Hotel hygiene leaves one in five women ill

31st of January 2013
Hotel hygiene leaves one in five women ill

New research reveals that one in five women fall ill while staying in a hotel. And this is said to be partly due to deficiencies in cleaning regimes.

The hotel bathroom is the most hygienic place to eat according to the study by Check Safety First, a company offering health and safety risk management systems to hotels. However, 80 per cent of women opt to eat in bed which the authors claim is usually the filthiest part of the room since mattresses and duvets are rarely changed.

A total of 98 per cent of women travellers surveyed by the company watched TV in their room, with the remote control also said to pose a high risk of germs. Surfaces such as tea-making facilities are claimed to be often neglected in cleaning regimes, so guests are advised to avoid them altogether or to wash their hands after coming into contact with them.

Room service - ordered by 65 per cent of women - also carries health risks, particularly if the food is not piping hot or is not consumed in a clean area of the room.

"It is important that guests realise how poor hygiene levels in a hotel can be," said Steve Tate, chairman of Check Safety First. "People often associate illness during their stay with the hotel food, but our auditing finds that the room can also be a major cause.

"A high turnover of hotel cleaning staff means that maintaining high standards is difficult, with some of the most reputable hotels not living up to these standards."

 

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