Latest news with #housekeepers
The Sun
01-08-2025
- The Sun
I'm a cleaner at a top UK holiday park – these are the worst things guests do that leave housekeeping raging
THE summer holidays have finally arrived, which means millions of Brits are loading up the car ready for a traditional family break in a static caravan at one of the hundreds of UK holiday parks. However, much like the stereotypical lairy Brit abroad, sometimes we simply forget our manners when heading off on our hols, whether the final destination is Magaluf or Margate. 4 And it's the unsung heroes of the holiday parks - the cleaners - who have to pick up the pieces. I'm one of the anonymous army of housekeepers busy working behind the scenes to make sure your linen is fresh and your loo is sparkling, so you can enjoy a well-deserved rest. But in return for helping you to have the most relaxing break possible, a little consideration for your cleaner would go a long way. Working against the clock in a metal sweatbox, usually for a minimum wage, caravan cleaning is about as unglamorous as it gets - not many people would say their dream job involves picking another person's pubes out of a plughole. But there are a few little things you can do to make the whole experience more pleasant for your housekeeper. From poor bed-making etiquette to fridges full of leftover food, here are the top things that all caravan cleaners hate, how you can avoid them, and what happens if you don't. Leaving food behind Whether you are motivated by doing something nice for the next guests staying or you're just doing it out of sheer laziness, please don't leave food in the fridge, freezer or cupboards when you go home. Whether it's a half-used packet of cereal, an opened bottle of orange juice, or half a loaf of bread, it all goes straight in the bin. It hurts to have to chuck it, but there's no way I'd be drinking out of an open bottle left behind by some random stranger, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to either. If you do have something worth sharing, perhaps offer it to the person in the caravan next door; otherwise, just take it with you. All the passport rules you NEED to know now to stop your summer holidays being ruined or even cancelled Or if you really don't like food waste, perhaps don't go overboard in Lidl in the first place. Leaving half-used products behind While we are on the subject of leaving half-used stuff behind, don't do what one lady did and leave a half-bottle of Femfresh wash sitting in the shower. Nobody wants your second-hand foof soap. Unless it's washing up liquid or liquid soap in a dispenser, bin it or take it with you. Letting the kids run riot I get it, the kids are on holiday too, and everyone likes to let their hair down. I have two little ones myself, and I know how excited they get when they burst through those caravan doors for the first time. However, if you let your kids draw on the walls or furniture of your caravan, or leave sweet wrappers and drinks cans scattered all over the floor (when there are no less than four perfectly good bins in the caravan), then know that I am judging you, and judging you HARD. In short, if you wouldn't let your little darlings do it at home, why let them do it in someone else's place? 4 Making the beds before you check out It goes against everything we were taught when we were kids, but before you leave, please don't make the beds. Stripping them is far more helpful to the housekeeper. I would much rather walk into a van and find a mountain of tangled sheets, duvet covers, and pillow cases on the living room floor than four neatly made beds with hospital corners. It saves so much time. Besides, all bed linen is washed, bleached, ironed and changed between guests anyway - I can assure you that nobody wants to sleep in your dirty old sheets. Telling lies about the state of the caravan Thinking about pulling a fast one to try and claw back a bit of cash? Don't make false claims about the cleanliness or state of the caravan when you arrive. 4 We keep the receipts - every inch of the caravan is photographed and logged on our system after each clean, from the kitchen cupboards to the sofa bed. We will know if you are lying. We also know exactly how many plates, bowls, glasses, and mugs are in the cupboards. If you break one, just fess up - it does happen. Behaving like an absolute slob This shouldn't really need saying, but try not to behave like an animal. Leaving a pile of dirty dinner plates, not emptying used tampons out of the bathroom bin, dropping cigarette butts all over the decking, or leaving rubbish strewn over every available surface (use the bins, people!) is unacceptable behaviour. Ditto leaving dirty knickers on the floor, used razors in the