The topic of tipping hotel housekeeping can be surprisingly controversial. You have some people who believe housekeeping should be tipped, others who believe housekeeping shouldn’t be tipped, and plenty of people who just aren’t sure what’s expected.
In this post I wanted to lay out the arguments on both sides, share my take on tipping, and share general tips on how much you should tip (if you choose to do so).
In this post:
The argument for tipping hotel housekeeping
Many people believe that it’s appropriate to tip hotel housekeeping. The logic is as follows:
- Housekeepers are generally the hardest working and among the lowest paid people in hotels
- Not only do they work the hardest, but they arguably have the most disgusting jobs, having to clean up some messy situations
- Housekeepers provide customer service, just like hotel concierges, hotel bell staff, or hotel bar and restaurant workers; just because you don’t interact with them directly doesn’t mean they aren’t serving you
- Tipping hotel housekeeping isn’t an endorsement of the practice of the cost of labor being passed off from hotel owners to guests, but rather is an acknowledgement of these people being underpaid and hard working
The argument against tipping hotel housekeeping
Many people believe that it’s not necessary to tip hotel housekeeping. The logic is as follows:
- When you book a hotel you’re paying for a clean room, and that’s what housekeeping provides, so that should be a given
- It’s not the job of hotel guests to subsidize the salaries of housekeepers, and hotels should just pay them better wages
- The tipping culture in the United States is terrible, and enough is enough
- Hotels have cut back housekeeping services, blaming it on the pandemic, and we shouldn’t reward this behavior
- We’ve seen hotel company CEOs suggest that hotel guests should simply tip more to subsidize wages, so why would we support this practice?
- For some people it’s a matter of “out of sight, out of mind,” as it’s not that they’re not trying to tip, but rather they don’t even think about it
My stance on tipping hotel housekeeping
Personally I very much believe in tipping hotel housekeeping, at least in the United States, which has a general culture of tipping for good customer service (I don’t find it as necessary in other countries, where housekeepers may earn fairer wages, but I play it by ear).
Now, just to be clear:
- Do I like the tipping culture in the United States? Nope…
- Do I wish hotel housekeeping were paid better wages so I wouldn’t feel compelled to tip? Absolutely…
- Am I frustrated by the concept of “giving in” to greedy hotel owners who don’t want to pay for their staff? I sure am…
- Do I think hotel housekeepers have the hardest and most thankless jobs in hotels? Yep…
- Am I going to punish these hardworking employees who largely have a thankless job just because the system sucks? Nope…
I believe in the “live and let live” ideology, so if I have cash on me, I always try to leave $5 or so per day for some of the hardest working people in a hotel. I’m fortunate that a few dollars won’t make a material difference in my financial situation, while I know it can go a long way for many of the people working in hotels.
I also think that housekeepers get the short end of the straw of our tipping culture. Whether you like it or not, in the United States there’s an expectation that you tip a taxi driver just for doing their job without them providing any sort of extra service for you. If they should get a tip for not going out of their way, those who work as hard as housekeepers should as well, in my opinion.
Now, I have to admit, I’m not perfect about tipping. I tip hotel housekeeping whenever I can, but the issue is that I sometimes don’t have any cash on me, which can make it hard to tip.
What percent of hotel guests tip housekeeping?
A 2017 New York Times story that interviewed hotel housekeepers indicated that about 30% of guests tipped. I’m not sure if that number has changed in recent years, but that’s one of the few concrete numbers I’ve seen regarding tipping.
One thing is for sure — tipping is the exception, rather than the norm. As one housekeeper described it, sometimes they’ll go days without receiving a tip, and even a $2-3 tip makes them happy, because it means someone appreciates what they’re doing and thought about them.
Admittedly even having the opportunity to regularly tip hotel housekeeping has become more difficult since the start of the pandemic, given how many hotels have stopped providing daily housekeeping. Of course many hotel housekeepers are frustrated by this change in policy, since they have less work overall, and more work each time they have to clean a room (since it’s often days between rooms being cleaned).
Over the years we’ve seen some hotels introduce initiatives to try to encourage tipping, either directly or indirectly. For example, several years back Marriott had envelopes with the housekeeper’s name, intended for leaving a tip. These ended up being discontinued, as guests apparently found them to be tacky.
Other hotels have subtly introduced other initiatives to at least let you know who cleaned your room. For example, some hotels have “thank you” notes that the housekeeper leaves with their name on them. Presumably it’s intended to remind you that there’s a real human cleaning your room.
