mktozd

Does this happen nationwide?

ATLANTA (FOX 5) -- When you check into a hotel room - ever wonder how clean it is? Well, the I-Team did and has some disturbing results. Dana Fowle brings an exclusive story that has county health inspectors reacting. Click video for more information


http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=1.1.1

danwhy

My guess would be worldwide and with every chain more than one would like to think it would.

mktozd

I'm thinking about bringing my own plastic water bottle

kevinsac

I guess I was naive enough to think that hotels properly cleaned glass glasses. I will carefully check during my next trip.

jammers

Agreed. Sadly, I've always assumed the glasses are not properly cleaned, but seeing it in that clip is much worse than assuming it.

I stick with bottled water, and if must for some reason use the cup I'll always wash it first.

Starwood Lurker

FWIW, this event was sent to all North American Starwood General Managers last night by the President of the division with a directive to adhere to Starwood's policies concerning all things related to housekeeping, in which the proper replacement of in-room items is covered in detail.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

PresRDC

It is policy to replace all duvet covers between guests, specifically, the top most one?

Starwood Lurker

Yes, according to all brand standards that I've seen.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

sbtinme

Okay, so add another Starwood hotel to the list. And this time, I know for certain that the GM was notified personally about this a few weeks ago.

Same story as always: staff puts mugs and glassware in bathroom sink and blasts the hot water over everything for 4 minutes and then wipes dry with a facecloth. (The dead giveaway is that a sanitized, properly clean coffee mug does NOT still smell of coffee from the previous guest! Coffee mugs at the Sheraton Detriot Riverside still smell like coffee -- plus, you can see all of the cloth lint left behind from the facecloth!!! AARRRGGGHHHHH!!)

Flagrant violation of health code in every community in the U.S. These in-room items have, in no way, been sanitized for the next guest.

It's also worth noting that after this issue reared its head with some nasty press coming originally from the Sheraton ATL (among others), Starwood's head brass addressed this VERY ISSUE head on with a specific memo to every global GM making this non-negotiable detail exceedingly clear.

This issue has been addressed time and time and time again here and elsewhere. For me, this is one of the first things I check in any hotel. A hotel housekeeping staff that skimps on this is skimping on other items, for sure. In a proper system, the housekeeping dept has a standard system of rotating glassware and mugs that are used downstairs into their commercial washers -- usually by housemen using glass/mug trays on carts. It is also this person's job to supply each floor with appropriate quantities of new, washed glasses and mugs each morning. The housekeeping managers, or even the Executive Housekeeper him/herself should be keenly aware of any lapse in this day in/day out process. It's like delivering the mail. It must be done 100% every day without exception. If the gals cleaning rooms on the 8th floor never seem to need or use new glasses or mugs, then the system has broken down.

Anyway, enough ranting. This stuff MAJORLY ticks me off.

LAXjoe

I'm aware of this, it does bother me, and I never use the glasses as a result. Come to think of it, if they were actually washing them in a dishwasher, wouldn't we see a cart of glasses (a lot of glasses) and not just towels, toiletries, etc.? I'm happy to use a wrapped paper cup, anytime. Wish they'd just covert all properties to this.

Matt-KC

Confirms what I figured would happen...the focus would be placed on the issue and a few months later the GM's and local management would just look the other way as they did before they got called out on national TV. There is no excuse for this practice, period.

mrEzE

Amazing after all the bad press last year this is still happening. That being said, I always use the wrapped/paper/plastic cups instead of the glass. I pretend the coffee maker doesn't exist and don't let the bedspread touch bare skin. I think when I start traveling again later this year, I will be adding disinfectant wipes for the TV remote and phone...