shower, and fistfuls of used tissues stuffed down the sides of the sofa (shudder). And beware - if I have to go over my allotted two hours of cleaning per van because you left the place looking like a tip, expect a big fat extra cleaning fee to be added to your bill. When all is said and done, you should expect a good standard of cleanliness when staying at a holiday park. Whether you have booked a five-star lodge or a budget option, there is no excuse for grubby linen, dirty toilets or sticky kitchen worktops. If you aren't satisfied with the standard of cleaning, don't hesitate to contact the park or holiday lettings agency responsible. But at the same time, don't be the filthy heathen that we gossip about back at headquarters. Don't forget, if you leave something particularly gross behind, you may be slapped with a park ban. Rest assured, we won't be sad to see the back of you. Why caravan holidays are so underrated CARAVAN park holidays are a British staple. And with the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain's purses, more of us are turning to them for an affordable break. Josie O'Brien, Senior Digital Writer on Fabulous, weighs in on why she thinks caravan holidays are seriously underrated... WHEN I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She'd use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays. As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs. I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the 'gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There's no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don't find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad. I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in. And then, of course, there's the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips. With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I'm spending hundreds less than I would abroad. I've had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I'll buy my own one day. The UK's biggest holiday park is right on the beach with thousands of caravans, indoor pools and cheap stays. Plus, the UK hotel with stunning views of the Northern Lights and it even comes with an in-house astronomer. 4
Hospitality Net
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Connection Over Code: A Human-First Vision for Hotel Tech
Lately, it feels like nearly every conversation I have comes back to how fast AI is moving—and how easily we can get swept up in it. In an industry that thrives on personal connection, it's worth asking: What does all this tech actually do for the people who make hospitality what it is? Because here's the thing. Hotels don't run on code. They run on people. On housekeepers who notice the little things. On engineers who fix problems before guests know they exist. On frontline teams who deliver comfort, care, and calm when travelers need it most. In a recent episode of The Diary of a CEO, Simon Sinek spoke about the danger of over-automating what should remain deeply human. His point? AI may scale information, but it can't replace the nuance of human judgment, emotion, and care. Hospitality, more than any industry, lives in that nuance. So when we talk about technology—and especially AI—we can't afford to talk about replacement. We have to talk about reinforcement. Support. Empowerment. The role of tech in hospitality should be to help people do their jobs better—not make them feel like they're being replaced by a dashboard. We should be asking: Will this help someone be more present? Will it reduce noise, not add to it? Will it make space for more meaningful interactions? If we get it right, tech becomes the connective tissue—quietly linking people, teams, systems, and signals. It disappears into the background, letting humans do what only humans can: read the room, calm the tension, deliver delight. This isn't just about improving service—it's about protecting the experience of work itself. The best hospitality tech helps teams feel confident, clear, and connected. It strengthens culture. It reduces stress. It brings people back to the reason they chose this industry in the first place. Right now, many hotel teams are burned out. They're working short-staffed. They're trying to deliver excellence without the right support. Technology alone won't fix that—but thoughtfully applied technology can help. It can remove guesswork. Streamline handovers. Surface urgent needs. And when done well, it can restore a bit of joy to the job. This is the future I believe in. Not a world where AI takes over, but one where it helps us tune in more deeply. Where it handles the friction, so we can focus on the feeling. And that's the challenge—and opportunity—facing hospitality today: to keep evolving, but