A Housekeeping view on Fan Conventions

image from an article about fan destruction a good read and the fear on the face of the artwork says it all.

I love going to fan conventions, I am such a nerd I want to do it all.  Steampunk convention?  I'm right on board!  Trekkie convention?  Beam me up!  Anime convention?  OMG is that Kyo?  Kyoooo I love You!   And nothing is better than being able to stay at the same hotel that the convention is being held.  You need a nap or a quiet place for a few hours just head to your room.  Want to catch a 2:00 am panel, no problem.  It is great.  I always try and be respectful to hotel staff and try and make their lives easier.  However, I just started working as a housekeeper for a hotel and I realized how some of my actions were not as helpful as I thought they were.  And as a housekeeper I want to share the things that would make my life easier if I was cleaning up after someone like myself.

First thing is first, please let us do our job.  Before working as a housekeeper, I would leave the Do Not Disturb sign up all weekend and thought it was being nice.  Heck they didn't have to come in and look at the messy room.  However, I learned it is far easier to vacuum up a few small messes everyday than to clean up a big mess at the end of the weekend.  We promise not to touch your stuff, Which brings us to another point, we will always make the beds unless your stuff is covering it.  In order to protect your privacy we won't touch that bed.  Same thing goes for the sink if it is covered with supplies and make-up we won't wipe it down.

Which brings me to another point make-up.  I never realized how difficult it is to get make-up out of white towels and wash clothes.  Half of them have to be thrown away after being used to remove make-up.  I recommend bringing your own make-up remover and wash clothes, not only does it mean less waste but, it also means you are likely to get a better clean for yourself.

Finally check-out.  Please check out on time or if possible early, do you know how many rooms we will have to clean that day.  Most of us don't get paid by the hour but by the room.  And we are getting pressured to get it all done and spotless in time for the next round of guests which half of them want early check in.  Average room clean time is forty minutes but double or triple that if things are especially dirty or worse damaged.  Best way to make the room easy to clean is to put all the dirty towels in one spot (like the tub), gather the trash in one bag or box that's easy to toss, and don't make the beds.  We are just going to have to strip them anyways.  If you want to be especially helpful you could strip the beds and put the sheets and pillowcases in one pile and the blankets and pillows piled on the bed.

Now why would you want to be nice to the housekeepers?  I can give one reason.  It makes the hotel management happy, which leads to better deals for the convention and convention goers.  The opposite holds true as well.  If con-goers are just mean and disrespectful to hotel staff the con could get booted, and even black-listed from other venues.

Image from the movie Maid in Manhattan

Thank you for listening, and have fun at your con.