Discussion 5 – Short Term and Long-Term Implications of not using housekeeping or room cleaning-services

Why this discussion? This case study type of discussion addresses the practical consequences of a relatively new tactic of giving guests the option of cleaning or not cleaning the room. It relates to the chapter concepts of Sustainability, Maintaining Hotel Guestrooms, Room Inspections, Laundry Operations, and Chemicals. It also tries to make a point of differentiating between the short and long-term impacts of certain decisions. Please relate your discussion threads to your book chapter 7 content. 

You are invited to do the following:

1. Read the various bullet points of the case study
2. Answer the three questions identifying each one (3 points)
   
3. As answers will vary and likely be creative, once you have created your post, respond to at least two classmates in a constructive way (aka adding value to the discussion). See if others would have the same or different approach as you. (+2 points)
   

Let’s try to get going, learning with a good and lively conversation!

Case study

Let’s read about these housekeeping practices and guest’s comments:

• Westin Hotels in Providence (Rhode Island) offers several points to customers not using housekeeping -room cleaning- services.
• Decline Housekeeping for 500 Starpoints – a way to help go green. The Seattle Sheraton currently awards either a $5 gift card to the hotel restaurant or 500 Starpoints per day (business customers not paying for their room) for declining daily Housekeeping. At the Seattle Sheraton, there is a hang card in the room that you put on your door before 2:00 am, and the following day, a $5 restaurant gift card is slid under your door. You either use that gift card or go to the front desk and exchange it for 500 Starpoints. Very simple; no signup is necessary. The hotel saves money on energy, staffing, and half-empty shampoo bottles. For the upkeep/longevity of rooms/long-term maintenance of rooms, daily cleaning is beneficial…but what about the cost of cleaning a hotel room?
• The hotels have always said that this was for environmental reasons. Still, since they were obtaining benefits but not having to pay anything for them, I found it easy to assume that hotels were trying to save money cynically. Now they are investing in supposedly environmentally-friendly practices, which is appropriate if they are serious.
• At the Grand Pacific (former Le Meridien Grand Pacific) in Tokyo, they do it too. They gave you a gift certificate good in the hotel for not getting room cleaning, subject to a maximum, every other day. Review “My do-not-disturb sign was out every other day. It paid for most of a revenue stay (which earned starpoints, including the welcome amenity), giving five bucks in benefits to guests. And the Starwood bonus takes care of biz travelers not paying their own way.” Review comment: “Could I also sign up for the 500 bonus Starpoints if I don’t have a shower or use the bathroom each day?”
• The Sheraton Tokyo offered $5 a day for needing to clean the room. You could do it two days in a row, and then they wanted to clean. I had to spend it in the hotel, but the free money was excellent.

Questions for your consideration:

1. For the hotels using these practices/hotel programs, what short-term and long-term implications do you see of not using housekeeping or room cleaning services? For full credit, name and explain at least three different ones.
2. What are the potential areas in which it will have an implication? (e.g., hotel housekeeping sustainability effort or labor/wages expenses cutting). For full credit, name and explain at least two different ones from the given examples.
3. Do you perceive that there’s a real sustainability goal, or it’s more of a cost-cutting issue, such as the case comment “trying to save money cynically“? Could you please fully explain your point?

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