What exactly is "contactless" housekeeping?

[Weather_Lady]

Hello, all! According to the Universal Orlando website, onsite hotels are currently using "contactless housekeeping service," described as: "Upon request, fresh linens, towels and bathroom amenities will be delivered to your guest room door." It doesn't mention emptying of garbage or any other kind of service.

Can any recent guests describe what this looks like in practice? I assume we can expect that no housekeepers will be stepping foot in our room unless we call for a refill of something. And if that's the case, will there be convenient places for us to empty our own garbage, deposit linens to be laundered, pick up fresh towels if needed, and borrow cleaning materials (e.g., cleaning cloths, vaccuum cleaners, brooms) to use in tidying up our own room?

(FWIW, our upcoming stay will include multiple nights at both Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, although the website suggests that the "contactless" practices are standard across all of the onsite hotels, so information about recent experiences at any of them would be helpful.)

 

[DznyGrlSD]

When I stayed at Cabana Bay back in March and needed more pillows - they left them in a bag on my door. They don't enter the room and they don't knock (so you open the door to greet them).

 

[The_Jobu]

 

[BlackCauldron]

Hello, all! According to the Universal Orlando website, onsite hotels are currently using "contactless housekeeping service," described as: "Upon request, fresh linens, towels and bathroom amenities will be delivered to your guest room door." It doesn't mention emptying of garbage or any other kind of service.

Can any recent guests describe what this looks like in practice? I assume we can expect that no housekeepers will be stepping foot in our room unless we call for a refill of something. And if that's the case, will there be convenient places for us to empty our own garbage, deposit linens to be laundered, pick up fresh towels if needed, and borrow cleaning materials (e.g., cleaning cloths, vaccuum cleaners, brooms) to use in tidying up our own room?

(FWIW, our upcoming stay will include multiple nights at both Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, although the website suggests that the "contactless" practices are standard across all of the onsite hotels, so information about recent experiences at any of them would be helpful.)

Sadly, trash and towels wind up deposited outside your door, littering the hallways in the morning. It’s such a lovely thing to see first thing in the morning as you are on your way to the parks - hallways littered with old pizza boxes, bags full or trash, wet old towels. Totally worth the money we spend staying at those hotels.

occasionally you may get lucky and they will do trash and towel service while you are not in the room, but it’s hit or miss. Forget any cleaning of any kind, beds made, shower wiped down, etc. it’s fine for a short stay, but over a week it gets pretty nasty.

I don’t know if you can borrow cleaning materials. That thought never occurred to me. You can ask - more like beg- for them to clean your room, but the answer will likely be no.

 

[Lilofan]

Sadly, trash and towels wind up deposited outside your door, littering the hallways in the morning. It’s such a lovely thing to see first thing in the morning as you are in your way to the parks - hallways littered with old pizza boxes, bags full or trash, wet old towels. Totally worth the money we spend staying at those hotels.

occasionally you may get lucky and they will do trash and towel service while you are not in the room, but it’s hot or miss. Forget any cleaning of any kind, beds made, shower wiped down, etc.

I don’t know if you can borrow cleaning materials. That thought never occurred to me. You can ask - more like beg- for them to clean your room, but the answer will likely be no.

What is wonderful smell in the interior hallways of the hotel.

 

[some other guy]

well, it's like this
down on 192 there's some places where your service is "full contact"
this ain't that

 

[Weather_Lady]

Sadly, trash and towels wind up deposited outside your door, littering the hallways in the morning. It’s such a lovely thing to see first thing in the morning as you are on your way to the parks - hallways littered with old pizza boxes, bags full or trash, wet old towels. Totally worth the money we spend staying at those hotels.

occasionally you may get lucky and they will do trash and towel service while you are not in the room, but it’s hit or miss. Forget any cleaning of any kind, beds made, shower wiped down, etc. it’s fine for a short stay, but over a week it gets pretty nasty.

I don’t know if you can borrow cleaning materials. That thought never occurred to me. You can ask - more like beg- for them to clean your room, but the answer will likely be no.

Suddenly, our decision to do a split stay is sounding better and better, from a "not enough time in any one room for it to start looking like an episode of Hoarders" perspective. Not looking forward to the Hallway Dump Walking Tour each morning, though.

 

[BlackCauldron]

Suddenly, our decision to do a split stay is sounding better and better, from a "not enough time in any one room for it to start looking like an episode of Hoarders" perspective. Not looking forward to the Hallway Dump Walking Tour each morning, though.

Perhaps the policy will change soon, given the loosening of all other restrictions. Perhaps not. I largely lean towards not. Disney and Uni both say the reason is "for your safety" but we all know it's because they are 1) largely understaffed (they both had a housekeeping shortage even before COVID) and 2) it's a great cost cutting measure to improve the bottom line.

The "safety" angle about housekeeping they keep spouting just reeks of hypocrisy and I wish they would drop the language.

Walking around outside maskless regardless of vaccine status? Safe.
Being inside maskless? Safe.
Increasing capacity? Safe.
Eliminating distancing? Safe.
Loading multiple parties together? Safe.
Removing most sanitizing stations? Safe?

Having someone (who is likely wearing a mask AND gloves) enter your UNOCCUPIED room on a daily basis to make your bed, clean the shower, take out the trash? Whoa whoa whoa back in on up! Hard stop! Danger Will Robinson! SAFETY ISSUE.