Back in June I shared a hotel housekeeping confession:
This is about the Worst. Thing. Ever. for a hotel.
On Monday I shared an investigation which found a hotel not changing sheets in New York.
One commenter seemed to downplay the issue:
Inside Edition doesn’t tell you how many times and how many properties they had to try this stunt to find one who didn’t change the sheets. Was this their first attempt, or did they book 300 rooms? I don’t know the answer, and I’d find it interesting.
The full investigation contends that three of nine hotels checked by Inside Edition didn’t change sheets between guest check-ins. As for how many times they’d need to check into each one before catching the hotel doing this? I’m not sure it much matters. I don’t think anyone would contend that it happens all the time, systematically, just that if it happens even one time that’s a Really. Big. Deal.
Three of nine rooms they checked didn’t get completely new sheets. Although I’m not exactly clear on how they ensured they’d receive the same room two stays in a row over two nights checking in as different guests.
Here’s the full report:
At the end of the piece they suggest asking hotels to change your sheets after you’ve checked in. Are there hotels where you’d be confident enough not to do this? Would you feel comfortable asking for a fresh room makeup before you’ve even stayed in the room?
Another great post from you about a rarely discussed issue
It totally matters not just for cleanliness and hygiene reasons but because of bed bug potential when not stripping beds and inspecting
My family member caught scabies last year from infected sheets
at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego and medical records support this
the hotel played deaf dumb and blind and did nothing for us and ignored the problem except to say our 3rd party tested for bed bugs and it was negative
They are evil and crooks
The Hyatt Manchester was fantastic to us and helped my family member recover
Hilton corporate refused to speak on the issue they should be sued massively
Hotels scream we are saving the planet but what they are really doing is cutting costs with sloppy procedures and at all our risk
Just make sure you get the sheets clearly dirty before you check out from the room. There won’t be a way for them not to change them for the next guest. I know this is not really nice but we are talking health issues here.
I used to work in Ritz Tysons(2 and a half years ago) and I assure you that was the norm there as well. Sure I was a linen boy but I heard the manager tell housekeepers to not change sheets because they were overwhelmed and understaffed.
I am 100% sure that happens in other 5 star hotels.
I suspect that this problem is more prevalent in the USA than in many other places. When I arrive at a hotel, I would normally expect to find crisp white ironed linen or cotton sheets. You can tell if they’ve been used before. In the USA, it seems common not to bother ironing sheets (and sometimes using some strange materials as well). Unironed sheets already look used, so you can’t tell.
Hotels Reportedly Not Changing Sheets Between Guests
The hotels misunderstood. They thought they were supposed to be changing guests between the sheets.
totally outrageous-and appalling. Thanks for this post Gary! And yeah, henceforth I’m going to check… and will call and ask for a change of sheets if I run into this train wreck…
Everyone knows this. The road warriors are especially dirty people. Sleeping in each others filth.
Omg I hope lucky is not OCD about cleanliness.
Nothing wrong with shaming the offenders, but I would have also liked to see a list of the hotels that did pass the test.
@NB, I agree.
@swag, their passing this presumably random and incomprehensive test, is by no means an indication that they do indeed change sheets after every guest leaves, but merely that they might be doing that.
I doubt that they actually do!