Hotel Housekeeping – at 9am!
My kids and I were in Albuquerque this past weekend, attending the Balloon Festival. Yes, it was fun. (I’ll post pics and stories as soon as my daughter uploads photos from her camera.)
We were awake at 5am Saturday morning for the festival (which is 4am to our California bodies), and stayed up late Saturday night, playing on the water slide at our hotel pool.
We were totally looking forward to sleeping in Sunday morning.
Housekeeping had other ideas.
Pound pound pound on the door. “Housekeeping!”
I looked at the clock. It was 9am Sunday morning. WTF?
The door opened!
“Hey, we’re in here!” I said. “Go away! We check out at noon.”
Housekeeping shut the door and scurried off, without even an apology. Both my kids stirred in their beds. So much for getting some much needed rest.
My kids tried to keep sleeping, but once the wake up damage is done, it’s done. We got up at 9:30, showered, packed, and checked out by 10.
“How was your stay?” the front desk asked.
“Great,” I said. “Except for housekeeping waking us up this morning at 9. They even came in the room while we were sleeping.”
“I’m so sorry! They’re not supposed to knock on anyone’s door until after 11.”
Thanks for the sentiment, but we’re still tired.
And then the front desk clerk asked: “Can I give you and your kids a free breakfast to make up for this?”
Yes, you can!
My kids had waffles with whip cream, fresh fruit, juice, and hot cocoa. I had a tomato, onion, green pepper, and cheese omelet, bacon, potatoes, fresh fruit, and coffee.
As for lost sleep? We dozed off on the airplane ride home.
Thanks, housekeeping for turning our hotel stay into a bed and breakfast!
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Comment by Ginger Magnolia
| October 5th, 2009
Awww, man, I would’ve been livid! Free breakfast is nice, though.
Ginger Magnolia´s last blog ..Friday’s Finally Here!
Comment by Palabuzz
| October 5th, 2009
WE couldn’t do anything about it since this is the rule of that hotel. It is their job.
Palabuzz´s last blog ..Richard Gutierrez, scandal on NAIA
Comment by Just Me...
| October 5th, 2009
That was kind of the front desk to try to make amends.. Most times the attitude is ‘So?’…
Housekeeping would have had to dodge a pillow, at the least, had they walked into my room uninvited.. But, then, I’m mean.. :) :)
Comment by justrun
| October 5th, 2009
Well that’s a pain in the ass! But I’ll bet the Balloon Fest was GREAT! That’s on my someday list as we have one here but I know it doesn’t compare.
Comment by Mindy/Single Mom Says...
| October 5th, 2009
Cant wait to see the pics of the balloon fest! I was there for that in 1989 and it’s a sight I wont forget. Glad you all had a nice time – despite the housekeeping crew. And the free breakfast was a great way for the hotel to make up for the blunder.
Mindy/Single Mom Says…´s last blog ..Now You See It – Now You Don’t
Comment by BigLittleWolf
| October 5th, 2009
I’m curious if you had the DO NO DISTURB sign out. I do that EVERY time I stay in a hotel / motel, just in case the morning housekeepers are overzealous. (Imagine what else they might have walked in on, if you hadn’t been with your kids.)
Very smart move on the part of the front desk. Customer service. Otherwise, you aren’t a good referral, or worse – you’re a bad one.
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Loneliness. NOT a dirty word.
Comment by Danielle
| October 5th, 2009
We usually have a Balloon Fest here in Denver. It was canceled this year in preperation for next year. They are maing it bigger and better. Maybe you should plan on coming out here next year and see it with the Colo Gals!
Comment by Keith Wilcox
| October 5th, 2009
That happened to me once at a Hilton in Iowa (sorta surprised they had a Hilton in Iowa). Maid woke up my boys (at the time 2 and 1 years old) without even knocking. I complained at the front desk and they basically said sorry, but nothing else. I then complained to corporate every day for something like three weeks afterwards. I eventually got the entire stay refunded by them. That was nice. Sorry you had to endure that :-( Hey, at least you got a tasty breakfast.
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..The Alphabet by Celebrities
Comment by Cathy
| October 5th, 2009
What fun! Lucky you. Did you just love the Balloon Glow? I’ve been three times and every time I am awed by it all.
Cathy´s last blog ..Loneliness and Isolation: Is it Time to Rescue Yourself?
