Hotel Pricing Question

[Travis Sonderegger]

So, I have a hotel to clean. In total there is around 8000 sq ft of carpet to clean. 40 rooms with 150-200 sq ft per room, then halls in the upstairs and downstairs, as well as 33 steps. What do you guys do as far as pricing is concerned? How much would you charge per Sq. ft? I am going to be using a portable if that would make a difference. Let me know. Thanks everyone!

 

[Mikey P]

$100 per person an hour.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

They won't want to pay over $600 for the whole gig.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Thats what they said haha. I quoted them at .25 cents per square ft and said I would knock a little off if it goes well. It came out to like $1800 and she said she would send it off to her boss and see what he thinks. Claims someone from California came and cleaned them before for $600,. That is a minimum of 7 hours travel and she said it took him two days. I'm thinking like hell I will clean it for 600 or even 800. I have made like 850 in a day just farting around town doing residential jobs. I'll see what they say back and go from there. I told her I may do it for as little as 1500.

 

[Papa John]

With a portable its going to be a slow process due to numerous set up and brake downs.. Do you have to move all the furniture in each room are just the traffic areas? What type of portable do you have? I think in an Earlier post you stated that your portable had AUTO fill n Auto Dump.??. if that's true connect the hose directly to sink and secure pump out hose to Toilet and THEN place your Portable as Far away as possible from the water source putting as many rooms as possible between the water source and the portable-- keeping the portable in hallway-- and clean the 1st room and work your way back to the water source room.

Here is my Motel history--- I haven't clean hotel rooms in about 10 years because I'm too expensive now I guess. But back when I had to make a buck and just starting out---

I charged $25 per room and only cleaned around the beds. and I could clean 20 rooms in a few hours with a truck-mount. Once I became less desperate I increased my price to $50-- I only cleaned a few times at that price and was replaced by the newest desperate carpet cleaner on the block..

Maybe the way to tackle this question is: How long do you think it will take you to do this job-- In your case maybe a few days or week? Then figure how much do you want to make during that time period-- then Double it because you will no doubt forget that you have expenses and the tax man takes half.

Keep in Mind-- The rooms might not be ready when You Are.... ie. Do Not Disturb signs and late check outs.--- Which will slow the process down.

Good Luck!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Locally I'd go $1090 and complete in under 10 hours. Only if I needed it.

2 guys, 1 much younger and stronger than me.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Truth is if you would get the job it would be a killer, the kind you wish you never got. You're handicapped with a portable unless you own a Dewell1 or something high production why waste your time.

Worse after all the blood sweat and tears, they take 5-6-months to pay you IF you're lucky.

If you're not lucky they sell the property to another hotel chain and you're left hold your dick in your hand.

Run from it!

 

[hogjowl]

Go ahead and do it. We've all done it.
Once.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks man!

You think I'm only dumb enough to do it once.

 

[hogjowl]

I did it for a couple of years in 6 hotels.

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

I did it for a couple of years in 6 hotels.

This could be another OCD "zipper down" problem your developing late in life...........

 

[Desk Jockey]

We did it for several and they paid but were very slow at it. This was back when they hotels were owned by Americans.

We also did a 10k water loss 25-years ago that we were never paid for. 6-months later they offered to settle for half because they were having financial trouble and were selling out. We stuck to our principals thinking they had to settle their debts before they sold and insisted on all.

We should have took the half. New owners claimed he knew nothing of the invoice and the old went back to India.

Expensive lesson learned, the Indians were smarter than Mexicans.

 

[Mike Draper]

When i had it with my portable I kicked the Piece of shit down a flight of stairs ( fulll of water). FYI, they were aprtment complex stairs. Anyhow, I cheaply repaired it and sold it to a hotel in town for more than I paid for it. The manager was fired. moral of the story, if you are making 850 a day its time for a truck mount.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We did it for several and they paid but were very slow at it. This was back when they hotels were owned by Americans.

We also did a 10k water loss 25-years ago that we were never paid for. 6-months later they offered to settle for half because they were having financial trouble and were selling out. We stuck to our principals thinking they had to settle their debts before they sold and insisted on all.

We should have took the half. New owners claimed he knew nothing of the invoice and the old went back to India.

Expensive lesson learned, the Indians were smarter than Mexicans.

Did they have fire insurance?

 

[Mikey P]

Our only hotel is a Holiday Inn Express, we steam clean the downstairs,hall, lobby, some times the entry tile floor and breakfast bar. upstairs we Cimex the halls on two levels and we steam clean the staircase, the whole job runs about $2,000.. no rooms but they said we get them soon

Im bidding the other HIE on monday, who I'm assuming got refered by the other

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We suspected you didn't do our hotel in Aptos...

