Freq of cleaning for guests

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ianthy
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Freq of cleaning for guests

Post by ianthy »

Hi

We normally carry out a full clean and change of bedding/towels if guests stay for more than 7 nights. This year we are upgrading with AC and solar heated pool (hopefully) so rates will increase.

Having done some research on the competition it seems more villas/independent holiday homes are offering a light clean after the 3rd day of 3-4 hours with no change of bedding/towels. Then the full mid stay clean after 7 nights.

Does anyone offer this additional clean after 3-4 nights and has it made any diff to bookings, feedback or the general state your property is left in?

Thks for reading.
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edinburgh
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Post by edinburgh »

Not a villa, a city apartment here - on the rare occasions we have guests staying longer than a week, we offer a mid-stay clean (as much for the benefit of keeping my property in good condition as the guests enjoyment!).

For individuals, it's a free service, and everyone has been surprised to have been offered this at all. In fact, on the rare occasions we've had businesses book for their employees, we've always charged this at £50 a changeover, and nobody has ever commented on that, either.

Perhaps it's different in the villas?
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

Does anyone offer this additional clean after 3-4 nights and has it made any diff to bookings, feedback or the general state your property is left in?
We used to offer a mid week clean which was 2 hours cleaning time (so bathrooms cleaning, floor brushed and mopped, beds made etc) but when I needed to make a little more profit to cover the increased electric costs I ditched it.
It had no impact on bookings, so I guess it wasn't a big issue. In fact some repeat bookers, to who I explained that we'd no longer be offering it, didn't seem to bothered.
I still refresh towels mid week but that's it.

To be honest it was a pain as we had to clean around people, some wanted to put babies to sleep so we couldn't hoover etc etc. so in the end I am glad we ditched it.

Mouse
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Marks
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Post by Marks »

I don't offer a mid stay clean. I do offer a towel & linen change at 5 Euros per person. For that I would take away the old stuff and leave them fresh without making the beds. No-one has ever asked.
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JaneV
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Post by JaneV »

I only offer a change of bed linen and towels for longer stays of 10 nights or more and out of the 3 longer stays I have had so far, 2 guests didn't take up the offer and the other asked for spare linen to be left in the property. I wouldn't offer a clean as I think it's too awkward once guests have got their belongings around, etc and it is self-catering after all. The thought of offering a clean after 3-4 days fills me with horror to be honest and would seriously eat into profits as cleaning takes up a large chunk of my expenses. I don't live on site though and would definitely offer more towel changes if I did.

I have been on 2 x 2 week holidays to Cornwall and we were not given or offered any linen change, etc and didn't even expect it. But then, to me, self catering is exactly that and I am paying for a home-from-home environment in which to enjoy a holiday. I don't go with the mindset that I'm not going to lift a finger though - I'd book a hotel for that.
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PW in Polemi
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Post by PW in Polemi »

We don't offer mid-stay cleans. For stays in excess of 8 nights, I leave a complete spare set of towels & bed linen. If anybody wants clean towels & bed linen more frequently than that, there is a good washing machine, a variety of soaps, a rotary washing line, laundry basket and pegs - it's SELF catering, after all! :D
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ianthy
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Post by ianthy »

Thanks all for the info. I am wondering if this is an Italian villa thing - I had a quick look on OD and most offered a mid stay clean after 7 nights or at least fresh linens and towels provided. Of course there are also some offering daily 3-4 hours - I agree I would find this annoying someone coming in daily to do a bit of light cleaning.

For the time being I will stick with the 7nights mid stay clean, but not add any further cleaning etc.,

Thks again.
Last edited by ianthy on Sun Jun 28, 2015 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

It is also an Ibiza thing. I think I'm one one of the few LMH owners who offered it.....but it is extemely common here, which is why I did it. But for 3 years now I haven't and as I say it has made no difference to bookings.

We, here, wouldn't dream of just handing over bedding; self catering or not we all do a full changeover type clean on the 2nd saturday of a 2 week stay.
I would find it very odd to have to change my own sheets....but we operate in different markets.

It is very common here in the high end villas to have daily cleaning.

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kg1
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Post by kg1 »

We don't offer a mid clean stay for 2 week bookings but do offer a discount as we won't have to do it. I do leave fresh towels & bedding in airing cupboard but only the towels are ever used.
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

Most of our guests stay a week or less.

We would only offer a change of linen if they stay more than two weeks. But we have had guests stay 6 weeks over the summer and even when we have asked whether they would like new linen, they have said that it's not necessary as they will just wash everything themselves (which is quite a chore, as it takes 5-6 washing-machine loads to do it all with a full house!) :)

Fresh towels though are always welcome. As we give a hand and bath towel plus face flannel per guest, that means almost 45 less things to wash. Guests really shouldn't be spending their holiday time doing all our washing as well, especially when we normally have 2 families staying together at the farmhouse, with sometimes 6 small kids as well...
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

Light clean and full change of linens and towels after seven nights with additional cleaning services available 'by arrangement'. I have had some ten or eleven night bookings and have asked the guests if they'd prefer to forego the interim change and retain their privacy, but all have said they wanted the linens and towels done at the halfway point even if this was after five nights.
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

Change of all linen for stays longer than 7 days. No cleaning is ever offered, it is on request only for a minimum of two hours (cleaners aren't interested in coming for just one hour) and guests must stay in. Never been requested since I've been in business!

Currently have guests for 10 days so a linen change will be due after five days.
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Robin S
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Post by Robin S »

We don't offer a mid-week clean for stays =< 1 week but we offer an additional weekly clean FoC for each additional week a guest books.
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Post by KathyG »

For stays of more than 7 days, we offer cleaning/bedding change services at their cost.....hard as nails. No-one has ever taken us up on it....... :wink: and it's had absolutely no effect on bookings.
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Morristhedog
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Post by Morristhedog »

My booking contract states no maid service provided, but fresh linen provided every week.

Today my client says she has never heard of this. Normally, in Greece, someone cleans mid week and makes the beds. We are in France.

I said well cleaning is offered at £80.00, the cost to get the cleaners out. But I would change the beds for her if she wished when I produced the fresh laundry. I asked when this would be convenient, to which she said she hadn't made plans yet.

Oh heck. My face muscles are aching from smiling, and trying to be reasonable.

There has been a hoo-ha since the Internet went down this morning. I went to play with the Livebox, situated in their rental accommodation. Nothing! It is annoying for me too, next door in the barn. A message came from Orange stating they were working on the network. Her son who has just done his A level French said this was a generic message and meant nothing. I said it might mean the net work was down and being put right???

I am fast turning into Basil Fawlty.
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