Hilton HHonors - What does "Do not Disturb" mean????

I am staying at one of the better Hilton properties.

Got back to room yesterday and decided to take a nap before dinner. Put "do not disturb" sign out... Big red thing...Soon as I feel asleep, there was a knock at the door.... turn down service.

Today, the same thing happened.

Why the Hell do they give us the **** signs if they ignore them?? ????????? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mikey1003:
I am staying at one of the better Hilton properties.

Got back to room yesterday and decided to take a nap before dinner. Put "do not disturb" sign out... Big red thing...Soon as I feel asleep, there was a knock at the door.... turn down service.

Today, the same thing happened.

Why the Hell do they give us the **** signs if they ignore them?? ????????? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif </font>

May be you should try flipping the sign around, and request maid service, they will probably never bother you again http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I've had the do not disturb sign on the door, the do not disturb light on (at a few properties), and asked for "no service" for the day -- yet still had knocks from housekeeping and the mini-bar restockers!

On the same note, I just love those mysterious phone calls at around 11 a.m. if you haven't checked out yet -- when you answer they hang up. What do you want to bet it is housekeeping?!

Anyone have any secrets to avoid these unwanted disturbances? Love to hear them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Jet2K:
May be you should try flipping the sign around, and request maid service, they will probably never bother you again http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

</font>

Both sides Red---Do not Disturb

I checked before I posted

When I was at the Parsippany Hilton about a month ago. the maid simply marched into my room without even knocking. The "do not disturb" sign had been dutifully hung on the door, as is my custom and it was about 10:30AM, well before the official 12:00PM check-out time.

When I checked out about an hour later, I asked to speak to the manager and told him there was a problem with my room. "The do-not-disturb" sign seems to be malfunctioning," I said with a smile. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

When I returned to the property a few days later, I was given the penthouse suite.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LarryU:
"The do-not-disturb" sign seems to be malfunctioning," I said with a smile. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
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I'm definitely going to use that line sometime. Thanks http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Once is malfunctioning... Twice is just plain being mean (or STUPID) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsdown.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LarryU:
When I was at the Parsippany Hilton about a month ago. the maid simply marched into my room without even knocking.</font>

I would have asked "Are you the date that the agency sent" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

TFB

My favorite is when you are sick, so you call management and tell them you will not be requiring room maintenance that day, you call housekeeping and request they do not service the room, you put out the do not disturb sign and guess what happens...

The maid knocks on the door at 8:15 waking you up to the shout of "housekeeping"...then they call your room around 10:30-11:00 to check and see if you are still there, waking you again, and then they call at 1:00 to inform you that they are leaving for the day and if you want anything don't hesitate to call them yourself.

On the plus side, this is one thing I have noticed, and since I harangue Hilton for neglecting their Diamond members often ,I have to give them (and Marriott) credit for this: Every time I have been ill at a hotel the management went out of their way to offer to run to the drug-store, get me medications, send up orange juice, or get me soup. I honestly think the hotels take better care of my then my physician.

Heck the Renaissance in Boca even had their staff sign a get well card for me and sent up a few oranges, some aspirin, water bottles and a few magazines. The Hilton in Pittsburgh sent up chicken soup, aspirin, and water.

Now that was customer service.

TFB

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by the.fluffy.bunny:
TFB
Every time I have been ill at a hotel the management went out of their way to offer to run to the drug-store, get me medications, send up orange juice, or get me soup. I honestly think the hotels take better care of my then my physician.
</font>

I'll have to keep this in mind. Besides, I don't know of any hospitals that offer HiltonHhonors points. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

and to think, all these years, I thought "Do Not Disturb" meant "Please vaccuum in front of my room at 6:13am"

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by elbidercni:
On the same note, I just love those mysterious phone calls at around 11 a.m. if you haven't checked out yet -- when you answer they hang up. What do you want to bet it is housekeeping?!
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Solution: unplug phone, bolt the door. Then they can't get in, nor can you be distrubed by a hang-up call.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by EWR-COflyer:
and to think, all these years, I thought "Do Not Disturb" meant "Please vaccuum in front of my room at 6:13am"</font>


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

or "Do Not Disturb" means "Stand here in a group and discuss loudly what happened last night on TV"

I am surprised at how often I have been bothered by this one. Common sense and courtesy should dictate no yelling down the halls from one housekeeper to the next. The Crowne Plaza in Addison, TX was really guilty of this during my numerous stays.