 

[bob vawter]

GOD..i glad i don gotta work no more!!!

 

[Mikey P]

nope.

 

[Mikey P]

Looked at an invoice

$350 per floor

We HWE the 1st which has the dining room and small gym, that takes close to two hours but the 30 minutes per upper floor w/the Mex more than makes up for it.


and $200 for the stairs.
$443 for the tile lobby

they do the vacuuming.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We encap for a couple of Hotels still. One of them we've done twice a year for the last several years. Fast easy, two Cimex's, they love us. Hallways and the lobby, no rooms a little over 4,000sq/ft @.14

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We encap for a couple of Hotels still. One of them we've done twice a year for the last several years. Fast easy, two Cimex's, they love us. Hallways and the lobby, no rooms a little over 4,000sq/ft @.14

Don't publish your numbers Rico, remember riff-raff from Missouri read these boards...

 

[TomKing]

Truth is if you would get the job it would be a killer, the kind you wish you never got. You're handicapped with a portable unless you own a Dewell1 or something high production why waste your time.

Worse after all the blood sweat and tears, they take 5-6-months to pay you IF you're lucky.

If you're not lucky they sell the property to another hotel chain and you're left hold your dick in your hand.

Run from it!

What he said!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Don't publish your numbers Rico, remember riff-raff from Missouri read these boards...

I didn't mention the name of the hotel and even as small as we are there are 35 just in Topeka.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We must be paid on site before wrapping up. Credit card is fine. Even cash works.

 

[Shane Deubell]

We encap for a couple of Hotels still. One of them we've done twice a year for the last several years. Fast easy, two Cimex's, they love us. Hallways and the lobby, no rooms a little over 4,000sq/ft @.14

Thats the ticket right there ^^^^^

We only do 1 small boutique hotel, try and leave some crumbs for the rookies and fools ya know...

 

[WillS]

We've never done a full hotel, but have cleaned hallways, mattresses, etc.

Strip hotels have actually been calling us more to clean/remove vomit smells in hotel elevator banks. We charge around $130 an elevator. Because of Fire Dept. regulations they aren't allowed to lock the elevators. So when we clean, one guy has to stand in front of the door to hold it open. Buckets, etc. don't keep them from closing. Whatever works - best thing - they pay credit or check at the end of the cleaning.

I'd imagine with a portable that will be taking quite a while. All of that for $600? Pass. Some jobs just wind up costing you money in the end if you don't pass. Have learned that the hard way trying to get whatever came starting out.

 

[Captain America]

Everyone needs to clean hotels at least once, it helps you tone your skills and system.
Here in central texas we get 5-8$ a room 10$ is rare.
Last one I did I pulled truckmount hose up the 3 rd floor and kicked the hose down the stairs as I cleaned.
I tried to get 50$ an hour, hotels are for slow season. I believe it was about 450$ total took 2 days maybe 10 hours for 45 rooms plus halls and stairs, they called me when the other carpet cleaner wouldn't show.
Beat Howing cotton at age 10 with my dad for 3$ an hour.......

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

I found the culprit. Does anyone know of Carpet Care HHC? http://carpetcarehhc.net/home

I dont have my porty yet and she wants it done in the next 2 weeks. I wondered about getting it on credit but I think I will just wait. I signed up for the Carpet Cleaning Tech class in April that John does. I have my foot in the door at another hotel and I think she said $15 a room was okay with her.

I told the lady at the Rodeway to have the other guys do it, but keep me in mind for things that come up, someone pukes, spills something, etc...

What do you guys usually charge to go out on something like that? (I dont have much travel to do, maybe 10 minutes. Everything is really close)

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Also, just shot the guy an email to see what he would charge for residential carpet, as well as for a hotel (I shot him a hypothetical hotel with about 8000 sq ft which is the same as what the roadway is.)

I want to see if he comes close to what he charges for the Rodeway or how it all works. Also curious if he makes big bank off of residential carpets or somthing..

 

[Desk Jockey]

"I've used CarpetCare personel to clean my Hotel for 9 years and won't consider anybody else,"
"Strong guest skills"
"My carpets always pass inspection!"
"Comes back to cleaned missed rooms due to guests' requests. I like that!"
"Very fair pricing."

There are the selling points for you to work on. Do the same and you should have a shot too.

Is he using a portable or a TM to process the work?