Sofa Bed protocol?
 

When staying in a room with a sofabed which you intend to use, do you usually just make it up yourself or do you call for it to be made up? Does it matter if it is a RI, CY or FS? If you ask someone to make it up for you do you usually tip?

I make it myself. Unless there is a maintenance issue, I don't let anyone in my room during my stay.

If you check in later in the evening, I would expect to just make it up myself. If you can manage to check in early in the day, I ~might~ have a hope that housekeeping would do it, but wouldn't be surprised to make it myself.

Now, if the hotel knows that you'll be using the sofa bed, then it should be made up already.

I don't think I've ever been at a non-FS Marriott where they made the sofa-bed. We've always had to do it ourselves. Quite often though we have had to call to get the hotel staff to bring the extra sheets, blankets and pillows, but they have never offered to make the bed for us.

The only instance that I can think of might be at a FS Marriott that had turn-down service. We had the sofa-bed out, but not made yet when the turn-down service attendant came by and made the sofa-bed for us. But other than that, at Marriott's we have always had to do it ourselves.

Now, in fairness, I have to admit that I have never actually called the hotel asking them to make the sofa-bed either.

Actually it is when I check in late that having it made up would be most helpful. We checked in after 9 pm Friday night into a Courtyard with 2 adults, 2 children staying in a King room with sofabed, so it was clear we would be using it. We had been driving a couple of hours and were tired. I should have just asked for a Queen/Queen room instead, because I really didn't feel like dealing with a sofabed. It got me wondering what others do.

Maybe a stupid question. How do the hotel know that you want to use the sofa bed as a bed, rather than a sofa, when you arrive ?

I've stayed in some hotels where the sofebed was all made up, then refolded into the couch, so that all you have to do is pull it out and throw the pillows on. That would be the best option by far.