"For us, Valentine's Day means flower petals scattered all over the floors, spilt champagne everywhere and some very questionable stains all over the beds, but no extra time to clean," said one Hilton Hotel room attendant.
We see exotic fruits and chocolates ground into the carpets, bubble bath all over the bathroom and massage oils all over the bed. And don't even ask me about the whipped cream," she said in a statement.
The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) has planned a protest outside the Hilton South Wharf Hotel in Melbourne, where they will be handing out cleaning wipes and asking for a hand.
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The union said cleaners get as little as 15 minutes to tidy a room, a job staff say requires about 45 minutes to do properly.
Melbourne was in the grip of a hygiene crisis because of the insufficient cleaning time, which was putting guests' health at risk, the LHMU said.
LHMU state secretary Jess Walsh said hotels like the Hilton got a financial bonanza from Valentine's Day, but were loath to pay room attendants for the extra time required to clean up afterwards.
"Valentine's Day should be a beautiful occasion for everyone, but hotels like the Hilton ruin it by not giving room attendants enough time to clean rooms properly," Ms Walsh said.
Hilton South Wharf general manager Michael Bourne said the LHMU had been making allegations concerning the hotel for quite a while, but had refused to discuss the claims.
"I am quite happy to sit down with them ... Staff relations are excellent," Mr Bourne said.
Mr Bourne said Hilton was a very proud employer that treated staff well.
He said the hotel catered mainly to guests attending conventions, not those on romantic getaways, so Valentine's Day should not be particularly draining.
"We don't have many lovebirds in here," Mr Bourne said.
