Dirty Underwear and Ketchup

A difference of opinion about cleanliness at a hotel

Hotels are home-away-from-home. Or so the marketing materials say. I certainly spend enough time in hotels to make Marriott hotels my primary residence. For this trip to Wisconsin, I took a risk and booked a hotel that was inexpensive and had the amenities I was looking for. It was also a major brand that I don’t often stay at, so what could go wrong?

The experience started at check in. I was given my key card, a map to the best entrance for parking and a restaurant drink voucher. Yay. After a full day of travel, I was ready to get work done, get dinner and prepare for a conference the next day. When I tried getting in the hallway door from the outside entrance, I kept getting a red light on the lock. Finally, I tried the door and it opened immediately. It turns out there was no actual lock in the doorframe. I looked for an elevator to get to my second-floor room. No luck. Stairs it is. When I got to my room, I noticed a pair of dirty underwear outside my door.

At first glance, my room looked clean. There was an envelope prominently placed by the housekeeping staff to provide a tip, which is unusual. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was also a lot of dried ketchup (I hope it was ketchup…). The ketchup was on the menu for the hotel restaurant, the curtains and a couple spots on the walls. The bed looked clean, but the room was still a little sketchy. Time to go.

I rebooked my stay at a nearby Marriott property that I could trust would be clean and quiet before heading down to the front desk. A couple was checking in as I was checking out. After I explained the situation, the management asked if they could clean the room for me. I let them know that they had already cleaned the room once and that cleaning it a second time was a bit late now.

They offered to do a room inspection as well. I replied that I thought it was an important step, but that I needed my reservation cancelled and my payment refunded first. Also, I didn’t care to see if the dirty boxers were my size. Getting the refund was quick and easy. They, wisely, wanted me out of there and away from other guests. Being loud can be helpful sometimes. I needed a shower at a new hotel, fast.

The next hotel was just as I expected: quiet, clean and friendly. Sometimes going with what you know is better than taking a risk. It did make for a good story.

I checked my email later and received a request to write a review of the first hotel on the company’s website. Hmmm…