As someone who often puts the 'Do not disturb' sign on my hotel door because I don't feel the need to have a cleaner come in every day, I appreciate this gesture from the Kingfisher Bay Resort. We are in this together, a mutual agreement, and we're sharing the cost saving that comes from leaving my room untouched. The hotel ultimately pays less for wages, and guests pay less for their stay (because almost everyone here would use one of the restaurants at some point).

Across the world, I have noticed the trend in recent years to cut back on housekeeping in the name of sustainability. It started with towels not being replaced to save water, then toiletries not needing to be replenished because large dispensers were being used, and even friendly notes left on the bed stating fresh sheets would only be put on every three days. There was rarely any mention of room prices going down, or credit for a free drink - we were doing it to help the environment, so everyone just went along with these incremental changes.

And then COVID-19 hit.

Suddenly housekeeping was stopped completely at many hotels across the world, including Australia. It wasn't safe for us to have a stranger in the room; it wasn't safe for cleaners to be in so many rooms. We understood why this was happening and, let's be honest, there were plenty of other more onerous restrictions coming into force because of the pandemic. I remember there being a few mutterings about whether the cost saving should be passed on, but the tourism industry was doing it tough and, anyway, prices were too all over the place to know what a discount would mean.

But what about now? Why are there still so many hotels that have not reinstated housekeeping during your stay? And where have those financial savings ended up?

It's starting to seem like this is one of those temporary pandemic changes that have become permanent by stealth. Partly encouraged by accountants trying to push the margins, and partly because labour shortages are still a problem in the hospitality industry, getting your room cleaned is more likely to be opt-in than opt-out these days.

Hilton became one of the first global hotel chains to be explicit about this change, announcing about a year ago that room cleaning would only happen automatically on the fifth day of a stay at its standard US properties, although there was no official change to daily housekeeping in hotels in Australia and other parts of Asia-Pacific. However, the world's largest hotel chain, Marriott, has implemented new policies globally, with daily housekeeping cut from brands like Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin. You will still get your room cleaned every day at Marriott's premium brands like the Ritz-Carlton and W Hotels, though (and with rooms at the Ritz-Carlton in Perth from about $700 a night, for example, you would hope so!).

Many travellers might not be too bothered by missing a night or two of cleaning. After all, you wouldn't change your sheets or towels every day at home (although, of course, you're not paying hotel rates to stay at home). But some of those other little things that housekeeping offers - emptying the bin and replenishing the coffee, for instance - do make a difference and it suddenly feels less like you're in a hotel and more like a rental property. You can normally get those little things for free by asking, but it adds another layer of inconvenience, when the whole point of a hotel stay should be to relax (or, if you're travelling for business, to reduce as much stress as possible).

Airlines used to all offer snacks and drinks for free. Baggage used to always be included. But now it's common to have to pay instead - even on the "non budget" airlines (especially in the US and Europe). Perhaps hotels are starting to go down the same route as flights, where features are stripped away and only included for a fee or for loyalty customers. The airlines claim it's so you can choose what you want to pay for (although I wonder if the missing meal is actually reflected in lower prices). Hilton uses similar logic, claiming that cutting daily room cleaning actually means "housekeeping tailored for your comfort" because of its "flexible housekeeping policy". At least it's not yet charging a fee if you do request a room clean, but I have heard reports that some hotels are starting to do that. Let's hope that doesn't become the new norm.

We probably can't expect to see every hotel go back to the era of daily housekeeping, but some will continue to offer it - as a point of difference, if nothing else (which means you may start to see it advertised as a luxury amenity more often). And, call me an optimist perhaps, but I hope more accommodation providers consider the Kingfisher Bay Resort model and at least offer an incentive to not opt-in for a clean. A free drink or a snack is the least we deserve if prices aren't coming down.

You can see more on Michael Turtle's Time Travel Turtle website.