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

or "Do Not Disturb" means "Stand here in a group and discuss loudly what happened last night on TV"</font>

I do get the impression that when one switches on the "Do Not Disturb" light,it would also automatically disable the door bell and incoming telephone calls.

Funny this discussion came up.... just got back in from trip this week where I specifically asked not to be disturbed (Wasn't feeling well at all), first came the call to see if the room was alright, second came the turn down service, third was the paper and the bill being crammed under the door at 4:30 a.m. and then, not once, not twice, but three times house keeping came to the door from 8:30 to 10:20. All of this with the do not disturb sign out and a specific conversation with the front desk about not being disturbed. I wonder how many visits I would have recieved if I wanted to be disturbed?

I was once in a hotel and had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Because of the sign, they didn't try to service the room, but phoned the room to ask whether I would be wanting it serviced later!

Having woken me up with this call, I pointed out to them that "Do Not Disturb" doesn't mean "phone me instead of knocking on the door"!

These anecdotes are interesting since we can all relate. Did anyone catch the Candid Camera piece where they placed a "Please Disturb" sign on the knob and then knocked on the door? Totally funny as they insured that the guests had been properly disturbed!

FWIW, I stayed at the Conrad in both HKG and SIN over the past week, and at both hotels they slid little cards under the door that siad "We were unable to replenish the fruit plate because your Do-Not-Disturb sign was on. Please call housekeeping if we can be of any help."

That's how a 'better' Hilton property is run...

Re the houskeeping issue, this weekend was at Best Western (small town), had wake up call for 430 am, left room and came back at 10 am. Housekeeper didnt even knock, just walked in at 1045 am (ck out is 11am) My friend was only wearing his underwear briefs, enroute to the bathroom. She said oops and closed the door. Not even a sorry, she left her cart next to the door, guess that was a clue it was time to ck out.

"Do Not Disturb" has often been translated into "Knock REAL Hard!" for me.

I'm really glad for this thread because I have been surprised by the blatant disregard of the "do not disturb" sign as well. I now go to my morning shower with trepidation, not knowing if a hard-working housekeeper might walk in on me.

an interesting side to this is whether your expected to have a "do not disturb" sign up at all times, not just reasonable "waking hours".

on our last day at the Waikaloa in Hawaii, the window cleaner knocks on the door at 6:30 am!! the guy seemed completely unphased (or just use to getting yelled at, which i was too shocked to do, plus we just happened to be awake), and it made me think maybe i have to hang that sign on the door every night from now on, but now after reading all the responses, i'm wondering what's the use??

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pdhenry:
[B]FWIW, I stayed at the Conrad in both HKG and SIN over the past week...
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I also have much better luck with the do not disturb sign at hotels in Asia.

European maids usually respect it, but make enough noise to let one know it is time to wake up...


On a related note, I dislike two sided 'do not disturb / please make up room' signs. I was once victimized by kids (I assume) flipping over the sign when I wanted to sleep in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mikey1003:
I would have asked "Are you the date that the agency sent" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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That assumes the maid understands English.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ChaseTheMiles:
I now go to my morning shower with trepidation, not knowing if a hard-working housekeeper might walk in on me. </font>

Try the second lock (chain or sliding bolt) that almost all hotels have nowadays. That should be able to keep even the most determined housekeeper out long enough for them to realize that the room is still occupied.

[This message has been edited by isogyre (edited 10-08-2002).]