Do you want daily housekeeping at Hawaii hotels? Some hotel managers think not, but the employee union believes otherwise.
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87 thoughts on “Hawaii Hotels: Extreme Staff Shortage And Now Expired Contracts”
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I don’t use daily cleaning service, but I expect it! The prices we have to pay for an upscale hotel, I do expect it. But I don’t generally use it. I pick up after myself, use my towels more than once. However, you never know, so I expect daily service and would like the option everyday. I do Not want to schedule it. What I want is a return to the way it was pre-pandemic. Daily Housekeeping, Room Service and whatever was there before that I wasn’t using!
Everyone is different – while one can expect families with kids for example appreciating daily service, I as a single visitor who travels travels light, only need cleaning every other day or so. But if cleaning crews depend on daily service to earn their pay I would gladly have them do that work. I thought that skipping cleanings helped the workers by reducing work loads but this article seems to suggest the opposite.
I will never have to go to a hawaii for a vacation… place is so messed up.
We have a timeshare at westin Kaanapali resort. We have not had mid week service for many years and we are perfectly satisfied with this. If we need fresh towels we ask and receive them. In February just getting our room cleaned on move in day was hours past check in. Much rather my room is available at 4ish than get midweek service 🙃
Many Amenities that are not totally available in Hawaii can be found in abundance, mostly, across large swaths of the mainland. There are areas of exception. Costs haven’t risen that much, except for certain Cities and Hawaii, and that alone can help Vacationers choose Destinations, even closer to home that save Thousands of dollars and long travels with no dissent. I’ve had conversations about the dissent, amazing how little the cost to feign and stir it up. But Who would Benefit? 🤔 The Time Share Industry isn’t worried, are they! Hawaii needs to be Transparent and Transform its Government to work For the People coexisting with Reasonable Business needs to move forward, Will Hawaii Commit to This?
Hi Margy! Everyone seems to have their own personal preferences, to each their own, but I am with you! As if the “Bottom Line” hasn’t already put a choke hold on Tourists in every way, how many of Them would put up with this? None! With ever increasing prices Expectations and Offerings should be Increasing, not being reduced. $65 self parking per night, there’s options. Not All are cutting services, check them out. I have begun looking into how the Islands operate, is it justified to build more time shares unless this is the plan all along bringing in Asian Buyers? Expeditiously the Supply Chain issues can disappear with expedited delivery to the Islands Docks. Only component then is Labor. Surely there’s a plan for that too.
We never have daily room cleaning. Why can’t you use your towel more than a few times? We change our sheets at home 2x a month. Don’t be lazy…pick up after yourself. If you keep demanding higher wages and benefits, you’ll price yourself out of a job. Shutting down AirBnbs was a huge mistake. Keep cutting your throats and tourists will go elsewhere.
If I am paying $500-1000 a night for a hotel, they better be cleaning my room daily. The hotels aren’t lowering rates, yet expect patrons to lose multiple amenities and lousy service. Great that the unions are taking a stand as management just keeps rolling in the money.Hooefully they will wake up. These CEO’s are full of baloney, Everyone wants and expects housecleaning, especially at luzury levels. They obviously aren’t reading reviews!
Chris, I am convinced that steering much of the current tourism away has begun and will continue, instead preferring Asian Markets and others with First Time Tourists willing to spend tons of money. These Tourists are also more aware of ecological and other problems, more than willing to spend a vacation day cleaning up the Islands. Time Share sales will be at a relative high, suddenly Shortages of Every Kind will be a thing of the past. It sounds like I am stirring up ill will but I am not, it’s what I see as a New Income Trend for Hawaii, one that Should last decades. Evolution of Industry, Hawaii!
Chris,
“We never have daily room cleaning. Why can’t you use your towel more than a few times? We change our sheets at home 2x a month.”
Because we are on vacation and want the hotel experience to reflect that. Now, I’ve had a timeshare for many years and housekeeping has always been a little on the sparse side. I can live with that.
Still, as I said, it’s vacation. We paid to leave home – let’s have something different than home.
The lower the level of service, the lower the wages and tips will be. Just because these hotels are in Hawaii, there’s no reason to shortchange the hotel Guests.
Definitely prefer daily house keeping in a hotel
The hotel industry on O`ahu has managed to shut down AirBnB and VRBO on O`ahu, thus greatly reducing competition (using a a very weak justification and a very pliant Council). Now, they are raising prices and reducing services while raking in more revenue than ever before. This is extremely short-sighted and counterproductive, and says a lot about the types of managers in charge. Gee…this type of behavior is Not what I learned in business school, which is that firms have obligations to the communities that support them. You wouldn’t know it here: here, it’s all about greed.
Hawai`i hotel industry corporate talk about valuing employees is a crock.
Thank you for allowing me to vent!
Daily broom cleaning is nice, but it’s not needed. As long as the room are well maintained and I can get room service I am happy.
I haven’t used daily cleaning services for many years. Daily changing/washing sheets and towels is not good for the environment and doesn’t make sense with water shortages.
I will use a weekly refresh if I stay 2 weeks.
In any case, any level of service, I believe, deserves a generous tip to housekeeping services.
