OKW Housekeeping Issue

[LINDATHEPOOH]

My daughter and her family stayed at OKW over the weekend. They were in the process of packing up the car this morning to leave and they left the room to run an errand. BTW This was way before 11am ,which is listed as check out time. They came back to the room, again before 11am, and the housekeeper was finishing up cleaning the room! Her reasoning was she saw them leave and figured they had left, even though some of their belongings were still in the room AND it was before 11am. They filed a complaint with the hotel manager but I’d like to know is this common practice? Anyone could claim there was valuables or money missing from the room and I don’t think the housekeeper would have a leg to stand on! Anyone else have this happen?

 

[Nancyg56]

I need a bit more info before I can agree with the complaint> Was there anything missing? WHat was left in the room?

The reason why I believe the housekeeper made an innocent mistake is tha tOKW is a DVC unit that folks bring things and sometimes leave some behind if they do not need them. I would never file a complaint if I d left minimal behind and nothing of value was missing. I believe that it was close enough to checkout that the housekeeper just assumed the family had left.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree with @Nancyg56 I would not even have complained

 

[LINDATHEPOOH]

I agree with @Nancyg56 I would not even have complained

I need a bit more info before I can agree with the complaint> Was there anything missing? WHat was left in the room?

The reason why I believe the housekeeper made an innocent mistake is tha tOKW is a DVC unit that folks bring things and sometimes leave some behind if they do not need them. I would never file a complaint if I d left minimal behind and nothing of value was missing. I believe that it was close enough to checkout that the housekeeper just assumed the family had left.

There’s been times I’ve had to run back to the room to use the bathroom one last time before leaving and I have never run into housekeeping in the room. If I still have access to the room until 11am and I go in to use the bathroom and it’s already been cleaned wouldn’t they have to go back and reclean it before the next guest? I’m just saying I don’t think it’s a smart practice. BTW there was no valuables or anything missing. I was merely pointing out someone could CLAIM there was.

 

[erionm]

There’s been times I’ve had to run back to the room to use the bathroom one last time before leaving and I have never run into housekeeping in the room. If I still have access to the room until 11am and I go in to use the bathroom and it’s already been cleaned wouldn’t they have to go back and reclean it before the next guest? I’m just saying I don’t think it’s a smart practice.

On check-out day, if housekeeping knocks on the door and no one answers, they assume the room has been vacated. If you haven't fully vacated the room, you should hang the "room occupied" sign on the door.

Once housekeeping is done cleaning a room, they dial a special number on the in-room phone which indicates the room is clean and ready for the next occupants. This phone call should deactivate access for the previous occupants (even if prior to 11am).

 

[Sazareth49]

just an honest mistake really. Woman was probably just doing her job and trying to get the rooms ready as quickly as possible. Unless something was missing I wouldn’t complain as could really get her in trouble. You are right about if things did go missing she/he would be venerable but no different really to when they clean every day ???

 

[goofy4tink]

If I haven't left the room, for good, I hang out the 'room occupied' sign. I never completely remove my things until I'm ready to go! That way, if the housekeeper does enter, she/he will see that the room is still occupied and come back.

 

[LINDATHEPOOH]

If I haven't left the room, for good, I hang out the 'room occupied' sign. I never completely remove my things until I'm ready to go! That way, if the housekeeper does enter, she/he will see that the room is still occupied and come back.

That is an excellent suggestion! It’s just that I never had this problem in all the years we’ve been going to Disney. But I think I’ll be doing what you said from now on just to avoid this situation!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We stayed at the YC last year and, on our check-out day, we left our packed bags in the room, put the "room occupied" sign on the door and went to A&C for breakfast. I always like to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth one last time before we leave so we went back up to the room to do that and collect our bags. As we were walking down the hall, I noticed a CM come out of our room. It wasn't housekeeping, just a random CM whom I assumed was part of the "security" team doing the room checks as this was right after they were introduced. It kind of irked me a little bit, but our bags hadn't been touched and we still had access to our room so we just carried on with our day. In your daughter's case, however, I would probably have alerted housekeeping that they may want to check the room again as they hadn't left and actually went back and used the room. It was probably an honest mistake, but I would hope they would want the room as clean as possible before the next guest arrived?

