Hilton eliminates daily housekeeping service

Hilton hotels recently announced they are eliminating daily housekeeping for guests. They said it is still available but on a request basis. I think this is a giant mistake for the large hotel chain as this is just one more level of poor service. I understand that the pandemic caused the laying off of employees and Hilton is having a tough time recruiting them back. Plus the pay scale of some of these employees has moved up as much as 20% or more. I can understand that during a labor shortage that hotels might be forced to temporarily eliminate daily housekeeping, but to make that a permanent optional service is a structural move that cheapens your value to your customers.  Perhaps Hilton forgot they are in the “hospitality business”. Look up the word hospitality in the dictionary and it reads, “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers”. Eliminating daily housekeeping is neither friendly nor generous.  CLICK HERE to read more. 

Get ready for hotels to charge a $15 a night housekeeping fee – After I read that Hilton was eliminating daily housekeeping a light went on in my brain. Those dastardly hotels will use this as a springboard to start charging a daily housekeeping fee. I would bet a nickel that this happens very soon. Some hotels who shamelessly already charge a resort or destination fee will now use this opportunity to simply include daily housekeeping to further justify their sins of charging a hidden fee. I am not saying a hotel can’t charge whatever they want. I think they should include all fees in the hotel rate so a consumer can see the total cost of a hotel right upfront. This would show if they want to treat their customers with respect.

There may be a once-in-a-lifetime window opening up this fall for international travelers – This summer the planes are full as the pent-up demand from being cooped up from the pandemic has sent a stampede toward domestic travel. I am starting to see I giant window of opportunity for traveling internationally after Labor Day and before Christmas, as kids will be back in school and family travel trickles to a slower pace. Most of Europe has opened up and yet Americans are mostly focusing on domestic travel this year, as they take a cautious approach to spread their wings. This means there is an amazing opportunity to enjoy places in Europe this fall without the hassle of large crowds, long lines, overpriced hotels, and overbooked restaurants. Basically, traveling to Europe this fall will be like stepping back 50 years in time when half the number of tourists make for a refreshing, less hassle time to explore the world.  I can’t wait to get traveling internationally again. CLICK HERE to see a current list of the countries in Europe that you can travel to.  

It may take you four months to get your passport renewed – I was shocked to find out that the Department of State is warning people to expect an average of 18 weeks to get your passport renewed. Once people have been vaccinated they are rushing to get their passports renewed. The State Department says the rush is overwhelming them so expect a super long wait for renewals. So basically since many countries will not allow you into their country if your return flight is less than 6 months prior to your passport expiration I am now recommending that when your passport reaches 12 months prior to expiration that you send it in for renewal so you do not face a passport crunch. CLICK HERE to read more.

Final Call for our Escorted Tours this Autumn! – Our awesome escorted tours this autumn have filled up with the speed of light. Only a handful of our tours have very limited space available so do not hesitate to secure your spot. Greece is one of my favorite destinations and we have a few seats left on our cool Writers Retreat, a combination of Athens with the beautiful island of Syros (you don’t need to be a writer to travel on this one), and the fascinating Footsteps of Apostle Paul-journey this September. A perfect combination of Mackinac Island and Niagara Falls in October has limited availability, so does our New England Fall Foliage tour. To see all the detailed itineraries, CLICK HERE, or simply call or email our friendly group department, (402) 858-0033 / GroupDepartment@executivetravel.com. Remember, travel while you can, don’t wait!