Do You Think Hotels Properly Clean For COVID-19?

With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, I was thinking about traveling out of town. That was until I saw Inside Edition!

Inside Edition did an experiment to see just how “thoroughly” hotels are cleaning, especially during the time of COVID-19. This is how the experiment went, Inside Edition producers booked several hotel rooms in New York City at three different major hotel chains. They used invisible paint that could only be seen under UV light. They put the paint on high-touch items such as tables, remote controls, and sinks. They also used invisible paint to spray their logo on sheets, pillowcases and towels. The next day, producers booked the same rooms to see if the paint had been cleaned off. The results were extremely troubling!

Hyatt Place Times Square
The next day producers found the logo on the sheets and pillowcases as well as the remote, but the paint was gone from a table. A spokesperson for Hyatt told the producers that this was not representative of Hyatt's commitment to cleanliness and that they would contact the hotel's owner to make sure that they are living up to Hyatt’s standards.

Hampton Inn Times Square, Central
This independently-owned hotel did just as poorly. The sheets nor pillowcases were changed. They did not clean the remote control or the thermostat. A spokesperson for Hampton Inn stated that they would reinforce their housekeeping procedures.

The Trump International Hotel
The Trump Hotel overlooks Central Park and costs nearly $600 per night. They changed the sheets and a towel, but the pillowcase had not been changed. In addition, the paint was glowing above the minibar and on the remote control. A spokesperson for the Trump International Hotel and Tower New York said, “Following an internal review, we have concluded that the claims made by Inside Edition are categorically false. Trump International Hotel and 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.”

I don’t know if I’m more shocked, concerned, or disgusted. People pay extra money to stay in hotels like this, with the assumption that they are clean, especially now with COVID-19. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not staying in a hotel anytime soon!