Comment by dadshouse
| October 5th, 2009
Cathy- we were totally looking forward to the balloon glow, but it got cancelled due to high winds. Bummer! We enjoyed the morning mass ascension, though, and it was unreal. My kids and I loved it. I’ll blog details when I have some pics to share.
Danielle – let me know when the Denver fest will be. Partying with the Colo Gals would be fun! Oh, the balloons would be interesting, too.
BigLittleWolf – my thoughts exactly. I was majorly pissed off. But after that breakfast – and it was a real breakfast, not just muffins and juice – I’d happily stay at that hotel again.
Paris H. would be proud…
Comment by QTMama
| October 5th, 2009
Glad you got some breakfast out of it, DH. Makes for a good way to save some money. Breakfasts at hotels aren’t cheap!
QTMama´s last blog ..Reunions, Old Crushes, New Crushes and My WingMan
Comment by T
| October 5th, 2009
Mmmm…. free breakfast!
I love balloon festivals. It would be STUNNING to see in New Mexico. I must visit Santa Fe again one day.
Glad you enjoyed your weekend despite the rude awakening!
T´s last blog ..Voice in the community?
Comment by Andrea
| October 5th, 2009
This happened to us in Paris but it was at 11 at night! Housekeeping knocked on the door once and the started opening it. I was yelling my best-horrible French for them to leave. We called the front desk and told them. We thought it was over but they came back again.
You’d think Hilton would have had a bit better service than that ;)
I would have loved free breakfast but they apologized and that was it.
Andrea´s last blog ..Launch Party!
Comment by Honey
| October 5th, 2009
When I was staying in New Orleans for a conference with two friends, there was a knock at the door in the middle of the night. Roommate 1, figuring that roommate 2 had lost her key (we were in NOLA, after all), opened the door without looking through the peephole.
A huge drunk man only in boxer shorts pushed his way into the room and got into bed with me! We called the operator and ran out into the hallway…roommate 2 walked up right then (so we weren’t too far off in thinking it would be her). They had to send security to kick the (totally sh@tfaced) man out of our room. Then we had to wait up for the police, give a statement, be relocated to another room…we also got free breakfast as well as that last night in the hotel free. It was insanity.
Honey´s last blog ..Some New Crap at the Blog
Comment by Senorita
| October 5th, 2009
That sucks when that happens. Last time I stayed in a hotel, they didn’t barge in, but they did loudly clean the room next door and blast their music and talk loudly at 7am. There was no breakfast offered in the hotel, so we didn’t get a free meal out of that. :(
I’m glad you had a nice weekend out of state. You meet any women with large balloons at that balloon festival ?
Senorita´s last blog ..Give Me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Hungry………
Comment by Laura
| October 5th, 2009
Geez that is shocking! I would be most pissed off! But yay for breakfast!
Laura´s last blog ..Our Holiday
Comment by The Exception
| October 5th, 2009
I did this when I was in high school. What an amazing experience it was – one which I totally remember. Now my brother and his wife just watch it from their deck. I am wanting to go back and do it again with my daughter. Can’t wait to see the pictures.
The Exception´s last blog ..It’s Your Fault!
Comment by Vinomom
| October 5th, 2009
That always happens to me when staying in hotels in the US – never once has it happened on real vactations (Mexico, Aruba etc) Sometimes you can ask for late checkout the day before.
Comment by Mark
| October 6th, 2009
Sounds like it all worked out in the end. Glad to hear you had a good time.
Mark´s last blog ..To Blame or Not To Blame There is No Question
Comment by ilinap
| October 6th, 2009
Ah, the little things do indeed make a difference.
Comment by Kim
| October 7th, 2009
I had the maid knock at our door once after my high school reunion and a lot of drinking. 8:00 in the morning to remind me it was check-out day and I had to be out by 11:00! Complained to Holiday Inn’s front desk and they basically said too bad. It’s there policy on check out day to make sure everyone gets out on time. Unbelievable.
Comment by notasoccermom
| October 9th, 2009
ummmm If you are sleeping in, don’t you put your ‘Do not Disturb’ sign out?
That is what we do, especially in Vegas when staying up late is a requirement.
I love balloons, we have a small festival here on the 4th of July. Early mornings but great to watch!
notasoccermom´s last blog ..As promised- easy roasted vegetables ( and potatoes)
Comment by Sandy
| October 11th, 2009
I’ve always wanted to see that balloon festival! Sounds like a good time, except for housekeeping. Next time, be sure to put the Do Not Disturb sing out.
Sandy´s last blog ..Adopt-A-Family Program