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Location: The Northeast - hoping one day the Northwest!
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I typically don't tip housekeepers, as when we are there - where it is 1 night or 3, we never use housekeeping. We keep the do not disturb sign up, and pretty much leave the room the way we found it. All of the trash is in the can, all towels are together in a pile on the bathroom floor, and sometimes, we'll even strip the bed for them.
Until the CEO draws under $400,000 per year he can afford to pay his help a livable wage. I have now stricken off Marriott as a place to stay until I hear of pay raises are given to all their cleaning crews.
I hate to tell you this, deckdoc, but if you keep striking such hotel chains off your list, you'll soon be sleeping in a pup-tent...
Some professions are based around the fact that X amount of the pay of certain employees goes directly from the consumer to such employees, bypassing the employer entirely. One benefit of this process is that it encourages particularly attentive service, and allows the customer to apply this pay on a sliding scale based on that service.
Of course, like all things human, this also allows people to game the system. So some people sanctimoniously refuse to so tip, and they always have some excuse to rationalize what they want to do - not pay if they can possibly avoid it.
Do I tip in such situations? Of course, as warranted - and I have never had hotel service that does not warrant at least something.
Example:
Last summer, I took my teenage daughter to Chicago for four days/three nights. We got a deal on a nice hotel ($175/night) and had a great time. The housekeeping was perfect, our special instructions were heeded, and I left $5 each morning. That's a respectable rate for a nice hotel. I mean, c'mon - the trip ran into four figures, and I can't afford $15 (3%!) for the hotel maid? Please. It's not like I'm expected to send her kids to college.
So those of you who game this system and serve up one or another principled justification to obscure the fact that you just don't want to pay if you can skip out on paying and get away with it, carry on. I'll keep tipping. Treating people they way they deserve to be treated means more to me than a few extra bucks.
The last few times I have stayed in a hotel, I opted to save water and reuse my sheets and towels, which subsequenty meant less work for the staff. I will tip when I stay several days or if the staff really went out of their way. Ordinarily, no, I feel the hotel should pay their staff a decent wage, especially given the price tag of a hotel room.
The last few times I have stayed in a hotel, I opted to save water and reuse my sheets and towels, which subsequenty meant less work for the staff. I will tip when I stay several days or if the staff really went out of their way. Ordinarily, no, I feel the hotel should pay their staff a decent wage, especially given the price tag of a hotel room.
So you will take it out on the "underpaid" housekeeper. Makes sense to me. That is such a selfless way of attacking corporate American.
And when I was young we use to just call you a Cheapskate.
I have mixed emotions about tipping housekeeping. . . but not from a "they deserve it" point-of-view. They DO deserve it. They wallow in our filth, people! We tip waitstaff, but they only need to focus on moving food and keeping our drinks full. Housekeeping cleans up AFTER US.
No, my problem is, a lot of the hotels have a "supervisor" who go around and "confirm" that the guest has left, and that it's OK for the staff to clean the rooms. This is AFTER the "supervisor" has gone around and done a "pre-cleaning check", i.e. already picked up the tip meant for the maids. I've never seen any supervisor anywhere, work as hard as the housekeeping "supervisor" right at checkout time, "pre-checking" the rooms.
This is nothing new. I've seen managers and OWNERS of all sorts of service people steal their tips. Part of the reason I don't really tip. You don't know who it's going to. The tip I left for a really a good hair cut could be shared with the OWNER or the girl who does a terrible job? The tip I left for my waitress/waiter could also be stolen by the owner/anyone really (I've seen customers pocket tips while waiting to be seated) or be shared with the guy who is terrible. I'd be more for tipping if it we could give it to who we wanted and they didn't have to share it.
Something else I thought about last night, this falls in line with the guy in the bathroom who wants a tip because, apparently, I don't know how to wash my hands. I didn't ask for you to be there, I don't want your services. I am perfectly capable of making my bed in a hotel room, the fact that someone comes in, adds towels, makes the bed, and leaves, does not warrant a tip from me either.
This is always bothers me, too. I don't bring money/a purse into the restroom. I'm sure some do, but I don't.
I tip everyone including the people at the sandwich carry out place. Why should maids be any different? If you don't tip them can you be sure that they'll do a good job on your room or not go through your things when you're not there? I left some money on the dresser once and the maid didn't take it. I was surprised so I just left her a tip for the whole week after we left. I remember there being separate envelopes for the maid and various other employees on the cruise ship. They even posted guidelines for the tips. Hmmm I wonder when stewardesses will be next on airplanes. They can hand out those envelopes like the cruise ships do. Aren't they under paid as well?
So you will take it out on the "underpaid" housekeeper. Makes sense to me. That is such a selfless way of attacking corporate American.
And when I was young we use to just call you a Cheapskate.
Don't be so melodramatic. They make above minimum wage and do minimal work for me. If there's something substantial, I'll leave a substantial tip. I don't pay someone merely to exist at their job.
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or the girl who does a terrible job? The tip I left for my waitress/waiter could also be stolen by the owner/anyone really (I've seen customers pocket tips while waiting to be seated) or be shared with the guy who is terrible. I'd be more for tipping if it we could give it to who we wanted and they didn't have to share it.