That loud housekeeping bang on the door that startles you awake
Jun 3, 2019, 2:19 pm
#1
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That loud housekeeping bang on the door that startles you awake
So I was horribly delayed from a cancelled flight and forced to reroute myself to MCO due to weather in the NYC area. Knowing I'd be getting in very late with a 3-hour drive ahead of me, I decided to check into the MCO airport Hyatt. Got there around 4 am, went to my room and fell asleep straight away. Privacy lock was on, security bar was flipped shut. So I was startled awake at 0900 by loud rapping on the door, and I sat straight up in bed, thinking someone was banging down the door. To my annoyance, it was housekeeping. WHY? Why do they come around in the morning and pound on the door? They have in my record that I'll be checking out by noon - a time which I confirmed with the front desk when I checked in at 4am. Also, with the electronic locks, the workers' keycards don't work when the privacy lock is engaged. So pound on the door instead? Scare the daylights out of a sleeping guest? Since I was wide awake at that point, I got cleaned up, gathered my stuff, and checked out. Needless to say, I was not happy - mentioned this to the manager at the front desk and got the customary apology and some points for my trouble. But what I really want is someone to tell my why the hotel staff would ever be allowed to pound on the door of a sleeping guest, when there is clearly someone in the room and it is not past check-out time?
Jun 3, 2019, 2:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Generally they won't do this if the Do Not Disturb sign is out, so I always put it out. On the other hand, there seems to be an actual policy at some properties (including the HR Denver Downtown) that if the DND sign is on and it gets to be a certain time, they will call you on the phone to see if you want service for the day. I find this to be unacceptable, but the property disagrees (although they made a note on my profile not to do it to me again). Other properties slip a note under the door, which I find to be acceptable.
Jun 3, 2019, 2:46 pm
#3
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Agree that it's not acceptable. Do Not Disturb means do not disturb, not that it's OK to disturb me to ask whether I really mean it or not.
If a guest has the DND sign on the door but has forgotten it and really wants service it's on the guest because it's the guest's error.
If a guest has the DND sign on the door but has forgotten it and really wants service it's on the guest because it's the guest's error.
Jun 3, 2019, 2:48 pm
#4
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Understand your frustration and problem with it. Not to sound like a broken record, but it seems like you didn't have your DND sign up? I've never had a problem with housekeeping knocking when my DND sign is up, except in Vegas.
Jun 3, 2019, 2:49 pm
#5
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I have, many times, and not in Vegas. I'm convinced that some hotel managements tell their housekeepers to do this.
Jun 3, 2019, 3:20 pm
#6
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I've been lucky. The time it does happen to me, I come back late and/or too tired and forget to put up DND sign. They should respect the DND and privacy of the guest, but in their defense, sometimes guests just leave the sign up and never or forget to take it off. So they may be just checking to see if the guest have left yet, which I assume is more prevalent on check-out days.
Jun 3, 2019, 6:43 pm
#7
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Jun 3, 2019, 6:51 pm
#8
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I've been lucky. The time it does happen to me, I come back late and/or too tired and forget to put up DND sign. They should respect the DND and privacy of the guest, but in their defense, sometimes guests just leave the sign up and never or forget to take it off. So they may be just checking to see if the guest have left yet, which I assume is more prevalent on check-out days.
If there's a question about whether the guest has checked out, the employee should ask the front desk, NOT pound on a door with a DND sign. Period.
Jun 3, 2019, 6:59 pm
#9
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I don't disagree with you. They "should" do that. For a small hotel, sure. But what about for a hotel maybe with a few hundred rooms, is that really feasible? Like I said, I don't think it's a normal occurrence, probably more so during check out day. And not to mention, the guests that don't check out at front desk and just leave.
Jun 3, 2019, 7:43 pm
#10
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No where do I see that the OP had the DND tag on his door. The housekeeper was just doing her job. No need to be angry at her. Next time put the DND on the door.
FWIIW I instruct my hotels to begin checking due outs at 8:30am weekdays and 9am weekends. 90% of guests do not check out with the FD.
FWIIW I instruct my hotels to begin checking due outs at 8:30am weekdays and 9am weekends. 90% of guests do not check out with the FD.
Jun 3, 2019, 8:20 pm
#12
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No where do I see that the OP had the DND tag on his door. The housekeeper was just doing her job. No need to be angry at her. Next time put the DND on the door.
FWIIW I instruct my hotels to begin checking due outs at 8:30am weekdays and 9am weekends. 90% of guests do not check out with the FD.
FWIIW I instruct my hotels to begin checking due outs at 8:30am weekdays and 9am weekends. 90% of guests do not check out with the FD.
Note to self: NEVER stay at his hotels. When I have a 4 pm checkout, hotel staff should never violate my DND sign before 4 pm (or whatever time was negotiated, as a few wonderful Hyatts are willing to let Globs keeps rooms beyond 4 pm when possible, for example if the guest is departing on an evening flight).
This proves my point about hotels instructing their housekeepers and other staff not to honor DND signs. It's disgusting that management could condone this (or set a bad example of how subordinates should not behave toward customers).
This proves my point about hotels instructing their housekeepers and other staff not to honor DND signs. It's disgusting that management could condone this (or set a bad example of how subordinates should not behave toward customers).
Jun 3, 2019, 8:36 pm
#13
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If the OP had the DND, then I feel bad for his experience.
If not, then I'm not really surprised. The housekeeper may be aggressively trying to clean the rooms and being loud isn't a forbidden practice.
If not, then I'm not really surprised. The housekeeper may be aggressively trying to clean the rooms and being loud isn't a forbidden practice.
Jun 3, 2019, 8:48 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2016
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If you do not want a loud bang on the door then place a DND on the door! It is quite simple. If you suffer from anxiety then ask the check in agent to leave a note for management that you had arrived at 4 in the am and are on another time zone!
Jun 3, 2019, 8:58 pm
#15
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The problem is that despite a DND sign, in many hotels housekeepers pound on the door anyway. When one answers and points to the DND sign (still highly visible on the doorknob from the hallway), they just shrug and don't even apologize. It's disgusting and extremely annoying. If this is the hotel policy, the policy should be published rather than the hotel just supplying DND signs *as if* they will be honored by stuff.
