Make sure bed sheets are clean
There are a few ways you can check, but the easiest is, of course, a visual scan. If they look stained, crumpled or have hair on them, ask for a change immediately (or, better still, find a different hotel). Your nose can also be useful here – if they smell, it's a no-no.
Glassware, linen and the TV remote
Typically, they don't get cleaned between guests and become a breeding ground for bacteria. Use the pillows from the closet; they're more likely to be freshly washed than the ones on the bed.
Many newer hotels have motion sensors on their wall mounted thermostats - this is used for both energy savings and safety. They're called Occupant Control Systems, and can be used by house keeping to determine whether a room is occupied - the sensor is on the lower right.
For hotels where housekeeping is available on request, you can generally ask at check-in. Other hotels require you to request it each day.
- Take a close look at the furniture. They should be clean, free of stains, scratches and have no traces of water or cleaning material used on the surfaces. - The walls should be clean and free of cobwebs, scratches, or nicks. - Make sure that all the pictures or art on the walls are hung straight.
Creating a housekeeping strategy
It's important to know how many staff members you need on duty when the hotel is at different occupancy levels. It takes roughly 45 minutes for a housekeeping attendant to completely clean a room, although it may take less time if only a basic turn-down service is needed.
Use a flashlight
Many modern cameras have a lens that will reflect bright light. So, turn off the lights in the room and then turn on your flashlight. Move the flashlight slowly around the room, focusing specifically on areas where you suspect a camera may likely be hidden.
One of those common worries is the possibility of being spied on in your hotel room. A recent study suggests that roughly 11% of travelers surveyed report finding a hidden camera in their Airbnb lodgings! Luckily, security experts assure us that guests of trusted U.S. hotel chains have little to worry about.
You may be wondering if tipping housekeeping makes sense if they never clean your room. Not surprisingly, the answer is still yes. There are several reasons for this. Due to the pandemic, many hotels reduced the frequency of housekeeping services, and haven't brought it back.
Sheets are usually changed between guests, and sometimes state law requires it, but there's no guarantee that they will be. As for bedspreads, forget it. As countless hidden-camera investigative TV programs have confirmed, they aren't washed regularly.
Bathroom floors
The bathroom floor might look clean, but in reality, it's one of the germiest spots in a hotel room, according to a 2015 study published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. "The bathroom floor is probably the germiest surface you're going to touch," Tetro says.
Most full-service hotels (and cruise ships) offer laundry services, which generally include washing, drying, ironing, and hanging or folding your clothes. Many also offer dry cleaning services.
Most hotels rotate their sheets and towels regularly according to their guidelines and regulations. Some hotels change linens in every room once every three days, while others will only change the sheets and towels if a customer specifically requests it.
Typically, hotels wash their bedding once every week including various kinds of comforters, sheets, and pillows. However, they often swap out the pillowcases and linens between the guests. It's a common practice that the hotel comforters are rarely automatically changed – unless a guest requests it.
Although most hotels forbid maids from napping or using the toilet in guest rooms, some maids break the rules. Exhausted maids who have more time than usual to clean a large suite may secretly catch a few minutes of shut-eye in a guest's bed.
Detect hidden cameras in mirrors by shining light on it at various angles, as well as turning off all lights and observing the mirror up close. Two-way mirrors are a piece of glass that reflects the viewer's image on one side and doesn't on the other, acting as a concealed window.
Hotels typically install cameras in public areas, including lobbies, hallways, elevators, stairwells, landings, pools, restaurants, lounges, entrances, exits, and parking areas. With that said, not all hotels invest in security cameras for their facilities.
Generally speaking, hotel staff and management don't read any of the emails guests read or send when they're using the hotel internet, but the hotel's server usually has a log file that lists every connection the server makes for its users while they browse using its network.
Sweep the area with an RF detector.
RF detectors allow you to scan for radio frequencies used to transmit from hidden cameras and microphones. Purchase an RF detector online or from your local electronics store and wave it around the area you think is bugged.
If a camera wants to catch movement or take photos in low-light or dark rooms, it will usually use infrared (IR) light, which human eyes can't detect. However, even if you can't see the IR light emitted by the camera, the sensor on your smartphone camera should be able to.
“You should behave in the same manner as if you were [a] guest in someone's house,” she explained. “Be delicate. Flush your toilet, clean up after yourself and don't leave broken glass all over the floor.” But showing basic courtesy doesn't necessarily mean that you should remake your bed and scrub the bathroom floor.
Clean bedroom areas first
For minimal bacterial transfer, start cleaning in the bedroom and then clean the bathroom area. This helps improve sanitation and overall cleanliness.
You can request housekeeping later in the day
If you want your room serviced completely, or just need some more tea and coffee for the following morning, call the front desk to arrange it.