- Hotel rooms, even the nicest luxury digs, often look squeaky clean—but some areas of your room may be cleaner than others.
- Germs can be found on surfaces that are frequently touched, such as phones, remotes and light switches.
- Standard housekeeping may not include items such as ceiling fixtures, barware and bathtubs.
The clean bathroom and crisp linens in a hotel might make you feel like the room is spotless. Nevertheless, hospitality professionals and seasoned travellers know that some of these are not true. dirtiest places in hotel rooms Many times, they are hidden from view.
There’s not always enough time to thoroughly clean each room, due to high turnover rates and a limited number of staff. Enza Laterrenia, head of housekeeping at Canne Bianche Lifestyle & Hotel, explains that under standard conditions, a room is cleaned by a housekeeping pair in about 30 minutes, highlighting the time pressure housekeeping teams often face.
Decorative Pillows
Karl Tapales/Getty Images
Maria Diego. Travel + Leisure “As a self-declared germaphobe and A-List adviser, I always take action as soon as I enter my room.” “Having worked at hotels, I always throw away the first thing to the far corner of my room when I get there. decorative pillows “And any decorative runner which goes along the footboard of the bed,” says she. “These never get cleaned.”
Laterrenia concurs, noting that hotels often wash their decorative pieces infrequently.
High-touch Surfaces
webphotographeer/Getty Images
The travel agent and coach Rani CheemaThe hotel phones are among the least hygienic items. “If I have to pick up a phone, the receiver grosses me out,” Cheema explains. “I believe it’s… the mouth, because nobody cleans that.”
Carpets are also a problem from a housekeeping standpoint. Laterrenia explains that because carpets tend to accumulate dust and bacteria they are one of the most difficult items to sanitize.
Cheema does note, however that higher-end hotels are adapting. “There are many five-star hotel that don’t have carpeting anymore, they use hardwood floors or area rugs, that’s it,” says Cheema.
Even in the most luxurious hotels, thoroughness can have its limits. Diego says that in higher-end hotels major touch points such as switches, remote controls, and phones are cleaned before each check-in. But he is still cautious.
Hidden Contamination Spots
Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty Images
The surfaces that are hidden away can be the ones most often overlooked. Diego adds: “I also watch out for barware hidden in cabinets or drawers. It could be there for a long time, or it may have been touched by guests who are not aware of the housekeeping team.”
She is also picky about the bathroom. “I will not take a shower in a hotel that isn’t a five-star luxury hotel. I also prefer a bathtub without jets.”
Laterrenia shows that some areas are overlooked in standard hotel cleaning. “Hard-to-reach spots—such as high ceilings, chandeliers, ceiling fans, curtain rods, and shower heads—are often neglected.”
Next time you’re checking into a hotel make sure to toss decorative pillows and bed runners aside, clean the surfaces that are in contact with your skin, and use the bathtub only when necessary. If you’re unsure, it won’t harm to ask. quick clean You are your own.