How much should you tip hotel housekeeping?
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (ALHA) recommends tipping hotel housekeeping $1-5 per night. If you’re going to tip, ideally:
- Leave it nightly, since someone different could be cleaning your room every day
- Make it obvious that it’s a tip and not just money lying around, since you don’t want a housekeeper to be accused of theft; personally I always leave a tip with a short thank you note
Personally I generally leave around $5 per night when I have it (I tip on the higher end of the scale because I often don’t have cash to tip, so hopefully that at least partly makes up for the times that I don’t tip). I’ll also tip a bit extra if the room is especially messy (though that doesn’t happen often).
Bottom line
Tipping hotel housekeeping can be a surprisingly controversial topic. I see both sides — ideally housekeepers would be paid good wages so that I wouldn’t feel like I needed to subsidize them. At the same time, they’re generally not paid particularly well, they work really hard, they deal with disgusting situations, and they draw the short end of the tipping stick because they’re “out of sight.”
Personally I think it’s appropriate to tip $3-5 per night for hotel housekeeping when you have cash on you. And if you tip, make sure you make it obvious that it’s a tip, and not that it’s just money lying around. That being said, tipping hotel housekeeping isn’t expected, in the sense that a majority of people don’t tip.
Where do you stand on tipping hotel housekeepers?
I am a consultant that works in the hotel industry with renovations and occasionally have exposure to see the reaction of housekeepers when they receive a tip occasionally. They are so overwhelmingly appreciative of any amount given even if it is $1. It gets noticed by them and in my opinion is one of the most appreciate tips you can give and be received in the service industry,
If you do plan on tipping in the housekeepers, head to the bank and get a bunch of $5 bills (or larger and get change when you check in).
I don't think we should be tipping them and the salary should cover their pay, but as you state, they often make about the least in the hotel and a little goes a long way.
Not tipping will not change the system, do anything...
If you do plan on tipping in the housekeepers, head to the bank and get a bunch of $5 bills (or larger and get change when you check in).
I don't think we should be tipping them and the salary should cover their pay, but as you state, they often make about the least in the hotel and a little goes a long way.
Not tipping will not change the system, do anything to the hotel but hurt what (most often) hard working women need to get by.
Given the amount we tip a bellman/valet or a bartender (who is providing a most valuable service!) when these people do little hard work and can garner many tips an hour, it seems pretty fair to tip the housekeeper.
I don't tip housekeepers. Hotels and resorts cost a lot of money to stay in so I don't see any reason why they can't pay their employees a decent wage. For example, PARIS HILTON, daughter and granddaughter of the HILTON family who owns all of the HILTON properties and many more. Look at the way she lives!!! Don't tell me t the hotels and resorts don't have the money to generously pay their staff
i grew up caddying in NYC suburbs and tipping was customary and cultural. i tip and over tip but not extremely. i agree a good wage ought to suffice. But, who is the customer/boss? Who is "dominant" in the relationship? We all work for someone(s) else. We all love (or should) love one another but also gently push each other towards good work." Tipping is an expression or gratitude and recognition of a job well...
i grew up caddying in NYC suburbs and tipping was customary and cultural. i tip and over tip but not extremely. i agree a good wage ought to suffice. But, who is the customer/boss? Who is "dominant" in the relationship? We all work for someone(s) else. We all love (or should) love one another but also gently push each other towards good work." Tipping is an expression or gratitude and recognition of a job well done being expressed by many people. Maybe a simple face to face thankyou sincerely meant is good enough. We used to have a caddy's day whereby the members waited on us with a good food dinner and prizes and expressions of thanks. I think it is about a human connection of loving each other through a need for discipline and hierarchy.
I tip $5.00 a night in the U.S. I recently spent about 3 weeks in Great Britain, with 3-4 nights in most hotels. I never make any kind of mess so left the do not disturb sign on my door for most nights, but did tip 5 pounds or so for the last night in each hotel. I do absolutely think tipping is getting ridiculous, but for a hotel housekeeper? Yes!
Please don't do this in the UK, we don't want excessive US tipping practices to become normalised here. But please do leave a tidy room - it makes a cleaner's job much easier.
I can’t think of an expenditure that has more of a direct impact on people than tipping hotel housekeepers. It is hard work—stripping and changing a bed at home is hard work—imagine doing that all day. Think how much you tip for a drink or a meal. Tip housekeepers $10 a night or if you skip interim service, $20 and a thank you note when you leave.
