorts are packed - and we got full housekeeping in October at VGF (staying on cash), so some resorts (or perhaps only VGF) are offering more than cursory housekeeping services. When we stayed at the Swan in December, they offered daily service, so it seems the Marriott resorts are trying to ramp up their service. The problem - WDW figured out they can offer less housekeeping and people will pay an arm and a leg to stay there. I would not be surprised if this becomes permanent. WDW must be saving a ton of money by no longer offering daily housekeeping.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

OP, I understand your frustration. On our first trip, post-closure, we stayed at YC and had the every-other-day, trash/towel service - they didn't make our beds, but, strangely enough, one of the housekeepers moved my toothbrush during one of their visits . . . . that's when the "can't go in your room due to covid" excuse kind of went out the window for me (you can't make my bed but you can touch my toothbrush?). I gave them a pass on staff shortages. Eight months later, and it's wearing thin. Everything seems to be running at capacity - the parks and resorts are packed - and we got full housekeeping in October at VGF (staying on cash), so some resorts (or perhaps only VGF) are offering more than cursory housekeeping services. When we stayed at the Swan in December, they offered daily service, so it seems the Marriott resorts are trying to ramp up their service. The problem - WDW figured out they can offer less housekeeping and people will pay an arm and a leg to stay there. I would not be surprised if this becomes permanent. WDW must be saving a ton of money by no longer offering daily housekeeping.

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.

 

[ninafeliz]

I'm also getting tired of not having housekeeping. We were at AOA last week, and with 4 kids and that hard floor we really needed a vacuum or broom and dustbin daily - but for the price we paid (for a value resort at that) I don't feel like I should have to do it myself anyway. They did come and change our towels and take garbage every other day like they were supposed to, and possibly they swept then, but we definitely needed it every day. Plus we needed towels every day and had to call for them a couple of times. I will say they made (and possibly changed, but I'm not sure) the one real bed on day 4, which was nice. But my feelings and point is that should be done every day. At every hotel, not just Disney. I understand COVID isn't gone, but at this point with everything else that is returned/back to pre-covid ways, housekeeping at hotels definitely can be as well. I'm getting worried that housekeeping might never return to full cleaning daily (again at many hotels, not just Disney).

 

[starry_solo]

I'm also getting tired of not having housekeeping. We were at AOA last week, and with 4 kids and that hard floor we really needed a vacuum or broom and dustbin daily - but for the price we paid (for a value resort at that) I don't feel like I should have to do it myself anyway. They did come and change our towels and take garbage every other day like they were supposed to, and possibly they swept then, but we definitely needed it every day. Plus we needed towels every day and had to call for them a couple of times. I will say they made (and possibly changed, but I'm not sure) the one real bed on day 4, which was nice. But my feelings and point is that should be done every day. At every hotel, not just Disney. I understand COVID isn't gone, but at this point with everything else that is returned/back to pre-covid ways, housekeeping at hotels definitely can be as well. I'm getting worried that housekeeping might never return to full cleaning daily (again at many hotels, not just Disney).

I hate to say it, but I think you're right. The hotels don't want to pay good wages and they expect the housekeepers to clean too much on the shifts.

 

[DANAW]

This is just another example of Disney giving less and charging more...if they can get away with it, it will continue.

 

[fobo45]

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?

We also just returned (the 27th) from a 5 night stay in a family suite at Art of Animation. We had new towels on day two and trash removed. No sheets on any of the bedding, no other trash or towels. If Disney can't get workers, maybe, they shouldn't charge $500.00 a night or more. We were expecting a little less but not nothing. Our floors were also not real clean on check-in.

 

[RamblingMad]

If I have to make my own bed, I'd rather go camping. Maybe stay at Fort Wilderness next time and rent a RV.

 

[ElyseInWonderland]

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.

 

[DCJ]

Still unacceptable not having service in these rooms at these prices.
Left Art of Animation 2 weeks ago, room was very clean on arrival, but needing to call for towels, coffee, etc everyday was a pain.
They need to lower the room price (not gonna happen) if they are going to cut the service.
And off topic, the 50th coffee they brought tastes like rebranded folgers.

 

[Marthasor]

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.

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.