never lose touch. At Unifocus, we've embarked on this very journey. With the recent launch of XiQ—our reimagined guest experience platform—and the emergence of our new Communications pillar, we're laying the foundation for a future where technology works in service of connection. It's the start of something bigger: a hospitality ecosystem where insight, action, and alignment flow naturally—because people are at the center of it all. About Unifocus Unifocus is a global leader in workforce management technology, serving properties in 68 countries and 31 languages. Designed for hotels, Unifocus boosts hotel performance with intelligent analytics that automate labor budgeting and forecasting, delivering precise staffing levels and workloads by streamlining Planning & Scheduling, Time & Attendance, and Operations Management tools. Employees love the mobile app for seamless communication, with features like effortless shift swaps using the award-winning Shift Genius, and real-time prioritization of guest requests, housekeeping and maintenance tasks. Operational efficiency is accelerated with compliance alerts that allow managers to focus on what truly matters: maximizing guest satisfaction and fostering a productive, engaged workforce. Discover the future of hotel operations with Unifocus. Visit today.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Employees strike at Hilton Sacramento Arden West hotel over housekeeper workload
Workers at the Hilton Sacramento Arden West went on strike Saturday to protest housekeeper workload, which the union's local chapter president said is higher than any other unionized hotel in Sacramento. Unite Here Local 49 President Aamir Deen said he didn't know of any unionized workers that did not participate in the strike from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., but he said the hotel remained open as managerial employees tried to fill the gaps with temporary workers or staff from other hotels. The union represents housekeepers, the largest group of hotel workers, as well as many other employees including dishwashers, servers and front desk workers. Deen said he hopes to come to a resolution with the hotel after the strike and that 'escalating the economic action' is a possibility if an agreement is not reached. Hilton Sacramento Arden West management and Hilton corporate representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Currently, housekeepers clean between 15 and 30 rooms per shift based on a credit system where a room a guest has checked out of is worth one credit while a room a guest is returning to is worth one-half of a credit. Deen said the hotel has agreed to cap rooms cleaned per shift at 24, which he said is still 'far too many' and significantly more than the 15 or fewer rooms housekeepers are required to clean at other unionized Sacramento hotels. Hilton Sacramento Arden West also had a 15-room cap until late 2024, he said. Deen said housekeepers are often required to clean a room every 15 minutes, which leads to injuries and less-clean rooms. 'They want to be able to clean the rooms to the standard that our guests demand, and management insists on making them clean rooms every 15 minutes, and you just can't get all of the nooks and crannies in 15 minutes,' Deen said. 'All of the other union hotels have agreed to these same terms. We just want to have a fair playing field.' The union has been in contract negotiations with the hotel since late 2024, Deen said, and has reached an agreement on most issues outside of housekeeper workload. Dora Gomez, a housekeeper who has been working at the hotel for 18 years, said the increased workload has caused injuries to her back, shoulders and feet. Gomez also said there have been a lot of guest complaints since the change due to problems like increased dust and stained showers that were created by the decreased time cleaning each room. 'When we have to clean more rooms, we can't provide the same quality. They want us to give quantity and quality, but we can't. That's not possible,' Gomez said through a translator. 'We want to be treated like people.' Rosalba Ubaquae, a housekeeper who has been working at the hotel for two years, said housekeepers without seniority are struggling to get enough hours to make a living wage while those with seniority, who are typically older, are forced to work so much it is causing injuries. Ubaquae said the hours she currently gets are 'impossible' to live off, forcing her to look for second jobs at multiple points during the year. 'We want the people who've been here for 30 years, who are more than 60 years of age, to have a job with dignity, and not have to have their bodies break down from the heavy workload,' Ubaquae said through a translator.