I've been leaving tips for housekeeping for years. On vacation or while I was working away from home, which was three to four nights weekly. These folks work very hard, do a lovely job for the most part, and I know they are the lowest paid employees. Perhaps the hotel CEOs and franchise owner should reduce their own salaries and/or personal profits in order to pay their employees a decent wage.
Most of my hotel stays are work travel. My company allows for housekeeping and shuttle driver tips but it comes out of. Y daily allowance for food which is already low. I have worked as a motel housekeeper in a tourist town. I fully recognize that the work they do is hard and unappreciated. But if I am traveling on work budget I have to honor the expense policy. If it comes down to me...
Most of my hotel stays are work travel. My company allows for housekeeping and shuttle driver tips but it comes out of. Y daily allowance for food which is already low. I have worked as a motel housekeeper in a tourist town. I fully recognize that the work they do is hard and unappreciated. But if I am traveling on work budget I have to honor the expense policy. If it comes down to me having a meal or tipping a housekeeper, I think most people would be skipping the tip.
For my own personal business I am a great tipper for most things. But I think for this to be considered the norm, company expense policies have to provision for it.
We always leave a tip for housekeeping.
We leave $5.00/day like you do.
I can't believe that as much as you travel you occasionally don't have cash in your pocket!
Do you use a credit card to charge a bottle of water? Ridiculous!?
My wife and I tip housekeeping staff every stay; they do work hard and don't get paid enough. And, as stated in the article, a few dollars means a lot more to the housekeeper than it does to us.
Other countries - other customs. Through my many travels I have gotten to know other countries. In China - as an example - it is not decent to give a tip. If I leave money (with the remark tip) it is always left.
Outside Asia I experience in tourist hotels that the service becomes extremely bad after two days. Then you give the expected tip and everything is OK again.
I think you are more or less discreetly pointed to the tip.
I DO NOT tip when I check in to a hotel and they tell me that there will be NO housekeeping service if I stay less than three days. I can 'request new towels' if needed or I can get fresh towels at the desk. Unsatisfactory, Why tip for NO service. One casino hotel offered a $20 discount when checking in if you didn't want housekeeping service. I wish more hotels would provide this offer for short stays.
I tip zero, $0. I hate tipping at restaurants too.
I seldom have occasion to stay at a hotel/motel, so am usually negligent in tipping housekeeping. That said, I DID have a three-night stay just last month, and forgot to tip. Hotel policy was no 'daily' housekeeping on multiple night guests unless requested. Other than a messed up bed, and perhaps a tissue in the waste basket, my room would appear unused. Without daily cleaning I think a $5 tip would be more than appropriate for a three-night stay.
when booking with points, I always leave $10-$20 per night, especially if I get into my room before normal check-in. When I pay for the room, I tip based on how clean the room is. Stains on towels and random hairs in the bathroom mean you won't get more than a $1 or $2 from me
Generally speaking I will tip housekeeping if there is a reason to do so for example something that is out of the ordinary and they went out of the way
No. Unless I made a big mess. Tipping is for going above and beyond, not just doing the job. Applies to everyone, not just housekeeping.
I don't regularly tip. The exception is if the room is a bigger mess than "normal' (e.g. hosting a party in a suite)...
...but I'm also at the point of pushing back vs taxi tips as well.
Hotels add “service charges” on top of the room rate as a result I don’t feel the need to tip
$20 on the bed every morning since we are premium blue diamond guests staying at premium hotels.
If you were truly premium, you'd be leaving a couple shares of Delta stock on the bed each morning.
I don't tip. Tipping might seem altruistic and it will make you feel good about yourself staying in a hotel, but all you do is perpetuate a system that keeps these workers as indentured labor. Which as Americans doesn't surprise me given our history of slavery.
Think about why Japan is a no tipping culture. It's not just about a minimum wage. Our entire social contract with a certain labor class is broken. And so we are more than happy to tip a few dollars.
Hotel's maintenance guy, front desk clerk, the person who fixed elevator in my apartment building, train driver who drove me today, my local mailman and cashier at a supermarket also serve me. They get paid to do so by their employer. Why should housekeeping be any different?
This insane tipping culture make working conditions worse for the staff in the long run. Keep it in the US, please don't bring it with you to the EU.
No tipping for room cleaning, never did, never will. I only tip on valet and luggage, cuz that’s the status quo for a long time.
