Hotel guests
 

Why do people not understand that it is customary (sp?) to tip your housekeeper when staying at a hotel? All this week we have had EAA going on which draws people from all over the world and the hotel I work at has been booked full. This means many rooms for us to clean. People leave these rooms in terrible conditions and not one bothers to leave a buck or anything for the person who has to clean it. I am getting really pissed and am so happy that I only have three more weeks of work before school starts again.

So to all you wonderful GC's please leave a tip when you check out of a hotel if the housekeeping service was good. Even if it is just a back or so, the person cleaning your room will appreciate it.

I totally agree with you! My mom has worked with the Housekeeping Department w/ the Hilton Hotels for the past 30 years and she's always taught me to appreciate those who clean up after your mess. If you don't leave a tip for the maid every day, at least take care of her at the end of your stay. These people work so damn hard for so little...the least visitors can do is shell out a buck or two a day...AT LEAST!

But damn, if you leave a big mess...do the noble thing.

I never knew it was the proper thing to do honestly, and I'm sure a lot of people don't. Or maybe I just didn't know cuz I haven't stayed in many really nice hotels. Usually just like Days Inn or something like that. I'll definitely keep it in mind for the future!

I have never heard of tipping your maids/housekeepers while staying at a hotel in the US. Now, Mexico or anywhere else, I have always heard to leave a little cash in the room for them.

I don't think its necessary to do it, afterall, its their job to clean the rooms. Now, is it a nice gesture to leave the tip, hell yes...but not necessary.

My fitty cent. (We gonna party like its your berf-day)

So this would mean that since it is waiters/waitresses jobs to just wait on tables, then we shouldn't leave a tip. I don't think so. You have no idea how hard we work and how little we actually make.

Actually, yes I do know how hard you work. I live in Wisconsin and have been to the EAA at least 10 times. Yes, I understand that there are tens of thousands of people who frequent the hotels, and yes, they probably could drop you a tip....but, they shouldn't have to. You chose to take that job, so deal with it. If you are complaining about the money, talk with your manager for a raise, or get a job elsewhere.

As for waitressing, thats totally different. They make $2.05 an hour, and they RELY on their tips - and YES, it is custom to tip for the delivery of your food, not the fluffing of your pillow - especially when they are forking out $150-$200 a night for a king size bed and some bad curtains. Hotel staff probably makes $7-$10 per hour. It's your choice, you shouldn't be complaining.

I hardly think that a housekeeper's duties is limited to fluffing your pillows.

Perhaps you should think about the men and women who have to clean the toilets you piss and shit in next time you stay at a hotel and be thankful that you don't have to clean up after yourself. :rolleyes:

Since I have been a breakfast host at a hotel before, I realize how nice tips are. I recieved nice tips and it helped supplement my $7/hr paycheck...I worked at a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, and helped people with the buffett - I brought them coffee, showed them around the buffett, made sure they were happy, then brought them the check which they could put on their room ($7.95 for the buffett - ouch!) - most were businessmen and were billing someone else for the rooms so they tacked on a one or two dollar tip...some were marriott gold members which recieved free breakfast and left me $5 tips instead, and on the weekends were regular joes who were not expecting to pay for breakfast to begin with...the days I worked the hardest I got the least in tips usually.


You should always tip someone when you recieve a personal service. HOWEVER, that tip should be based upon how good the service was, NOT what is 'customary'. Haircuts, I tip 1-3 dollars depending on how good the barber was. Pizza, two-three bucks usually. Waitresses, depending on the service, anywhere from pennies to 30% depending on how good he/she was. The tips I recieved I recieved because I gave good service...that's why I recieved $5 tips on a $7.95 buffet, or one time, where two ladies were part of a business group that recieved cheaper meals, went back to their rooms, then went to the kitchen area to find me and gave me 10's and 5's because of how good the service was and how they didn't expect it in a small 90-room basic kansas hotel.

