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Snapshot / Hotel Staff / Housekeeping / Hotel Tipping / → All Tags

Has Your Housekeeper Ever Left You a Note? Ours Did

Where: 5 Estate Bakkeroe, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, U.S., 00801

Hotel notepads: we're big fans. Sometimes we even take them. But last week we encountered something new on the notepad by our hotel bed--a note from our housekeeper. And it was sweet, to boot!

This is the note we found when we returned to our room late in the day after our first night at the Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Now, there's lots to love here, so let's break it down...

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Sydney Hotels / Housekeeping / Tips / → All Tags

The Cleanest Sydney Hotels From the Housekeepers Who Know

If you've ever been particularly impressed by the housekeeping standard in a Sydney hotel, then perhaps the staff were members of PHAN, the Professional Housekeepers Association of New South Wales. We figure this proactive bunch of hotel housekeeping experts has some good tips about the cleanest hotels in Sydney: if they're impressed, we're impressed.

The housekeepers have been recently impressed by the Blue Hotel which has public areas they label "unusual"; it sounds like unusual in a good way, not bad. These housekeepers also liked the Radisson Suites Sydney because it had "immaculate corridors" with not a scratch or mark in sight.

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Philadelphia Hotels / Loews Hotels / Housekeeping / Hotel Maids / Hotel Staff / Hotel Services / → All Tags

Loews Philadelphia Honors Housekeeping Staff

Where: 1200 Market St [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19107

You know how they say you can know a how guy will treat his girl if you look at how he treats his mom? Well, the same can be said about the Loews Philadelphia. You know they'll take care of you, just by knowing how they treat their staff.

Last week was International Housekeeping Week and they jumped feet-first into the action with daily activities to honor the housekeeping staff. We so wish we had been there.

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Snapshot / Housekeeping / Tipping / → All Tags

Snapshot :: May We Remind You Again to Tip Your Housekeeper?

From Post Secret. Also see this video for more reasons on why it might be a good idea to get on hotel housekeeping's good side. So give them a tip or two. Well, you know...not the ones that are actually cleaning the toilet with your SonicCare.

Hyatt Hotels / Hotel Strikes / Housekeeping / Montreal Hotels / Hotel Staff / → All Tags

Montreal Hotel Workers Begin Strike at Hyatt Regency Hotel; Some Guest Services Affected

Where: 1255, Jeanne-Mance street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H5B1E5

Guests planning a stay at the Hyatt Regency in Montreal should probably lower their expectations on hotel service.

Approximately 280 hotel workers walked off the job over the weekend as contract negotiations failed. Most of the striking workers were housekeepers and kitchen staff who are seeking better wages, better retirement packages and less work loads. The housekeeper have once again cited oversized beds and pillows as to blame for making their workload harder.

The demand to reduce the number of rooms a housekeeper must clean is not "so we can spend time relaxing," [union president Myriam] Pacheco said. "Most of the rooms used to have only one bed. But after renovations, they almost all have two double beds, more pillows, heavier blankets and more products in the washrooms to replace," she said.

Guests at the hotel have been alerted to the strike by a letter from the general manager which is placed in every room. In it, he tells guests that room service and the swimming pool are closed and housekeeping services are limited.

For now, there is no note or update on the hotel's website, so if you have a reservation for this hotel and want to know more of what's going on when you are scheduled to stay there, call the hotel in person.

Hotel News / Hotel Strikes / Montreal Hotels / Housekeeping / → All Tags

Montreal Hotel Workers Go On Strike, You'll Be Making Your Own Bed Soon

Yet another reason to tip your housekeeper: 1,500 hotel workers from four big Montreal hotels (the Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Le Centre, Delta and Fairmont Queen Elizabeth) have gone on strike.

The workers are demanding higher wages, better pension plans and -- most of all -- fewer rooms for the housekeepers to clean per shift.

More hotel workers are expected to go on strike this week, too -- so prepare yourself for the possibility of (heaven forbid) making your own bed in your Montreal hotel room.

Just kidding. We hope...

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Housekeeping / Tips / Hotel Maids / Hotel Staff / Hotel Services / Chris Elliott / → All Tags

Eager Housekeeping Staff to Get More Eager?

We know it's childish but every time housekeeping knocks on our hotel room door, we can't help but think of that scene is Tommy Boy where Chris Farley keeps incessantly knocking on the door pretending to be housekeeping while David Spade is trying to sleep.

Granted most housekeepers don't have such dirty suggestions as Chris Farley did but the knock of housekeeping is always inherently annoying. It always happens either when you're still sleeping, or when you're walking around with no pants on (tip: keep the robe handy!) or worse, when you're in the bathroom.

Then there's the whole exchange of what time housekeeping can come back later and clean and if you want new towels in the meantime or not.

We've just accepted this annoyance as part of our life, work and travels. However, thanks to budget squeezes housekeeping woes could get worse.

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