OKW Housekeeping Issue

[nkereina]

I'm not seeing that OP gave an exact time that this happened,, just that it was way before the 11am checkout. Correct me if I'm wrong, but once the room is officially cleaned by housekeeping, isn't it released for the next guest? If someone is checking in early, isn't it possible that they could be given the room before the previous guests have left?

Yes. What is your point? As mentioned, people check out prior to 11am all the time. If the housekeeper thought they had left, she was correct to start turning over the room regardless of the time. It turns out she was mistaken that they had left, but it was also a mistake on the OP's part to not use the room occupied sign to indicate they were still there.

Even with the room occupied sign up, if the housekeeper knocked and no one answered, what would have prevented her from going in and start the cleaning process? I think all the sign does is cause them to knock and perhaps pause before opening and entering. If minimal things had been left in the room by the guest when bringing her suitcases to the car, I think it’s possible she would have proceeded with her cleaning.

Why would a housekeeper do that if the room occupied sign was still on the door? The room occupied sign puts the housekeeper on notice that the current occupants still are using or intend to use the room. Most housekeepers would just return later to a room due to check-out that has the sign up. I'm not sure what would compel a housekeeper to knock prior to 11am if the sign was still out. A housekeeper would know that they can't confirm whether the people are still using the room or not if the sign is on the door, so they would likely wait until after 11 to clean that room if no one returns.

 

[snappy]

I guess it’s because a lot of guests forget and leave the signs on the door?

 

[Jennasis]

Or a way to contact the Front Desk, either in person or by phone...except of course you have people who won't bother to notify.

We all know some people would screw it up anyway if such a button existed but if most people did it it would be worth it. And anything to avoid CM interaction is a huge plus forDisney. Calling from your phone does not get you to the front desk. And if you're staying at a place like Old key West driving all the way to the front desk is a huge pain.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Calling from your phone does not get you to the front desk.

Very true! I forgot to finish my thought, which was that I often rent a room in Las Vegas for an extra night - then call in the morning on my way home from my local airport to officially check out.

 

[smadath]

Yes. What is your point? As mentioned, people check out prior to 11am all the time. If the housekeeper thought they had left, she was correct to start turning over the room regardless of the time. It turns out she was mistaken that they had left, but it was also a mistake on the OP's part to not use the room occupied sign to indicate they were still there.

The point is, that is why someone would complain. Housekeeping should not "guess" if someone checked out. If it's not clear, wait until 11am. There are surely other rooms they can clean in the meantime. I, for one, don't want to come back from breakfast to find another family in my room.

And unless OP was instructed during check in that they were to put the Room Occupied sign up on their last day prior to checkout, then how were they to know? That's not a mistake.

 

[msjprincess]

The point is, that is why someone would complain. Housekeeping should not "guess" if someone checked out. If it's not clear, wait until 11am. There are surely other rooms they can clean in the meantime. I, for one, don't want to come back from breakfast to find another family in my room.

And unless OP was instructed during check in that they were to put the Room Occupied sign up on their last day prior to checkout, then how were they to know? That's not a mistake.

Isn't that common sense? If I don't want someone entering my room I put up the sign. How else would they know?

 

[smadath]

Isn't that common sense? If I don't want someone entering my room I put up the sign. How else would they know?

It's common sense to put up a Room Occupied sign when you're not in the room? I put it up when I'm in the room, say napping or showering, or wanting to sleep in and not be bothered. But, maybe I'm just weird.

 

[gwynne]

It's common sense to put up a Room Occupied sign when you're not in the room? I put it up when I'm in the room, say napping or showering, or wanting to sleep in and not be bothered. But, maybe I'm just weird.

Whether we are leaving to grab a coffee or quick breakfast, or making a couple of trips to the lobby on checkout day we always leave the sign on the door. I don't think there is any right or wrong, we do it because it avoids misunderstandings with housekeeping. (With both WDW and other hotels.)

 

[msjprincess]

It's common sense to put up a Room Occupied sign when you're not in the room? I put it up when I'm in the room, say napping or showering, or wanting to sleep in and not be bothered. But, maybe I'm just weird.

Yes. Unless you want housekeeping entering your room. I don't take the sign off of the door until I leave the room for good on check out day. If I run for coffee or something like that the sign stays up. If there is no sign and they knock and no one answers, how on Earth could they possibly know they shouldn't enter the room to start cleaning?

If they had to wait until 11:00 just in case the guests haven't left rooms would never get done in time. My last 3 WDW stays I was out of the room before 8:00. It would be silly for housekeeping to wait until 11:00 to knock.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's common sense to put up a Room Occupied sign when you're not in the room?

On checkout day, when you've moved a fair amount of stuff from the room? It's not unreasonable.

