Some Hilton hotels to bring back daily housekeeping. See how other hotel policies compare.

Hotels have been adjusting their housekeeping policies post-COVID-19 lockdowns, with various brands shifting toward an opt-in model that provides daily housekeeping only to guests who request it.

At least one operator is reversing course.

Hilton will begin offering automatic daily housekeeping at its luxury, full-service, lifestyle brands as well as its Embassy Suites hotels worldwide this fall, according to spokesperson Josie Hill. Other brands within the U.S. and Canada, including extended-stay hotels, will receive automatic service every other day.

The new policy, first reported by the travel blog View from the Wing, expands automatic daily housekeeping to more Hilton guests. Currently, only luxury brands offer automatic daily cleanings; guests at Hilton's nonluxury properties must request daily service.

Why Hilton is offering more automatic daily housekeeping

Hill said an increasing number of Hilton hotels are reintroducing automatic daily cleaning services as travel rebounds following COVID-19 lockdowns.

The occupancy rate across all brands and regions at Hilton was 74.6% in the second quarter, up 4.2% from the same period a year prior. Occupancy rates in the U.S. were up 1.3%.

Will more hotels be returning to automatic daily housekeeping?

Unite Here, a labor union representing 300,000 workers across various industries in North America, has been advocating for automatic daily housekeeping to help protect jobs and help ease staff workloads, arguing that rooms are harder to clean if they’ve been untouched for multiple days.

The union has helped push dozens of cities to implement rules requiring daily automatic housekeeping in hotels, but the end result is a patchwork of housekeeping policies among brands, according to President D. Taylor.

“It’s not fair to workers or guests if you’ve got some hotels with full service and others hanging on to COVID-era cuts. With hotel rates at all-time highs, every guest deserves a clean room every day,” Taylor said in a statement.

It’s unclear if more hotel operators will revert back to automatic daily housekeeping at their properties, but experts say there are a few reasons why hotels may consider it.

Having the same housekeeping policies across union and nonunion properties of the same tier could create a “positive uniformity for the brand,” according to David Sherwyn, a professor of law at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.

“It's simpler to say, hey, this is what we do at this level,” he said.

Hotels may also be inclined to adjust housekeeping policies to meet customer expectations, according to Leora Halpern Lanz, the assistant dean of Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. This is especially true among the higher-end hotels and resorts.

At “the luxury hotels, for sure, I think there's an expectation (for daily housekeeping) from guests,” she told USA TODAY, adding that inflation could also play a role in customers' expectations. The average daily room rate for U.S. hotels as of June was up 2.3% from last year at $158.40 per night, according to hotel analytics company STR.

“Consumers are paying more for hotels, and they have an expectation for what services are included,” Lanz said.

And daily housekeeping policies could help hotels retain staff who may feel overworked by cleaning rooms that have been ignored for multiple days, according to Mehmet Erdem, a hospitality professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“Hilton has access to good data. They have the pulse on consumers, so they know what their consumers are expecting. And they’re also listening to their employees,” he said. “I don't think (the new housekeeping policy is) a decision that happened in a vacuum.”

Hotel housekeeping policies

Hotel brands have long been moving away from automatic daily housekeeping. Operators originally cited the environmental benefits of less housekeeping, and after the pandemic said the opt-in model ensured guest choice.

Less housekeeping also improved profit margins and helped the industry deal with staffing shortages as the industry recovered from COVID-19 lockdowns.

While Hilton guests will see more daily cleanings, other hotel operators say they are sticking to policies with less automatic housekeeping. Here are the housekeeping policies at some of the major hotel brands.

Hilton

The Hilton brands that will offer automatic daily housekeeping include:

◾ Luxury brands (Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts)

◾ Lifestyle brands (Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton and Motto by Hilton)

◾ Full-service brands (Signia by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton)

◾ Embassy Suites by Hilton properties

Guests visiting Hilton's focused service and extended-stay brands in the U.S. and Canada will receive automatic service every other day or can ask the front desk for additional service. The brands include:

◾ Focused service brands (Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Spark by Hilton)

◾ All suites brands, not including Embassy Suites (Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, Project H3 by Hilton)

Marriott

Marriott’s housekeeping services vary between luxury and non-luxury properties, according to its website.

◾ Premium resorts and luxury hotels and resorts receive daily full clean service.

◾ Premium hotels receive daily housekeeping services like trash removal and the bed being made.

◾ Select and extended-stay hotels receive service every other day.

“As with many things during the pandemic, guests’ preferences when it comes to housekeeping have evolved,” spokesperson Christin Fernandez told USA TODAY in April. She confirmed in August that the policy has remained unchanged. “(We give) guests the ability to personalize their housekeeping preferences prior to their stay.”

IHG

Housekeeping service varies across the IHG portfolio, which is composed of 18 hotel brands including Regent, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites.

Luxury properties offer full-scale housekeeping, while the remaining IHG properties not designed for extended stays offer a “daily room refresh” with “a lighter-touch housekeeping service” that replenishes amenities, removes trash and refreshes towels, according to a statement from Jay Caiafa, Chief Operating Officer for The Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts in April. A spokesperson confirmed this month that the policy has remained unchanged.

“It was designed and informed by guest insights, owner feedback and hotel pilots,” Caiafa said. “This is an ever-evolving, ever-improving program.”

Wyndham

Before the pandemic, housekeeping at Wyndham properties would service rooms daily. The current policy services rooms every third day, although daily housekeeping remains available upon request.

The majority of Wyndham hotels are franchised, which means individual property owners can offer housekeeping services more frequently.

Hyatt

Hyatt’s website says housekeeping services in the U.S. vary by property.

“While we work to review our housekeeping guidelines, Hyatt hotels may offer full or light housekeeping services,” says a statement from the company from April. “Guests can share their housekeeping preferences upon arrival and hotels will work to honor their requests.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hilton hotel brands to bring back automatic daily housekeeping service