Hotel etiquette
1) Hi Stefanie, I'm glad you have time. You told me something already, so let's get started. Towels in the bathroom, do you always wash everything daily, or how can I tell you that I don't want that?
With the towels it's not that difficult and it's usually even written down: Towels are only washed if the guest wants it. Sure, it's also sustainable and it would be pointless if we washed everything every day. Towels that you want washed belong on the floor. But sometimes the towels hang on the shower walls, on the shower heads or are found somewhere in the room. It's hard for me to see what the guest wants with it. Do the towels lying on the floor next to the bed also belong to the “off to the laundry team”?
So the best signal for me is: Please put everything that needs to be washed in a heap on the floor in front of the shower.
2) Speaking of sustainability... I know this doesn't concern you that much, but what about water consumption? I like to take really hot showers, but short ones. What do hotels want from guests when it comes to water consumption in the shower?
It's actually quite simple and many hotels have already have a sign telling you: Please turn off the water while soaping. We know that when you are on vacation you like to let the shower run a little hotter and longer. However, we are happy if the guests also pay attention to the water consumption during their vacation and turn off the water every now and then while soaping.
3) Ok, so saving water is noticed. What bothers you most when you enter a room?
There are two things for me: the first thing is, when I come into the room and after less than a meter I trip over a shoe. I would be happy if you don’t build a trap for me and put your shoes on the prepared drip tray - just like at home.
4) And what is the second?
The lights. There are often two room cards, one of which usually stays in the room and the other is taken with you. Technically, the light only works when the card is inserted. If a card is always left in the room and you don't think about turning off the light, it stays on all day. This has happened many times and I think it's a shame. You can think about turning off the light when nobody is in the room.
5) Ok, so got it – put your shoes aside and turn off the lights. Is there anything else that bothers you about the room?
I was in a situation where I almost had a heart attack and it wasn't funny at all.
What has happened there? Did you find a corpse in the room?
It wasn't a corpse after all...
Now I'm curious, what did you find?
I entered the room and first went to the bathroom. When I came out to make the bed, I cried out in shock. There was something on the bed that actually looked like a corpse. A corpse wrapped in a bed sheet with the phone cord around its neck. I was terrified. And when I dared to touch the body, I was totally relieved. It felt very soft and I noticed that a guest was making a joke with pillows and blankets.
As I found out later, that was an internet trend at that time. I didn't think that was funny at all. But my colleagues did. When I told them later about the incident, they laughed out loud. And when I showed them a picture of it, they asked me how I could believe that it is a corpse. Since then, when I walk into a room, I always look at the bed first and only then go to the bathroom.
6) Thank you Stefanie for your answers. Anything else you'd like to say to the guests out there?
Gladly. I'm always happy when the hotel is full and there are a lot of guests from a lot of countries. I just wish you guys weren't completely chaotic on vacation. Then I can do my job quickly and satisfactorily for you. And please don't put any more "corpses" on the bed!
Addition: My girlfriend's name has been changed & the pictures are from a vacation I took where we recreated the situations.
