What Is Turndown Service?

What is turndown service?

Turndown service is a second daily housekeeping visit, provided in the evening, that readies your hotel room for a restful night's sleep. While the main housekeeping visit cleans your room during the day, turndown service happens later, often while you are out at dinner, and focuses on comfort rather than cleaning. Its name comes from the practice of turning down the bed, folding back the top covers so the bed is inviting and ready to slip into. It is a hospitality tradition associated with upscale and luxury hotels, meant to add a sense of pampering and attention to detail. Returning to a softly lit, prepared room is a small indulgence that distinguishes higher-end properties.

What does turndown service include?

The specifics vary by hotel, but turndown service typically includes several comfort-focused touches. Staff fold back the bedspread and top sheet so the bed is ready to get into, plump the pillows, dim or adjust the lighting to a soft evening setting, and close the curtains for privacy. They often tidy the room, replace used towels, refresh the water, and clear away clutter. Many hotels add a small treat, most famously a chocolate placed on the pillow, along with perhaps a card with the next day's weather, a bottle of water, or slippers and a robe laid out. Some place a bath mat and prepare the bathroom. The overall effect is a serene, sleep-ready room.

Which hotels offer turndown service?

Turndown service is primarily found at luxury and upscale hotels and resorts, where it is part of the elevated level of service guests expect. Five-star properties, high-end boutique hotels, and premium resort brands commonly provide it automatically each evening. Mid-range and budget hotels usually do not offer turndown service as standard, since it requires extra staffing. That said, some hotels provide it only on request, or for guests in suites, on club floors, or with elite loyalty status, so it can be worth asking whether it is available. If turndown service matters to you, it is a feature to look for when choosing a higher-end hotel, or to inquire about at properties that may offer it selectively.

Do you tip for turndown service?

Tipping for turndown service is optional and follows the same logic as tipping housekeeping generally. Since the same housekeeping team, or an evening attendant, performs the service, leaving a small tip is a courteous way to acknowledge it, especially at hotels where turndown is a nightly touch. A couple of dollars left with a note, or added to your overall housekeeping tip, is appropriate. Because you often are not present when turndown happens, tipping is usually done by leaving cash in the room. It is not obligatory, and no one will fault you for not tipping specifically for turndown, but a small gesture is appreciated for the extra attention, particularly if the service is done especially well throughout your stay.