Fox News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Smokey Robinson faces new scrutiny after 2015 sexual assault investigation closed
Motown legend Smokey Robinson is once again under scrutiny with renewed allegations of sexual assault. Authorities investigated a previous sexual assault allegation against Robinson in 2015, but no charges were filed due to insufficient evidence, prosecutors said Friday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office confirmed the decade-old investigation and its decision to decline charges in a statement Friday. The office said no details would be provided because of the current investigation of Robinson. Robinson's attorney, Christopher Frost, said in a statement they are "pleased" the district attorney "confirmed there was no basis to file charges a decade ago." "One unfortunate aspect of celebrity is that it is not uncommon to be the target of spurious and unsubstantiated allegations," Frost said. "Mr. Robinson looks forward to the conclusion of the current investigation and has no doubt that a similar determination will be reached here."Robinson, 85, was accused of sexual misconduct and false imprisonment May 6 in a $50 million lawsuit filed by four unnamed former employees, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. The lawsuit said Robinson harassed and assaulted his former housekeepers who worked at his Chatsworth home between 2006 and 2024. Frances, Robinson's wife of 25 years, was also accused of perpetuating a "hostile work environment." Robinson's attorney previously called the housekeepers' allegations "vile" and "false." Earlier this week, Robinson and his wife filed a $500 million cross-complaint against the former staff members. In court documents filed Wednesday in LA Superior Court, the couple accuse the four Jane Does and their legal representatives of slander, financial elder abuse, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, civil conspiracy and other claims. The lawsuit alleges that the accusations against Robinson were "fabricated in support of their extortionate scheme." The documents further stated that "Mr. and Ms. Robinson did not view, or treat, people in their employ as just employees. They treated them as extended family." According to the cross-complaint, the Robinsons had vacationed with the accusers, exchanged gifts and celebrated holidays and birthdays together. The lawsuit stated that the plaintiffs "asked for and accepted help from the Robinsons, including several thousands of dollars, monetary support for members of at least one Plaintiff's family, clothes, dental surgery, and even a car." The Jane Does' lawyers, John Harris and Herbert Hayden, who were named as defendants in the Robinsons' cross-complaint along with their firm Harris & Hayden, responded to the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The cross-complaint filed by Mr. Christopher Frost on behalf of William 'Smokey' Robinson and Frances Robinson is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault," they said. "It is a baseless and vindictive legal maneuver designed to re-victimize, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward. This type of retaliatory litigation is precisely what California's anti-SLAPP laws were enacted to prevent." Robinson is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was a key figure in the Motown Records machine of the 1960s as both an artist and a writer and was one of the top hitmakers of the era with songs like "Tears of a Clown" and "The Tracks of My Tears."
BreakingNews.ie
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Smokey Robinson sues former housekeepers for defamation over rape allegations
Smokey Robinson has filed a defamation lawsuit against four former housekeepers who accused him of rape and prompted a police investigation. Robinson and his wife Frances Robinson filed the counterclaim on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the women and their lawyers, whose allegations, they say, were 'fabricated in an extortionate scheme'. Advertisement The filing is a fast and forceful legal and public pushback from the 85-year-old Motown music luminary in response to the women's May 6 lawsuit and a May 15 announcement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that its Special Victims Bureau is 'actively investigating criminal allegations' against Robinson. The women are seeking at least 50 million dollars, alleging Smokey Robinson repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted them in his home when they worked for him between 2007 and 2024. They said Frances Robinson, a co-defendant, enabled him and created an abusive workplace. The counterclaim opens with friendly text messages from the women to contradict their claims against Robinson, whose songs, including Tears Of A Clown and The Tracks Of My Tears, established him among the biggest hitmakers of the 1960s. Advertisement The filing says the women 'stayed with the Robinsons year after year', holidayed with them, celebrated holidays with them, exchanged gifts with them, asked for tickets to his concerts, and sought and received help from them including money for dental surgery, financial support for a disabled family member, and 'even a car'. The filing — which includes photos from the holidays and gatherings as exhibits — says that despite the couple's generosity, the women 'secretly harboured resentment for the Robinsons and sought to enrich themselves through the Robinsons' wealth'. 'Unfortunately, the depths of Plaintiffs' avarice and greed know no bounds,' the counterclaim says. 'During the very time that the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous with Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons.' Advertisement John Harris and Herbert Hayden, attorneys for the former housekeepers, said in a statement that the defamation suit 'is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault. It is a baseless and vindictive legal manoeuvre designed to re-victimise, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward.' The lawyers said they intend to get the Robinsons' lawsuit thrown out by invoking California's laws against using the courts to silence and intimidate people who sue. The four women, whose names are withheld in their lawsuit, each allege that Robinson would wait until they were alone with him in his Los Angeles house and then sexually assault and rape them. One woman said she was assaulted at least 20 times while working for Robinson from 2012 until 2024. Another said she worked for him from 2014 until 2020 and was assaulted at least 23 times. Advertisement The Sheriff's Department would give no details on its investigation beyond confirming its existence. Robinson, who was a central figure in the Motown Records machine with his group the Miracles and as a solo artist, is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
