What Time Does Housekeeping Come? Hotel Cleaning Times Explained

What time does housekeeping come? Houskeeping generally comes between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., but most hotels try to clean rooms by morning or mid-day, when you’re less likely to be in your room. You can always refuse service by hanging the Do Not Disturb sign. But, what if you’d like service, just not in the morning? Or you need your room cleaned before you return at noon? See more on making special requests below.

What Time Does Housekeeping Come?

There is no standard hotel room cleaning time, but you can expect housekeeping to come between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at most major hotels. Many four- and five-star hotels make it a policy to not disturb inhabited rooms before 10:30 a.m., unless requested. And most hotels try to make sure rooms are cleaned in the morning or mid-day, when you’re less likely to be in your room. We surveyed some of the largest hotel chains — Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn — and various smaller, boutique hotels, and, while they could not give a set time, customer service representatives said the following factors contribute to cleaning times:

• Check out: If you’re due to check out that day, housekeeping will need to clean your room before new guests come in. But, housekeeping will typically wait until after you check out.
• Rooms with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs: If there are more rooms than usual with “Do Not Disturb” signs, housekeeping may get to other rooms earlier than scheduled, and vice versa.
• Number of staff: Some days, hotels may be fully staffed, and some days they may be understaffed. Generally, smaller hotels have fewer staff members, which means it may take longer to get to your room.
• Length of stay: How long your trip is can influence what time your room is cleaned and even how often it is cleaned. For instance, a Best Western customer service representative said that while the hotel offers the service daily, if you’re staying longer, you’ll be asked how often you want your room cleaned — often every two or three days.
• Weekends and holidays: Housekeeping times may vary on weekends and/or holidays. Smaller hotels might not even offer cleaning services on major holidays like Christmas and New Year’s.
• Penthouse: If you’re staying in the penthouse, different rules may apply. The front desk and housekeeping staff will often ask you for your time preferences. Other hotel guests are also able to request a specific cleaning time.

Requesting a Cleaning Time or No Cleaning

Most of the time, you can request that housekeeping come at a certain time or not at all. Some hotels participate in eco-friendly, or green, initiatives, meaning your sheets and/or towels may not be changed every day; you can also make this “green” request yourself. And, if you decide to refuse housekeeping, you may be able to earn bonus points from the hotel, if you’re a member. To make a request, here are your options:

1. Do Not Disturb

If you leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, housekeeping will not come into your room. Instead, they will check back at a later time to see if the sign is still there. If it’s not, they will knock and enter to proceed with cleaning. If the sign is still there, they will not enter. This is usually the safest bet to keep housekeeping from cleaning your room.

2. Call the Front Desk

You can also call the front desk and request no cleaning or put in a request for housekeeping to come at a specific time. If this is something you plan to do, it’s advised that you make this request when booking the reservation or upon arrival, so the proper arrangements can be made.

3. Call Housekeeping

You may call housekeeping directly, or speak with a staff member. It’s best to make your request at least a day in advance so they can plan accordingly. If you require specific accommodations, consider leaving a tip for the staff.

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In Summary

Hotel room cleaning times are generally between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., but most hotels try to clean guest rooms by morning or mid-day, when you’re less likely to be in your room. If you’d like to refuse service, put the Do Not Disturb sign on your door. If you’d like to make another request, call the front desk or housekeeping directly.