Hi Randy R, what you’ve said is more accurate than some want to admit. Without Admitting What the Problem is, How it was Caused, How it can be Addressed and Rectified? Seems like State Government tosses Money at problems without any Results and Contracts are Awarded by the Friends and Family Plan. Local Government isn’t any better. If they wanted to put people to work they could in short order. They’re still Flush with Federal Cash, it will slowly disappear with little to show for it except for the occasional questions that will go nowhere! Elect Better People and hold them Accountable, Good Luck Hawaii.
I just stayed at the Ala Moana Hotel for a week, where daily cleaning was standard practice. I don’t need fresh towels or sheets every day but I do want daily cleaning when I’m staying in a hotel. Better that daily cleaning be standard. If not wanted one or more days, easy just to call housekeeping and tell them.
We went to Hawaii a couple months ago. We did not have daily housekeeping which was not an issue because there was only 2 of us. I would have appreciated them coming around daily to check and see if we needed coffee towels,t.p.,toiletries without us having to call housekeeping.
I’m not sure if they still time people on cleaning each room but if they are this is probably a big part of the issue at hand.No one wants to race like mad to clean diry rooms.Ive cleaned dirty hotel rooms and some actually should have been given 30 minutes instead of 12 to 15 min…… thank you
Just back from a 20 day stay at the Marriott Resort and Spa Hotel on Oahu. I appreciated the daily cleaning as this is the my main space I was in for over 2 weeks. I preferred to have the room tidied up so I could enjoy my stay. In the 20 days I did not have my room cleaned 3 days. Housecleaning staff at the Marriott were outstanding as were other staff at the hotel.
It’s not just Kauai. In the last month we’ve spent a few nights at a hotel in the states and 2 weeks in a time-share in St. Thomas, USVI. Neither offered housekeeping during our stay. I can deal with that for a 3 night stay, but 2 weeks? And we have reservations on Kauai early next year for 27 days, with a room change in the middle of that time. Earlier this year that was the only time we had the room cleaned and I won’t be surprised if that happens again. Not acceptable! Every 3 days is one thing, 2 weeks is another. This has got to change!
I do not like daily cleaning. It is obtrusive. When I travel I frequently put out the do not disturb sign. I pick up after myself. I do not clean every day at home, why should I when I travel?
I have routinely declined daily housekeeping in hotels for many years – I don’t change my sheets and towels at home every day – and it seems to me that environmentally it is healthier to eliminate unnecessary daily washing. Come on folks.
Paying more for hotel stay and receiving less services is happening everywhere. It’s a shame, we used to receive ‘points’ for going green and choosing not to have room cleaned. Now we are paying more for no service and no points .
Happy 5th If its just myself or my wife we haven’t wanted daily service for years.
At Hilton Hawaiian Village last month the woman doing housekeeping on our floor wouldn’t hear of not doing her job. She was a joy and took pride in her work.
For me people smoking on the balcony below was a bigger deal.
I had pictures of cigarette butts on the deck.
Security wanted to wait and catch them. I just wanted it to stop.
Finally when they saw i was adamant about dealing with it now the did so and it was over.
All in all I found service on Oahu great.
I enjoyed eating at places where there was a mix of locals and tourists and really enjoed places where the tourists were the minority.
My experience has been, if the Service is not offered, it is diminished Value, then when one calls for Soap, Shampoo, Towels, there’s an expectation for an additional Gratuity, when it should be already part of the Service in a 4-5 Star, if a Hyatt House or comparable Marriott, expectations are lower, Rates are lower.
every other day cleaning i think is ok, but not at the expense of cutting cleanings staff pay.
If I want to clean my own room, I would stay in B&B. When I stay in a hotel, I want my room serviced daily.
I absolutely appreciate daily room cleaning and an sick of hotels charging more and delivering less.
If I stay only 2-3 nights at a hotel, I prefer no room cleaning .
If I stay more than 3 nights I want room cleaning .
Room cleaning every 2-3 days is fine .
I think service needs may depend on your circumstances. We go to Maui and Kauai 4 times a year, a week each time and we stay in a suite each stay. Since it’s just me and my husband and we have plenty of room, we only ask for service every 3 days. 20 years ago though when sharing a room with 2 children as well I definitely wanted daily housekeeping.
So, my comment probably won’t be popular, but I’m going to make it anyhow. When I go on vacation, anywhere, and pay exorbitant rates for a hotel room, I want my room cleaned, daily. Take out my trash, vacuum, dust, make the bed, tidy up, what not. I will hang up my towel and re-use it, I do not need clean sheets every day. But don’t charge me exorbitant rates for cut-rate service. I understand the staffing shortage. If you as an owner/manager cannot staff your hotel fully enough to provide services to your guests, than, maybe, you should close part of your hotel until you are able to do so. There, I said it.
Teresa I,
Exorbitant or not, if you and others expect proper service, there is no need to apologize.
My family is okay with less than daily service. But, the room should be clean when we arrive and it should be maintained to stay that way.
I’m just put off by so many people blaming greedy hotel owners. Just because the owner raises rates doesn’t make them greedy. Are the workers greedy when they demand pay/benefits increases? In the original Wall Street film, Michael Douglas declared “greed is good.” And he was right. We all are and need to have a little greed or we will be kicked to the curb – including companies.
I totally agree. For the amount of money I’m spending, I expect a thoroughly cleaned room. It’s just a good feeling walking back into a fresh and clean, tidy room. That’s what I’m paying for.