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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,419
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

Okay, so what if you stay in hotel that's NOT all that clean and disappointing considering what you paid for the room?  I've stayed at supposedly nice hotels that were not that clean and many times little things like kleenex boxes not refilled (no kleenexes where they're supposed to be) and few towels, etc.  No tip then?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,485
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

I will also say that I have met some of the nicest people with housekeeping staff!  Sometimes if I was with my husband on a business trip and would be hanging around the room until later in the morning, I have met a lot of super nice people when they would come in.

 

Many of them are happy to talk, sometimes told me about themselves, gave me travel tips, etc.  I always try to keep the room nice and be conscious of doing things I can do to make their job easier. 

 

One funny sweet lady once gave me a lecture about keeping the "amenities!"  She said you pay for them, you take them, and proceeded to dump some in my travel  bag rather than replace the ones I hadn't used.

 

So she'd some in every day and I'd run grab them out of the bathroom and we would laugh about it.  She gave us travel tips, and was a highlight of the trip.  

 

I guess I just like people unless I find out otherwise.  But when we traveled, we'd know most of the staff before we left--and many from year to year and trips over many years.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,485
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping


@KKJ wrote:

Okay, so what if you stay in hotel that's NOT all that clean and disappointing considering what you paid for the room?  I've stayed at supposedly nice hotels that were not that clean and many times little things like kleenex boxes not refilled (no kleenexes where they're supposed to be) and few towels, etc.  No tip then?


@KKJ I figure it is more the management than the staff all things considered.  If something is missing day after day call the manager, talk face to face, etc.  Maybe the staff is overworked, or something.  Or maybe that person needs a talking to--in any case manager needs to know. 

 

So I'd tip--they are always at the bottom of the list in hotels and have a lot to put up with sometimes from the guests and the management, and like the above poster said maybe it is different people.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,329
Registered: ‎02-07-2011

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping


@KKJ wrote:

Okay, so what if you stay in hotel that's NOT all that clean and disappointing considering what you paid for the room?  I've stayed at supposedly nice hotels that were not that clean and many times little things like kleenex boxes not refilled (no kleenexes where they're supposed to be) and few towels, etc.  No tip then?


If that is the case, notify the front desk and/or manager of the hotel.  They should take care of any problems.  But I would still leave a tip for the cleaning staff.

 

 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,390
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

I've always opted out of housekeeping even before the pandemic.  I don't like people I don't know coming into the room while I'm gone.

 

I keep it clean and organized, make the bed, etc.  If I need towels changed I call down to front desk to have them bring some to the room and I will tip whoever brings them up a few dollars.

 

 

Valued Contributor
Posts: 923
Registered: ‎01-03-2011

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

 


@VaBelle35 wrote:

In normal times when they come in every day, I leave money every day, no less than $5.

 

Now, because they only come in at the end of your trip, I leave the full amount on the last day.  I don't think they should lose the daily tip because they are not coming into the room every day.  They are still cleaning the common areas and more frequently.  That's how I look at it.


@VaBelle35   Exactly!  We always leave a tip daily for this reason and have been thanked by housekeepers at various hotels for doing so.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,458
Registered: ‎07-10-2011

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping


@VaBelle35 wrote:

The reason I started tipping every day is because I read (on here, I'm sure) that you don't always have the same person every day.  I used to just leave it at the end.

 

I also leave more per day in larger, more expensive cities like LA, NY, Vegas where the cost of living is outrageous.


 

@VaBelle35  I was about to post the same thing.  I was a Manager of Housekeeping years ago in NJ. It really bothered me when a Housekeeper cleaned a room for 4 days and at the end of checkout, it´s her day off and the other housekeeper gets the tip at the end of the stay and pretended she didn´t.

 

Once someone checked out, before I assign the room to a housekeeper, I would check the room and give the tip to the person who cleaned it.

 

I think the tip should be left daily and it all depends on what you can afford.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,394
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

Ok I'll play devil's advocate.   These people get a salary albeit minimum wage which is pretty good these days.   With this theory of thinking we should also be tipping the grocery person checker, sales people at dept stores, the mailman, ups etc...  Let's not forget those that clean places of worship, nurses, receptionists the list goes on.   My question is what is the criteria you use for those you tip and those you don't?  I do my share of tipping (always overtip in restaurants).   Just curious about the rest.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

[ Edited ]

Under the law, there is a specific minimum wage for tipped employees and there are many ways an employer can handle tips.  In most states the threshold is $30/month in most states.

 

So the grocery clerk, et al,  is not in the tipped wage category so that theory doesn't apply.

 

Here is a nice table from the US DOL.

 

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped 

 

Employers can also use tip pooling and tip credits related to wages paid.

 

 

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,355
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Oh no, another tipping thread-hotel housekeeping

[ Edited ]

@Junebug54 wrote:

Ok I'll play devil's advocate.   These people get a salary albeit minimum wage which is pretty good these days.   With this theory of thinking we should also be tipping the grocery person checker, sales people at dept stores, the mailman, ups etc...  Let's not forget those that clean places of worship, nurses, receptionists the list goes on.   My question is what is the criteria you use for those you tip and those you don't?  I do my share of tipping (always overtip in restaurants).   Just curious about the rest.


Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, $290/40hr week, $15,080/year. 24 states are increasing the state minimum wage slowly to about $12/hr over a couple of years. I don't think in our country and with our society that could be considered a 'good" wage.


'I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man'.......Unknown