Regarding housekeeping service, I think it all depends. In a lot of hotels, the housekeeping staff goes into your room, does what it needs and gets out. If there is a personal touch left - a signed note saying it was a pleasure, an exceptionally well cleaned room, sure leave a tip. But I don't think it's expected, especially at our hotel, where the housekeeping staff was Mexicans and legally retarded people (sounds bad, but it was true). At hotels where rooms are much nicer and fancier, sure you might leave a tip.

The absolute bottom line for me is: A TIP IS A MEASURE OF GOOD SERVICE, NOT REQUIRED. If you recieve terrible service, you show it by leaving no or an extremely small tip. If you recieve excellent service, say thank you with a large tip.

For people who are unaware of the custom and etiquette of tipping hotal and motel housekeeping / maid staff in the U.S., may I suggest a quick Google (or similar) search on something like .... tipping hotel . . . or tipping hotel housekeeping.
You'll probably find quite a variety of pages, and the info is generally along the lines of "tip $1 or $2 a day." A few sites say as much as $5 a day, but in my estimation that amount would be appropriate in a true luxury hotel / motel / resort, not in the ordinary Holiday Inns, Days Inns, Hiltons, Sheratons, Hyatts and so on that most business or pleasure travelers use.
At least one site said to leave the tip on the pillow, but I usually leave it on the desk or on a table with a note saying "Housekeeping - Thank you."
I've been amazed at the number of colleagues who were not aware of this custom / etiquette. For several years now, if there are new staff coming along on a trip, I'll try to mention in passing that I need to be sure to have a dollar or two on me to leave for the maid. This sometimes gets a comment or question, and gives me a chance to educate (not to insist, just to educate).
Oh, and as far as housekeeping staff who are "legally retarded" -- I prefer saying "people with mental retardation" if it is even necessary to do so -- gee, they are doing the job, and I'll bet they appreciate the money and the thanks!

ummm what? Hilton is one of the elite chains, they're in the same cluster as Marriot Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Four Seasons, Fairmont, ect. How can you throw them in with days inn...blah?

I think a "normal" stay is when the guest is truly just crashing there for the night. I think a tip is warranted if it's an extended stay such as: when people clean out all the "supplies" every day, the guest uses every single washcloth/towel/handtowel, leaves trash all over the room, the sheets must be changed every single day because of noticeable stains, and the maid has to maneuver around your stuff that is scattered all over the bed, floor, dresser, bathroom, balcony (and risk someone accusing them of stealing). They have a number of rooms to get done by the end of their shift, if your room is in need of a deep clean every single day I think it would be nice to leave a tip for spending so much of their time on just your room.

Hell, I stay at the Super 8 during ALF, and I still tip $5 at the end of the weekend. If anything, the Super 8/Days/Knights chains probably need the tips MORE as those type hotels are usually in poorer towns and probably on the low end of the wage scale. I also am the guest who uses every single towel plus extras, fills the wastebaskets, etc. so they definitely deserve it - not that I'm a bad guest, but if I'm in a hotel, I will take full advantage of what I'm paying for.

Your point's well taken: Hiltons are almost always much more upscale than Days Inns! I guess I was thinking that -- for me, not necessarily for everyone -- a $5/day tip for the housekeeping staff might be more appropriate at, say, the Benson in Portland OR, the Brown Palace in Denver, or a similar super-luxury hotel with, typically, lots of "supplies" and much larger rooms to clean and tidy up. It probably would be a *minimum* at a place like The Carlyle in NYC (where I have never stayed).

I personally had never heard of tipping hotel housekeeping until a year or two ago. Personally although it has become customary to tip it should never be considered "mandatory" I mean... it's supposed to be for a job well done... if someone really hasn't done their job..if they did a good job HELL yeah... but I'm not going to tip someone just because I think they don't earn enough money... I'm poor
Hiltons are def. a nicer chain type hotel.... but there are nicer hotels in every city... (generally not chains) like here in San Fran there's a hotel that doesn't even have a sign on building and costs like 5000 a night that some of the stars and such stay in while in town. I'd say it's kinda like the difference between Bannana Republic..(still nice clothes, but fairly "standard if you will) and buying Prada...(still nice, but more exclusive) ya know what I mean ??

