Everything Hotel Housekeepers Know About You Even From A Short Stay

Whether you stay in a hotel for one night or one month, there are certain things that you have or do that will tell the housekeeper about you just by looking at your room. While many of us wouldn't shout about the things that we get up to in a hotel room, the way we keep our space can give away plenty of clues to the person who has to clean it.

Being a housekeeper who goes into guest rooms for turndown service is like being a detective. Some things give away who we are as people, the amount we earn, and how we spend our free time, such as alcohol bottles, expensive clothes, or baby toys. The way to stop housekeepers from knowing about you is to put your belongings away where they can't be seen. However, as some people lose their inhibitions while on vacation, they forget that their private room isn't so private after all.

According to a Reader's Digest interview, the worst thing that guests do is use the toilet without flushing it, which former housekeeper Anaïs Lucia referred to as "gross." She added that bigger suitcases generally mean higher maintenance guests as they bring a lot of unnecessary items with them. 

It was also obvious to her when a guest had someone stay in their room overnight, so be sure if you do to put condom wrappers and anything that has been used into a bag and then into the bin. Any soiled sheets can be wrapped up with wet or used towels and then housekeepers can put these in with the laundry to be washed without touching them. If your intimate things like underwear are left out then your housekeeper will see them and make judgements accordingly! All the mess left behind paints a picture for the housekeeper to find so if you are short on time, the best thing to do is gather any private things and zip them inside your suitcase before going out.

While housekeepers may not mind if a room is a bit messy, they may judge you if you turn out all of your suitcases onto the floor and leave your stuff there. It is better for them if your room is in a reasonable state as they have a busy schedule to meet each day. Housekeepers are generally on low wages so having to tidy up as well as change the bedsheets and towels makes their shift harder. It also helps them if you put your trash in the bin as it can build up over a week's stay if you're eating and drinking in your room.

One thing that is sure to make you popular with housekeepers is good tipping! Just make sure that you leave your tip somewhere that it can easily be found so it doesn't get bundled up with the sheets and sent to the laundry. A good rule of thumb is $2-$5 for each night you stay, and cash is preferable to gifts as it can be spent as the person wishes. 

Next time you're in a hotel, remember that while you may not meet your housekeeper, they will have an impression of you based on the state of your room.