The covid pandemic provided cover for hotel brands to make cuts. A number of chains made maid service by request or took it off the every-day schedule.
In many cases it's more death by a thousand paper cuts rather than any one big change customers can point to. Small things, however, like free water bottles and coffee service disappearing, add up.
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It's not universal, but many hotel operators have stopped changing your towels daily, and once-free services like WiFi now routinely cost extra. That's not a great business model in an era where Airbnb (ABNB) -) has provided people with not just an option but a chance to get exactly what they want.
Even President Joe Biden has taken aim at hotels, calling them out for deceptive pricing and hidden fees. Biden specifically cited hotels not showing mandatory "resort fees" in advertised prices to make costs appear lower than they actually are.
Marriott International (MAR) -) has already given in and now displays the full cost up front. Hilton Hotels (HLT) -), which faces multiple state lawsuits over resort fees, has not followed its rival in that area, but the chain is making sweeping improvements that visitors will love.
Hyatt Hotels has also not changed its pricing policy.
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Hilton makes major amenity changes
While small negative changes pile up to become a big problem, the opposite is true of small positive changes. Hilton has outlined upcoming changes to housekeeping, bathroom towels, bedside power outlets, and night lights to hotel owners in the Americas, according to internal documents seen by View From the Wing.
The chain's management communicated that the upgrades “will have the biggest impact on guest satisfaction” while at the same time “being mindful” of property-owner margins, the website reported.
Cleanliness will be a key part of the upgrades. All Hiltons, according to the documents, should be "clean everywhere and offer a hot breakfast, a great shower experience," according to the website.
Any full-service Hilton will offer daily housekeeping while at limited-service properties guests will have a larger say in when their rooms get cleaned. Here's how the hotel company spelled out the cleaning policies to its operators:
- Full Service/Lifestyle/Embassy Suites: Stayover housekeeping will be provided to all occupied rooms daily or as requested by the guest. Full cleaning will be provided after the 4th night on the 5th day, and upon guest check-out.
- Focused Service/Homewood Suites/Home2 Suites: Stayover housekeeping service will be provided to all occupied rooms every other day or as requested by the guest. For example, the first stayover clean would occur after the 2nd night on the 3rd day. Full cleaning will be provided after the 4th night on the 5th day, and upon guest check-out.
- Luxury: Stayover housekeeping will be provided to all occupied rooms daily or as requested by the guest.
Hilton makes more changes
Hilton is also improving the quality of its towels, which is something customers were specifically complaining about, according to management.
"The new towel program uses innovative technology so that towels grow plusher through washing, providing the feel of a heavier, more luxurious product," according to the internal documents.
In addition, the new towels will have longer life spans, lowering costs by 3% to 20% for operators.
Hilton will also modernize its rooms in a meaningful way.
"Hilton will begin requiring 'accessible bedside power and night lighting' at all brands and hotels worldwide by Dec. 31, 2024. While properties will 'self-assess' compliance with bedside power and night lighting, Hilton is offering to fund half the cost of power cubes and night lights to bring properties up to compliance," View From the Wing reported.
