Do You Leave a Tip at a Hotel/Motel?

[Muenkel 0]

I have been in the Hotel Industry for 15 years in a management capacity. The most recent Hotel was a high end expensive resort hotel. Average Daily Rate was close to $400 during peak season. Needless to say, our guests had money or liked to pretend they had money. You would be shocked at the condition these people would leave these rooms in. OK, that was a sweeping statement...but I can say many are complete slobs and treat the staff like they are dirt.

Anyway, the housekeepers (we don't call them maids or chambermaids anymore) work their asses off. Sometimes they get lucky and a business person stayed in a room. Business people tend to be the neatest as they are single occupancy and their average stay is 2 nights. However, the housekeeper still has to strip and remake every bed in the unit whether the bed appears to have not been slept in. Yes, if you're neat; it does make their job easier...but the next room could have beer soaked carpeting with dorito crumbs everywhere, not to mention used condoms on the floor.

With all that said, tipping is optional and should be based on the level of service. Yes, housekeepers do make atleast the minimum wage; but trust me, they are not making a lot of money. Surveys show that the #1 thing guests are looking for in a hotel is a clean room.

Proper tipping for a housekeeper is $2.00 per day for a single room, $5.00 per day for 2 room suite and a little more for a multi-room suite. It is best to tip daily as opposed to at checkout since the housekeeper who was servicing your room may be off on the day you checkout. I suggest daily tipping with a note thanking them for their service as it goes a long way in getting 'extra' great service. Not that they wouldn't do an excellent job anyway, but you can be assured they will remember you each day.

As a manager, I have never allowed the tip envelopes in the rooms. Very tacky.

_________________________________________
Chris

[Muenkel 0]

Another thought: Do you folks tip valets and bellhops? Did you know that they generally make the same hourly wage as a housekeeper?

_________________________________________
Chris

[JENNR8R 0]

That's very informative, thank you!
I'm not sure where I got the idea that I should be tipping a percentage of the cost of the room.

The 'no-tell motel' doesn't have a bellhop, so I don't have that tipping dilemma. I like inexpensive motels where I can drag all of my skydiving gear into the room on the ground floor. The staff have always treated me well at these establishments.

What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy
ones? -- Monday.

[shropshire 0]

I pride myself (probably wrongly) in being more than capable of finding my own way to my room without needing the services of a guide..

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Muenkel 0]

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I pride myself (probably wrongly) in being more than capable of finding my own way to my room without needing the services of a guide..

You'd be surprised how many brilliant people CANNOT find their room. Anyway, bell service is just that, a service the hotel provides. You are not required to use their service.

_________________________________________
Chris

[shropshire 0]

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Muenkel 0]

Quote

.... that's a relief.

Here's a tip for you: If you encounter a bellhop that insists on guiding you to your room after you have repeatedly told him no; it's your ass he's after.

_________________________________________
Chris

[shropshire 0]

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[2fat2fly 0]

Sure I leave a tip in a hotel. She takes it off the nightstand on her way out.....crap, you meant for housekeeping didn't you?

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[JENNR8R 0]

Was it the "bellhop that insists on guiding you to your room after you have repeatedly told him no" that Muenkel was talking about?

What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy
ones? -- Monday.

[2fat2fly 0]

You usually have to pay extra for that, Cotton

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[wildcard451 0]

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You usually have to pay extra for that,for that kind of action Cotton

[2fat2fly 0]

I stand corrected

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[wildcard451 0]

Quote

I stand corrected

But aren't you sitting as you write this, so you may not actually be standing at all?

[nayf69 0]

Being a Brit and having worked in the Hotel industry in a managerial role, I really do not see the need to tip the housekeeping staff. They get a decent wage compared to the waiting staff etc and do not have to work as long hours.

If you are a housekeeper, you start at checkout time and you have a certain amount of rooms/floors to clean, when you are done thats it home time. Waiting/ Catering staff are reliant on the customer for their "home time" as customers may stay in the restaurant as long as they wish, the staff just have to wait, this is a main reason they should be tipped as they are giving face to face customer service, the housekeeping staff do not have to deal with the public very often and in my opinion it is this face to face customer interaction that should be tipped for and not for just someone doing their job. do you tip the person who cleans your office? why is it any different with a hotel room?

If you can't take care, take cover!!!

Nayf