 

[smadath]

On checkout day, when you've moved a fair amount of stuff from the room? It's not unreasonable.

No, it's not unreasonable. It's just not something that would occur to me. I stay at hotels very infrequently. I would assume that housekeeping would show up once I checked out. Next time I stay at a hotel, I will definitely hang a sign!

 

[gwynne]

No, it's not unreasonable. It's just not something that would occur to me. I stay at hotels very infrequently. I would assume that housekeeping would show up once I checked out. Next time I stay at a hotel, I will definitely hang a sign!

I can see where you thought that. The DIS is helpful, I've learned things here too.

 

[bumbershoot]

This may be why some perceive them as being overzealous or antsy to get in the room to clean.

It's not perception. It IS overzealous and antsy once they (the same person) knock that second time. Or, and I think we all know the rooms aren't soundproof from the outside, when they come up to a door and hear 8 members of 3 family units all yelping about packing and getting kids dressed and toothbrushed and ack ack ack, *and knock*...

I am sure the housekeeper just mistakenly thought they left.

Definitely did.

I once checked out of a room in a hotel located in an airport at 5:00 am. When I went down to check into my flight, I found out it was delayed several hours. When I went back to the hotel, they refused to let me back in the room since I had already checked out, even though I had paid for the room for another 5 hours. Not falling for that one again.

Oh that's frustrating.

I'm not an attorney, but I suspect the hotel's right to enter a room is conditional. If there is a medical emergency, security threat, maintenance issue, etc..., they can enter. I'm not sure it applies to a situation where housekeeping is not providing services during the stay, but enters erroneously due to a bad assumption.

It isn't. If there/s one thing the last year or so of WDW changes has shown us, it's that they can enter the room whenever they want.

something of the guest was broken or thrown away, WDW would be in a difficult situation.

No they wouldn't. Disneyland housekeeping threw something away, and they said sorry and offered something that wasn't really useful.

The hotel then told me that they are prohibited from touching a guests property

OH that's just not true. What a bummer they said such a silly thing.

Remember (or know as of right now) that hitting that Front Desk button never ever connects you to the actual front desk. It connects you to an offsite, maybe out of state, call center employee. They do have the ability to get an onsite CM to call you, maybe, if they feel like it, if the stars align, and if a CM at the resort gets the message, has time to contact you, and then contacts you. But you aren't talking to the front desk. And CMs lie. Alllll the time.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once the room is officially cleaned by housekeeping, isn't it released for the next guest? If someone is checking in early, isn't it possible that they could be given the room before the previous guests have left?

Yeppers.

Even with the room occupied sign up, if the housekeeper knocked and no one answered, what would have prevented her from going in and start the cleaning process?

Well, the sign, I hope. Because if they ARE still there, then the housekeeper has just doubled his/her work. Because if the occupants come back, they might do anything in there. So the housekeeper should do everything they did again, once the occupants are gone.

it was also a mistake on the OP's part to not use the room occupied sign to indicate they were still there.

Definitely.
Unless the sign wasn't there at all and they didn't know it existed.

 

[sweetpeama]

I've never used the Do not disturb when moving things out of the room but not completed on my check out day than I have either stayed at Motels where the parking is literally right outside the room unless your on the upper floor and the spots are clearly marked. As in if your in room 175 the parking spot to the left side in front of the door will read 175 and the one slightly to the right of the center of the door will read 275. At hotels where you have to check out with the front desk (most of the motels as well) or my sister scheduling us for a 7 am flight from MCO which means that Bell Services is knocking on our door at 3:20 am in order to get us over to catch ME at CBR (we were staying in Jamaica) so that we could leave the resort about 4 am.
When we are not using bell services and are not where we are parked right outside our room door we tend to do the my DH packs the vehicle (he does packing in a warehouse for a living and is extremely good at it. All I do is say I need this to be up closer to be so I can grab it during traveling if needed and he makes sure that bag is placed appropriately. Typically it's the bag that contains things like jackets, sunscreen, umbrellas and stuff we might need to grab quick along with medications that may or may not be needed for the headache caused by the person who thinks not only does their vehicle need to be shaking like they need new shocks at the stoplight but yours needs to be doing so as well). I stay in the room and do the last minute check around and make sure everything is taken out in order and the kids are assigned to bring this bag (each one is assigned one) to Daddy. Once everything is packed but my purse we do a quick last minute check of the room to make sure nothing is missed then he and the kids head to our vehicle and I go to the desk and check us out.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm surprised there are posters who missed out on the whole who can enter your room when discussion that happened when Disney started their room checks. Basically Disney can enter your room when they choose to. Even with the privacy sign on the door.

