Room return timeline
Time spacing depends on the cause; use these as stages rather than fixed durations.
- Report
- Record room, time, who reported it and what they noticed.
- Hold
- Take the room out of inventory and note the reason.
- Assess
- Inspect and identify the likely source; check soft goods, drains, air unit and surfaces.
- Treat
- Clean, launder, repair or replace according to the source.
- Dry and air
- Allow time for cleaning products and moisture to clear.
- Recheck
- Smell the room again with fresh noses, preferably at a different time of day.
- Release or escalate
- If it passes, release it. If not, repeat or escalate.
The cost of holding a room is clear: lost inventory. The cost of releasing a room too early is less visible but real: a guest complaint, a room move and a lost chance to correct the problem quietly. A timeline helps by making the hold decision visible and giving everyone the same checkpoints.
A recheck at a different time of day can catch problems that were hidden earlier. Cooler morning air may hold a smell differently than warm afternoon air. If your building allows it, run the air unit before the final check, since odors sometimes appear only once air is moving.
Use the timeline together with your out-of-order and out-of-service rules. A room held for an odor reason should carry a clear note and an owner, so it does not sit unattended in the system. A short daily review of held rooms, perhaps in the morning meeting, keeps each one moving toward a decision. Rooms that remain held for longer than expected are good candidates for a different approach, such as soft-goods replacement or an engineering check of the air path and the drains, rather than a repeat of the same treatment.
Release decision
- IfSmell not detectable and unit runs cleanThenRelease the room and note the date.
- IfFaint smell that fades after airingThenHold a little longer and recheck.
- IfClear smell in one soft itemThenTreat or replace the item and recheck.
- IfSmell remains after repeat treatmentThenEscalate to a manager or engineering for a different approach.
- IfCause unknownThenCheck drains, air path and hidden spaces, and consider an outside assessment.
Notes to keep
- Hold start
- Date and time the room was pulled
- Source
- What you think caused it
- Actions
- What was done and by whom
- Release
- Who approved it and what they smelled
Common questions
Who approves a release?
Many properties assign it to a supervisor or manager rather than the person who did the cleaning.
How long should a room be held?
It depends on the cause. Set checkpoints rather than a fixed number of days.
General information for Downtown Denver, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.