I tip my housekeepers depending on how good of a job they do - first day, probably not getting a tip. Second day, if you did a nice job, big tip. Some hotels in WI are so ##@#@ lazy about their housekeeping - I stayed at Devil's Head for a College Democrats convention last year, and our towels had MOLD growing on them. :p Another horror story - stayed at the Don Q in Dodgeville after SigEp banquet and there was crayon everywhere in the bathroom. It only took like 15 seconds for me to clean up, but damned if that housekeeping staff deserves my money for doing such a crappy job.

I think most people have no idea that it is customary to tip housekeeping - it's not common knowledge.

I kinda agree with the Sig here, and all the other people who said "its not mandatory, but if they do an 'above-and-beyond' cleaning, then tip them". Its their job for christs sake. If they don't like what they're doing, get a job somewhere else. But again, if they do a great job, hell, tip them a buck or two.

Why should one be thankful that they don't have to clean up after themselves at a hotel? They are staying at a freaking hotel for that exact reason! You pay $250 a night NOT to clean your own toilet, NOT to change your own sheets and NOT to clean your own room. Housekeepers are there to do exactly that: housekeep.

My fiance always tells me, if you don't like something and you CAN change it, then change it. But if you don't, its your own damn fault.

I have to say that I'm getting a kick out of both this & the Tourist thread! My own 2¢ worth:

1) Tip the chambermaid, and be thankful that you don't have her job. No matter how much you think they're getting, it's not enough when you think how hard she works for that money. This is a woman who is probably making a little over minimum wages to clean other people's commodes, and wipe up vomit.

2) The tidier you keep your hotel room, the faster it can be made up. I'm not saying that you should scrub or anything, but if you have a lot of grooming supplies on the sink, put them all in a ziplock bag or whatever, and the chambermaid can work around them. Ditto for that pile of change you leave on the dresser - put it in a bag, your suitcase, or somewhere.

There are times when you have a LOT of stuff in your hotel room (ie: I just got back from a convention, and I had many prizes etc that I had to get to the right people). In that case, just keep that all together, making it easier to run the vacuum, etc.

I work for an upscale chain of hotels and I have been on both sides of the coin:

1) If you ARE going to tip, make sure it is clearly marked as such. Housekeepers' honesty is very important and they never want to be accused of stealing. Leave it on a note...You can also leave it with the front desk staff, making sure you ask them to give it to your yhousekeeper (say "I stayed in room 9040, can you please give this tip to ym housekeeper?").

2) I don't LIKE to have housekeepers come in and clean my room/make my bed/etc when I stay at a hotel. I hate having to worry about my "dainties" being away before he/she comes in, so I usually leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door all day. If you feel the same, or don't want to worry about tips, you could take this route.

3) At some hotels, housekeepers get paid a regular wage, some get paid per room, others get paid a wage + per room credits (if they cleaned a 2BR suite, they get paid more on top of their regular pay). So, a tip can be appreciated.

4) If you know you've left a mess for the housekeeping staff, a tip would be a good idea.

Glad I could be of service...

yes, leave a note...or nefarious bellmen might swipe it....
 

*Hotel geust horror story*

About a year ago we had a geust stay with us, reserving a room at 3 nights at a time. Well, after the second night the housekeeper found an odd mess in the bathroom - long streams of blood flowing from the ceilling to the tiles. When the front desk was called to check it out, they noticed large bags of cotton and many books about islamic war in arabic. *Narrator commentary, apparently this man had a very jewish name and appeared/spoke as a typical caucasian male* Messages were left to get this guy out of here the following day, except he managed to reserve another 3 nights when one of our 'lesser-qualified desk agents' was working. Fourth day now, the washroom again resembled a horror movie, so we had to block his room and tell him we made a mistake and didn't have any rooms available. He was livid, so the management decided to find him a room at another hotel closeby and got some poor bellmen to assist his luggage. Before he stormed out the door he left a stiring message..."this hotel will pay....in BLOOD!"

