Hilton has updated its Do Not Disturb (more widely just referred as DND) policy that governs its hotels worldwide. If guest has the room not serviced for period of 24 hours, member of hotel management will check on the guest room.
Hotel employees are also encouraged to record any “suspicious” behavior (more of that later) to guest file and alert appropriate authorities if any illegal activity or suspicious indicators are witnessed.
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New wording on Hilton guest directories under Guest Privacy:
“We understand and respect your need for privacy. The hotel reserves the right to visually inspect all guest rooms every 24 hours to ensure the well-being of our guests and confirm the condition of the room.”
Unable to service rooms cards contain the following language:
“We understand and respect your need for privacy. The hotel reserves the right to visually inspect all guest rooms every 24 hours to ensure the well-being of our guests and confirm the condition of the room. If service is refused for this length of time, a member of hotel management will check on the guest room.”
There is a difference between “reserves the right” that is printed on the Guest Directory and “will check” that is on the unable to service room cards.
What Hilton considers suspicious behavior?
Hilton has collected a long laundry list of issues that one could consider suspicious but some perhaps are not such as:
– Guests overly concerned about privacy
– Guests refusing room cleaning for extended period of time
– Those taking photos and notes about the hotel
– Switching rooms number of times
– Requesting specific rooms
– Extended use of DND sign
– Using cash for payment
– Guest doesn’t leave the room for extended period
– Guest leaves the room for extended period
Do Not Disturb – Occupied
Housekeeping staff needs to slide the Unable to service note if the DND sign has been hanging through 2PM in the afternoon and are supposed to report guests to the management that have had the sign on the door for 24 hours continuously and refused two service attempts.
Security or Manager on Duty then needs to “investigate” and possibly to enter the room unless the guest is deemed to be low risk such as part of the flight crew or law enforcement member.
Do Not Disturb – Departure
Housekeeping staff can knock the door if it past the standard check out time and the guest has not requested late check out but the DND is hanging outside of the door.
Then there are basically three scenarios; someone is inside the room, room is occupied but nobody is there or room is vacant.
Conclusion
These policy changes seem to be an overreaction after the Las Vegas shooting that is referenced multiple times on the Hilton document that I have had access to.
Sometimes I leave the DND on for an extended period of time if I simply do not want to be disturbed and do not need the room or suite to be serviced. Although I don’t work for an airline, my sleep pattern is sometimes off and I end up sleeping when tired regardless of the time of the day.
Not sure how qualified some of these hotel employees are to do “investigations” or deem what possibly is illegal activity that should be reported to law enforcement? I don’t think that we need rent-a-cops working for hotels?
