Amid the coronavirus pandemic, when the importance of cleanliness and sanitizing surfaces is at an all-time high, it was revealed that some New York City hotels are not wiping down surfaces or changing sheets between guests.
Inside Edition launched an investigation into different New York City hotel rooms by having their producers check into rooms and use a washable spray to apply an inside Edition logo, which is visible under UV light, to pillows, bed sheets, and bath towels. A washable gel was applied to commonly touched surfaces.
The next day, they checked back into the same rooms using a different name to see if the rooms had been properly cleaned.
At the Hyatt Place Times Square, they found the logo visible on the bed sheet and pillowcase. The desk had been wiped down, and the towel was replaced, but the remote still had the gel on it.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation described, as it is not representative of Hyatt’s rigorous and enhanced cleaning protocols that have been deployed globally due to COVID-19,” a spokesperson for Hyatt told Inside Edition. “We are working with the hotel’s owner to ensure the hotel is implementing proper cleaning protocols that are consistent with Hyatt’s commitment to cleanliness for the safety and well-being of our guests.”
At the Hampton Inn Times Square Central, Inside Edition found that the sheets and pillowcase had not been changed, and the thermostat and remote had not been wiped down.
When the manager was confronted with the findings, he said he would need to get another manager and no one ever came back to speak with them, but in a statement, they admitted that their own investigation revealed the housekeeping team was relying “on a visual inspection of the room’s cleanliness to determine which areas needed attention.”
“This is a violation of our standards to thoroughly clean each room. Both our housekeeping team and management apologize for this mistake, and we are retraining our team members to reinforce our procedures.”
The third hotel Inside Edition investigated was Trump International Hotel, and they found that the pillowcase had not been changed, and the counter above the mini bar and remote control were not wiped down.
“Following an internal review, we have concluded that the claims made by Inside Edition are categorically false,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Trump International Hotel & Tower New York is one of the premier luxury hotels anywhere in the world and has received countless accolades, including the Forbes Five-Star award for the past 13 years, for its consistently impeccable service.”