 

[Nancyg56]

No, it's not unreasonable. It's just not something that would occur to me. I stay at hotels very infrequently. I would assume that housekeeping would show up once I checked out. Next time I stay at a hotel, I will definitely hang a sign!

THe housekeepers are under a great deal of pressure to get the rooms cleaned, so the morning you check point they are ready to roll. Becuase ther are people who just leave what they do not want behind the housekeepers are used to making judgement calls regarding who is there and who is actually gone. When we are on checkout day if we plan to return to the room after breakfast I am sure to let the housekeeper know that we are not ready to vacate the room.

When you travel, be sure to find a way to communicate to the housekeeping staff that you have not vacated the room, either with the sign, or by actually telling someone.

 

[nkereina]

Housekeeping should not "guess" if someone checked out.

In the OP's case, the housekeeper saw people moving luggage out of a room they were due to check out of. What else is the housekeeper supposed to deduce from that? The housekeeper has to keep an eye on when rooms are being vacated because it would be logistically impossible for them to wait until 11am to turnover all DVC rooms that need it.

I, for one, don't want to come back from breakfast to find another family in my room.

This is why people should use the Room Occupied sign

And unless OP was instructed during check in that they were to put the Room Occupied sign up on their last day prior to checkout, then how were they to know? That's not a mistake.

I have never heard of a hotel providing instructions on when to use the Room Occupied/Do Not Disturb sign. That seems very elementary. Most anyone knows that the sign is placed on the door when they want to alert housekeeping or other hotel staff not to enter because people are still occupying the room. People use it when they are in the room and don't want an intrusion, or they use it when they are coming back to the room shortly and don't want housekeeping to enter in the interim. Often DH and I will go to breakfast at the resort and come back to the room after, and we don't want housekeeping coming in to clean during that time, so we put the sign out. The same can and should be done on checkout day when the guests don't want housekeeping in the room just yet.

 

[smadath]

In the OP's case, the housekeeper saw people moving luggage out of a room they were due to check out of. What else is the housekeeper supposed to deduce from that? The housekeeper has to keep an eye on when rooms are being vacated because it would be logistically impossible for them to wait until 11am to turnover all DVC rooms that need it.


This is why people should use the Room Occupied sign


I have never heard of a hotel providing instructions on when to use the Room Occupied/Do Not Disturb sign. That seems very elementary. Most anyone knows that the sign is placed on the door when they want to alert housekeeping or other hotel staff not to enter because people are still occupying the room. People use it when they are in the room and don't want an intrusion, or they use it when they are coming back to the room shortly and don't want housekeeping to enter in the interim. Often DH and I will go to breakfast at the resort and come back to the room after, and we don't want housekeeping coming in to clean during that time, so we put the sign out. The same can and should be done on checkout day when the guests don't want housekeeping in the room just yet.

When I was in college (25 years ago) I worked in housekeeping at a local hotel. It was nowhere near as grand a scale as even one Disney resort, but it was still fairly large. Each morning, we got a list of rooms we were responsible for cleaning, with notations as to who was checking out and who was staying over. Back then, there was a Please Clean Room sign available. We started with those. Then onto rooms that had checked out.

As the day went on, we would get updated lists from our manager letting us know who had checked out. At official check out time, we could do any rooms that were left. I would have no reason to believe that at some point over the last 25 years, managers somehow lost the ability to update housekeepers as to who had already checked out. I know not everyone does check out, but some do.

So no, it's not "very elementary" for everyone.

 

[snappy]

I imagine that HK now unfortunately is directed to just go room by room down the hall regardless of who is checking in or out on a particular day.

We had a very different experience during the NYC vacation we just returned from. Instead of a room occupied sign, we had buttons inside our door that illuminated a red light and message do not disturb or a green light and message that said housekeeping. Turn down service is offered in every room at this hotel in the South Seaport area and staff checked with us the first night as to when we wanted to have nightly turndown. The room was always serviced while we out and we had the green light on. When we were ready to order our Uber to head to JFK around noon, we stopped at the front desk to say we were leaving. It was nice not to have to search for a housekeeper to communicate we were leaving.

 

[Lynne M]

This is one of those "it shouldn't happen but unfortunately it does" situations. The resorts have two competing needs on any given day. One, keep the departing guests happy by not pushing them out before check-out time. Two, keep the incoming guests happy by getting the rooms cleaned and turned around as early as possible. They have to find some sort of balance between the two.

If you've stayed in a hotel, you've been on both sides of this. You've been anxious to get into your room as soon as you arrive, and you've wanted to be left undisturbed until you're ready to leave on check-out day.

Most of the time, hotels get that balance right. Sometimes, not so much. The housekeepers are caught in the middle. They're in trouble if they don't get the rooms turned around fast enough, and they're in trouble if they make a wrong decision and start cleaning the room before the guest is really, truly out.