He ended up staying at an elite, chic hotel called The Arc , one block away. According to the bellmen that helped him, all the staff knew him on a first-name basis welcomed him as royalty, "Hey Mr. Geust, How Are you!?!" He then brought out a wad of hundred dollar bills and paid for his room in cash.

CC1GC, in a case like that, why wasn't the police contacted?

I'm guessing you meant illegal immigrants...If not you need to slow your roll because that was a bit racist.

That would be against the law, it would violate his privacy rights. Not too mention, he didn't do anything illegal.

I hate the idea of tipping. But it's one of those things that we do because it would be "wrong" not to. Here's what I do, I see if you've done a decent job and then If I've got a buck or two I'll leave it out, but most of the time i just use my check card and I don't have any cash. I'm not rich, I work hard for my money too, if you want me to give it to you just for doing your job when i've already paid $250 a night to stay at your hotel your nuts. Come to where I work and buy something then give me a tip and maybe i'll feel better about giving my money away.

I've never heard of this custom until I read this thread, and I've grown up staying in $300+/night hotels.

I know my family isn't stingy. I'm not either, I'm always a 20%+ tipper. I'm going to ask my mom about this.

I always was taught to tip waitstaff and pizza drivers well because they make below wage to accomodate for getting tips. I always thought hotel staff got paid relatively well.

And honestly, I'm the type of person that leaves my bed relatively made at the hotel, and keeps my things neat and tidy anyway. I imagine my room is a piece of cake to clean.

I'm normally not that messu when I stay at a hotel so I don't tip. However, if there is a substantial mess in the room that I'm not going to clean up, I will leave a tip. Easy as that.

On pizza boys...well...tip them WELL! TKE209 works as a pizza boy during the summers and all the other delivery guys keep a list of bad tippers. The bad tippers get their pizza last and cold. Good tippers, hot and fresh pizza and a lot nicer service. Think of a good tip as "insurance" for your food :)

Nothing illegal? Then where in the hell did he get the blood? Even if what he did wasn't necessarily criminal (it could be animal blood or something) it is damn sick and maybe he should be brought in for evaluation.
But on topic now...I always tip anyone who does a service for me, even if their salary is "adequate". I'm not so arrogant that I can't appreciate what someone does for me. It's not going to kill me to show some kindness by shelling out a few bucks and making sure I leave a fairly decent room. People remember both the kindest and the rudest faces they encounter. I'm sure it's obvious what we should all try to be.
And to those working in hotels, I have a question. Is it true that it's easier for the housekeeping staff to make up a room if you have not made up the bed? Just asking. :)

Personally for me it is a little bit easier if the bed isn't completely made because then you don't have to pull the comforter back and straighten out the sheets and all that little stuff. The best rooms are ones were the beds are just slept in, not completely tore up but just kinda left. Some hotels have their little trademark things that they do, like at the Hilton we had to do a toe tuck thing at the end of the bed, so it was easier if guests just left the bed unmade.

But that's not how hotels operate...police cars in front isn't good publicity, lol.

We'd rather just get rid of this guy than piss him off even more, as mentioned, he was very, very, strange.

Back to maid-tipping
 

I don't think it's a widespread standard. people are still quite ignorant that a lot of geusts don't tip when parking their vechicles...hey buddy, i can't pay my lunch with thank yous.

This is the first I've ever heard of tipping the housekeeper. Like someone else said, I tip according to the service when it comes to servers in a restaurant, etc.

When I was on my cruise, they automatically charged $10 per day per person for the housekeeping and waitstaff. It was easier than carrying around cash.

The last time I was in a hotel, I left a tip. The hotel had a little envelope specifically for it.