By
Kristie Murru
In an effort to become more sustainable, hotels are choosing
to be rid of housekeeping. In exchange
for extending rebates, hotel points, etc, while at check-in or another time
during their stay, guests must choose to opt-out of housekeeping. Reporter Abby Ellin for the New York Times
was asked by the clerk at the hotel Flamingo
in Las Vegas if she would like to “forgo housekeeping” in exchange for a
“$10 a day food voucher.” The reasoning
the clerk gave for offering guests a chance to opt-out was that some guests
prefer to be left alone on their trips.
Reasons hotel guests sometimes refuse housekeeping include hangovers and
being annoyed when bothered.
Experts suggest that this move is smart for the hotels, as
many young travelers complain that there is no point to have sheets and towels
changed every day. Changing sheets and
towels everyday is a waste of water, energy and not to mention the amount of
cleaning chemicals that are rinsed down the drain. Realistically, the average individual at home
does not change their sheets or towels everyday, so it should be the same for
hotels. It should at least be an option,
much like the little slips of paper you often find in hotel rooms that
encourage you to pass on changing your towel.
If people are aware that such things are an option, it may be surprising
to see how many actually choose to participate.
A google search of “hotels that offer points instead of
housekeeping” prompted me to Marriott.com.
Upon further research, I found that guests that stay at any of the
participating hotels owned by the Marriott are eligible to forgo housekeeping
up to three consecutive nights of their stay.
Each night will then provide 250 points per night for the Marriott’s
reward system. For individuals that
travel often and frequent the same hotels wherever they go, participating in
this reward system can be extremely beneficial.
Another opportunity offered to
guests that skip housekeeping is that hotels like the Shade Hotel Manhattan
Beach and the Shade Hotel Redondo Beach in California partnered with a
nonprofit called “Plant with Purpose.”
This nonprofit will plant a tree for every guest that chooses to forgo
housekeeping. According to an article by
NBC, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at Seaworld had almost 1,000 guests
choose to opt-out. In exchange, they
were given $5 food vouchers for on-property vendors or 500 Hilton Honors
points. With that many guests
participating, the hotel saved 13,000 gallons of water and $12,000.
The ethics of whether people will
lose their housekeeping jobs does not seem to currently be a factor. If we are to assume that people are choosing
to opt-out of housekeeping everyday, that in turn requires less of a labor
force. Only time will tell if the
environmental benefits will ultimately outweigh this downside.
For
more information:
No comments:
Post a Comment