Trump International Hotel did not respond to requests for comment. Photo / Getty Images
Trump International Hotel did not respond to requests for comment. Photo / Getty Images
A new report has found that some high-end New York hotels haven't been thoroughly cleaning rooms between guests amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the New York Post, three Midtown hotels didn't bother to change pillowcases or wipe down surfaces, an investigation by TV programme Inside Edition claims.
Inside Edition producers booked rooms at each hotel and used washable sprays only visible under UV light to mark the pillows, bath towels and sheets.
They also put a special washable gel on commonly used surfaces like air conditioning controls, TV remotes and desks.
Then the next day, checking into the same room with a new reservation under a different name, they returned to see if the linens and surfaces had been cleaned properly.
But the spray was still visible at the Hyatt Place Times Square, showing that bed sheets and pillowcases hadn't been replaced.
And though the desk had been wiped down and the towel replaced, the gel was still visible under UV light on the TV remote.
The investigation revealed that staff weren't cleaning the rooms thoroughly between guests. Photo / 123rf
The report showed that at the Hampton Inn Times Square Central, the bedding hadn't been changed and the TV remote and air conditioning control hadn't been wiped down.
At the Trump International Hotel, only the sheets and towels had been changed.
A Hyatt spokesperson told the programme the situation was "deeply concerning".
"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 wellbeing of our guests."
A Hampton Inn spokesperson said it had investigated the issue and found that the housekeeping team had been "deviating from our protocols".
"This is a violation of our standards to thoroughly clean each room," the statement read.
"Both our housekeeping team and management apologise for this mistake and we are retraining our team members to reinforce our procedures."
The programme approached a rep for Trump International Hotel, who did not respond to the request for comment.