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would not have complained the mousekeeping was just doing her job.

 

[maxiesmom]

Honestly if this warranted a complaint to the manager what does your daughter do when she has a real problem?

 

[bumbershoot]

OKW has always (since 2010, at least) been AWFUL about housekeeping trying to get in tremendously early on checkout day. I *love* the resort but the housekeeping situation there is very irritating. On our first stay we had housekeeping knocking on our door starting at 8ish. And she continued. Despite being told that we would be out AT checkout time. And every time she knocked, we had to halt our packing.

 

[nkereina]

DVC rooms take longer to clean, and OKW is all DVC rooms. I would imagine housekeeping is often on a time crunch there, especially when they are busy. This may be why some perceive them as being overzealous or antsy to get in the room to clean.

OP, it's not uncommon for people to leave prior to 11am. At WDW, notifying the front desk that you're checking out is a courtesy but not a requirement, since your folio is emailed to you. I am sure the housekeeper just mistakenly thought they left. If housekeeping waited until 11am to clean all of the rooms where guests checked out, check-in time wouldn't be until 8pm.

 

[dominiondad]

I kinda agree with OP. The complaint is not that something was stolen, the complaint is that somebody came into a room that shouldn't have been there. I would view the complaint as less about "how dare this happen" and more of a "Disney should be on notice that somebody entered my room that shouldn't have, next time it may create a problem". Nothing gets changed if folks don't raise concerns. If there isn't enough time to turn the rooms over between check out and check in, Disney needs to hire more staff. The solution shouldn't be to key into rooms and hope for the best. I never tell a hotel I am leaving. They get the room back at check-out, no sooner. 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.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I never tell a hotel I am leaving. They get the room back at check-out, no sooner

Solely curious. Do you also never check in earlier than the official check-in time?

The complaint is not that something was stolen, the complaint is that somebody came into a room that shouldn't have been there.

While Housekeeping entered the unit sooner than the guest expected, claiming that the CM "shouldn't have been there" is inaccurate.

 

[Jennasis]

If nothing is missing, no harm no foul, no complaint. Move along.

 

[LINDATHEPOOH]

Outside of maxiesmom ridiculous comment that was neither necessary nor constructive, it’s interesting what other posters have experienced and I will definitely change my pattern on check out day just to avoid any problems. I’m considering this conversation closed and will not respond any further. Thanks to all that participated!

 

[maxiesmom]

was neither necessary nor constructive

How I viewed the complaint. And I'm being serious. What would someone say--"Housekeeping thought we had left the resort, but we hadn't, and they started to clean the room. Talk to them about being over-zealous"? If nothing was missing, what was so upsetting that a complaint had to be filed? It was an honest mistake. And I think we all make them at work.

Btw, unless someone can prove they had valuables in the room to start with, and called the police to file charges, not much would come of claiming something was taken. So no worries for housekeeping on that front.

 

[nkereina]

the complaint is that somebody came into a room that shouldn't have been there.

The housekeeper is an employee of the hotel, and the hotel reserves the right to enter your room at any time for any reason. Its in the fine print of any hotel reservation. So, I agree with PP that it's not accurate to say they "shouldn't have been there". I do believe it was a mistake in this instance, but even if it weren't, there's not much of a leg to stand on since the housekeeper has the right to enter regardless.

 

[dominiondad]

Solely curious. Do you also never check in earlier than the official check-in time?

While Housekeeping entered the unit sooner than the guest expected, claiming that the CM "shouldn't have been there" is inaccurate.

I have checked in earlier, but only after coordinating with the hotel and getting their concurrance. I would never just show up at the room and go in.

I maintain the CM shouldn't have been there. I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the OP wasn't receiving housekeeping during the stay, therefore there is no reason for housekeeping staff to be in the room until after the stay is complete. The guest didn't expect housekeeping to show up later in the stay, the guest expected housekeeping to never show up during the stay.