On a nightstand in my room at the DoubleTree in Southern California is a plastic-sealed Sani-Cloth HB germicidal disposable wipe, next to which is a survey card, placed there “to understand the importance of providing a remote control disinfecting wipe to our guests.”
I am not picky with business-travel hotel rooms. I’ve stayed at places for less than $40 a night, places with carpet best described as “mangy” and furniture you couldn’t give away on craigslist. When I travel for business, I require a bed, a bathroom and quietude. That’s it. Germ content, much less that of my remote control, doesn’t enter my mind. I’d say I’ve given more thought to the following elements of hotel room cleanliness, although more as flights of fancy than concerns of an obsessive hand-washer.
- fecal matter content of comforter and chair cushions
- urine residue content of ice bucket and coffee carafe
- entertainingly contagious fungi thriving in tub
- mite population of pillows and mattress
- those three black hairs of indeterminate origin, clinging to the sides of the sink