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by Dana_Fowle

Last Post 5 days, 3 hours Ago


You Think the Sheets are Dirty
Nov 5, 2007 | 6:59 PM
Category: News
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There is no way around it, our dirty hotel story was gross.   Even our public health expert called what we found at the Holiday Inn Downtown, the Alpharetta Embassy Suites and the Sheraton Galleria Suites disgusting and outrageous.   But most importantly, he said what we watched was a clear health code violation.

This is how we found out about the story:  a former employee called me to say that housekeeping doesn't wash the guest room cups or glasses.  Sure enough, armed with hidden cameras we found he was right.  The Embassy Suites housekeeper sprayed a blue liquid labeled "Do Not Drink" into our cups, which she put in our dirty sink.  She rinsed them out then set them back out for the next person.   

A spokeswoman for Embassy Suites wouldn't go on camera but let it slip, "Well they only have X amount of time to clean a room and that's why they do it."   What?!?!?!?!  Is she saying management doesn't allow them time to properly follow county health codes?

At the Holiday Inn housekeeping just splashed some water around the glasses then left them for the next person to use.

But the most disturbing thing we saw was at the Sheraton where our housekeeper, wearing a big glove, cleans the toilet.   Next, she uses that same glove to clean our cups.  But there's more:  she sniffs our dirty wash cloth and uses that to dry our glasses.

What did Sheraton management have to say?   "It's too controversial an issue" to comment.  Hmmm.....   Why is it controversial if it's an isolated incident?  

The question is whether these housekeepers just weren't doing their job or if that's the way they are taught to do it.  Here's what I know:  we randomly picked these hotels and each one of them did nearly the same thing.    We walked the hallways of these hotels to look at the housekeeping carts.  We never saw racks of clean or dirty glasses anywhere.  

If I could have gotten one spokesperson to talk in-depth I would have also asked why they re-use the paper caps on the cups to make the guest think they're freshly cleaned. 

When we checked in to each of these hotels we told the desk that we were one company but two people would be staying - one the first night, a new person the next night.   Not all of the hotels even bothered to change our sheets, if you can believe that.

Are these isolated incidents or is this just the way the major hotel chains do business these days?

What do you think ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

318 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 318
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omarsm01 read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 10:30 PM

If you think that's gross, check the ice machines at any resteraunt, they have black and red mildew and slime all in them, I worked with a resteraunt equipment company that serviced alot of the top metro atlanta resteraunts, many ice machines werent operating properly because they were so filthy, with the exception of "Chipotle" the others would make you sick, I don't think that the health inspectors even look at them, if they did there would be alot of resteraunts closing.
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 10:34 PM

Do you think these same problems are in hotel ice machines?
marce11
Nov 5, 2007 | 10:37 PM

Most of the hotels train the housekeepers to clean the glasses in the sink. The hotels expect the housekeepers to clean 20 rooms in 8 hours (this is insane) and some hotels are not willing to pay overtime. I am not excusing anybody but I think the managment of the hotels are the ones responsible for this issue.
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 10:42 PM

Interestingly, one of the spokespeople for one of the hotels said, "They only have X amount of time to clean a room and that's why they do that." What?!?!? So are they saying they know this is going on? Are they saying that management doesn't give them enough time to follow basic health codes? Did you find it interesting no one would go on camera and look at our video? We sure did.
PurpleBadness
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:00 PM

I've always wanted to know a way to mark hotel linens with a washer dissolvable mark to ensure that all of my hotel linens are at least being changed daily.
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:14 PM

Some of our hotels didn't even change our linens even when we told them that a new guest would be taking over the room.

In one of our follow-up stories, we'll feature a guy who did mark things in his room to prove they weren't washing up the way they said they would.
hibbslittlemoose
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:18 PM

Thank you for bringing us this story. My husband and I will be staying at a hotel in Texas and will definitely be thinking twice before using their cups and glasses. Thanks again
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:21 PM

Do me a favor: take a look at the housekeeping carts. See if they have racks for glasses. I would even ask management how they clean them. It will be interesting to hear what they say. Run your own experiment.
alpha06
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:28 PM

All you are doing by this report is making these poor low wage workers look foolish. The only thing that is going to happen is they will loose their jobs. They will have no way to support their famlies. Again, thebig man sticking it to the little man. Hope Fox 5 is proud of themselves
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2007 | 11:52 PM

That very thing was a big consideration for us. We thought long and hard about that too. There are one of two things that could be happening here. Either the housekeeper cut corners or management, at some level, has them do it this way. Either way it's wrong. Mark my words, if one of those housekeepers gets fired and can tell us that they were ordered to do it this way then we will report that. You're not telling me that you are OK with how those glasses are cleaned, particularly at the Sheraton, are you?
POOHBALAH4
Nov 6, 2007 | 10:56 AM

WELL I STAYED AT THE WESTIN HOTEL THIS PAST WEEKEND...I DIDNT CATCH THE STORY ABOUT THE HOTELS UNTIL LASTNIGHT...I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT USES MY ROOM GLASSES AT TIMES...WHAT DO I NEED TO DO ABOUT THEN?DO I NEED TO CALL THE HOTEL AND INFORM THEM?I MEAN I DONT KNOW HOW THEY CLEAN THIER CUPS AND MY HEALTH MIGHT BE IN DANGER BECAUSE OF IT!WHAT SHOULD I DO?~KENIA
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 6, 2007 | 11:54 AM

I have a low gross-out line. I grew up in the country where your dad would drop a hamburger off of the grill then just brush off and you were expected to eat it. But what we found going on is really troubling to me. We have more tonight. What do you think the fancy hotels will do? Stay tuned.
kvfelton
Nov 6, 2007 | 11:58 AM

ITS SAID TO SAY, BUT WHEN MY FAMILY & I TRAVEL (WHICH IS TWICE A YEAR) WE CLEAN OUR OWN ROOM & JUST NEED OUR GARBAGE CHANGED & FLOOR VACUUMED. WE ALWAYS BRING OUR OWN FACE/BODY RAGS & TOWELS BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO/WHAT USE THERE STUFF BEFORE YOU. WE ALSO SPILL SOMETHING ON THE SHEETS, THEN HAVE HOUSEKEEPING COME CHANGE THEM FOR US, THAT WAY WE KNOW OUR SHEETS WHERE IN FACT CHANGED WHILE WE STAY @ THE HOTEL. I TRY TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THE WORKERS BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST DOING THERE JOB THE WAY THE "HOTEL MANAGERS" EXPECT THEM TO & IF THEY TALK ABOUT THEY WOULD BE FIRED ON THE SPOT. I SUGGEST YOU BRING PAPER CUPS, ETC FROM HOME TO AVOID THE DIRTY THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE @ THESE "TOP" OF THE LINE HOTELS & WE'RE NOT EVEN AWARE OF. MY HUSBAND IS A CHEF IN NYC & WHEN WE EAT OUT, HE ALWAYS INSIST HE SEE'S THE KITCHEN & IF ANYONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT or DENY HIM THAT RIGHT, WE LEAVE........
adcandi
Nov 6, 2007 | 12:08 PM

This story is why I travel with my own cleaning supplies, toilet paper, sheets and towels! Of course management teaches their staff this practice! Everything these days is about profit and 'driving the cost out of the business.' This is good in theory, but how the goal is achieved is the problem. It is strange how every other week there is some type of food recall. I don't know about that industry, but I will bet they are caused by poor cleaning of the machinery, if it is cleaned at all! I am sure if you taveled to other states, the practice would be the same. If anything is to be done we need to let the chains know we won't pay their outrageous nightly prices for sleezy hotel cleaniness!
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 6, 2007 | 12:22 PM

I'm hearing from more and more people who take their own cleaning supplies when they travel. I think from here on out I'll take those Lysol wipes with me to wipe down countertop surfaces, the phone and the remote! What a shame.
dustoff529 read my blog
Nov 6, 2007 | 2:32 PM

Go to ANY hotel and examine the bed spreads with an ultra violet light! You'll find passion remnants similar to Monica Lewinsky's blue dress!
rwereallythatdumb
Nov 6, 2007 | 3:30 PM

YUK!
rwereallythatdumb
Nov 6, 2007 | 3:30 PM

YUK!
localDawg
Nov 6, 2007 | 3:52 PM

So are the nicer hotels tonight? You should send a glass to a CSI, you might discover Jimmy Hoffas' HSV virus.

I learned a long time ago not to ever drink out of hotel glasses. All you have to do is stand there and watch them clean a room once. I have never seen any method other than what was shownn in this report (windex is apparently optional).

When I check in, I always stop by the bar and get like 10 disposable cups that lived in a package (shipped from the third world).
Dana_Fowle read my blog view my photos
Nov 6, 2007 | 4:00 PM

It never, ever occured to me that housekeeping wasn't properly washing the glasses. Maybe I'm just not that observant. I'm going to start hunting for a dish cleaner/sanitizer that I can put in my luggage. Or, just take my own collapsable cup, or like you said, get plastic from the bar.
And yes, the high-end hotels story is on tonight. What they do with our bath towel is disturbing. Right after I'll be available on the blog if you want to chat about it.
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Dana_Fowle

I'm not as serious as I look on TV. I love to laugh even if it's at my expense. I'm just not very PC. My friends would describe me as "black and white." Not a lot of gray. My co-workers call me Elaine from Seinfeld. I'm generally disheveled and have a messy car. I have really curly hair, but the station doesn't like it that way. I love my husband because he's funny. I also love red wine, rare steak, dark chocolate and strong coffee. I'm Type A, so of course, I wish I were smarter.

Member Since: 2/28/2007


 

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