What about the cultural differences in different countries? I have been to hotels in Japan and Korea where even after I leave a cash tip, they neatly place it back on my nightstand or desk. Granted, these have been at hotels such as the Park Hyatt, but just a curious observation. Would be interested in hearing about other people's experiences!
I was a hotel GM and tipping did not influence how much we paid the housekeepers. We did not factor that in, they were paid the going rate for our area. They are the hardest working and least paid in the hotel. I think a few dollars makes a huge difference to them.
Always tip housekeeping and leave a thank you note to them on a daily basis. I also tend to ask for like extra tissues/toilet roll or just an extra hand towel on the note if I need to.
This is mainly travel around Europe and Asia, because tend to think that these tipping is an act of nice gesture vs. expected from the staff.
In Japan, I sometimes leave like a candy or...
Always tip housekeeping and leave a thank you note to them on a daily basis. I also tend to ask for like extra tissues/toilet roll or just an extra hand towel on the note if I need to.
This is mainly travel around Europe and Asia, because tend to think that these tipping is an act of nice gesture vs. expected from the staff.
In Japan, I sometimes leave like a candy or snacks with the note as a thank you because tipping is not a thing there.
At the end of the day, it's just about being a decent human being, especially for people who are often overlooked or treated like crap by employers.
This sounds awful, you should be not be spreading this culture around.
In Asia and Europe there tends to be a 10-15% "service charge" added to the taxes applied to the room-rate, so that is more than adequate gratuity in my opinion. It's particularly galling when staying at a London or Paris hotel where the room rates start somewhere north of £/€ 1000, yet there's still a charge for "service".
Service charge at hotels is extremely uncommon in Europe, especially since the full price must be always listed so unlike in the US, there's not much incentive to split the actual rate into a rate and fees. I'm not saying no hotels do it, but it certainly doesn't "tend to be" the case.
I never once in dozens of European hotels had a service charge. Local taxes, yes.
If it's a unionized hotel in the US then, no. Nothing. You're already overpaid, and you do a crappy job. Tipping made sense back when those who relied on tips earned an hourly wage much less than minimum wage, and tips were their only real source of income. That's simply not the case anymore. Now it's just begging. I'm not going to be guilted and shamed by someone that is guilty and shameless, that doesn't...
If it's a unionized hotel in the US then, no. Nothing. You're already overpaid, and you do a crappy job. Tipping made sense back when those who relied on tips earned an hourly wage much less than minimum wage, and tips were their only real source of income. That's simply not the case anymore. Now it's just begging. I'm not going to be guilted and shamed by someone that is guilty and shameless, that doesn't do their job well, then demands to do less and less for more and more. Nope.
Outside the US sure, but only according to local customs, which is to say at most a few bucks. Tipping culture is mostly a US thing, and I'm over it.
I give up on Americans, or at least OMAAT followers, who come off as cheap, miserly, ungenerous penny-pinchers! Or, these people just happen to be right-wingers behaving as you would expect them to!
You leftists sure are generous...at least with other people's money, and when you're anonymous online talking about yourself. However, it might interest you to know that since you're making it political, you leftists who talk about how generous they are, on average give less a % of their income to charity than those evil right wingers.
I m left. And tipping is stupid.
Get off your high horse.
No.
I'm not doing it. It's no different then those asking for tips at Auntie Anne's or Starbucks. Taking my order and handing me what I paid for is the MINIUMUM requirement of the service. There is a zero percent chance I will tip for that. When a book a hotel, a clean, safe, comfortable room is the MINIMUM requirement. I can't fathom how people arrive at the logic that you are receiving something special which...
I'm not doing it. It's no different then those asking for tips at Auntie Anne's or Starbucks. Taking my order and handing me what I paid for is the MINIUMUM requirement of the service. There is a zero percent chance I will tip for that. When a book a hotel, a clean, safe, comfortable room is the MINIMUM requirement. I can't fathom how people arrive at the logic that you are receiving something special which warrants additional cash outlay. If they feel underpaid, they can certainly go get another job.
Actually I’m the opposite. I don’t tip in USA and Europe but do in developing countries where the tip is more meaningful to staff. USA housekeeping wages rose a ton since 2020, especially at big city hotels. I’m more likely to tip if I’m in a city/state with low minimum wage
When I'm in developing countries I'm usually staying in high-end chain hotels. Jobs at these hotels even for housekeeping are generally pretty desirable, and well-paid in comparison to local wages.
I am the same. I never tip housekeeping in the US, and their cleaning is almost always subpar. I don't care how many "guilt cards" they leave in my room.
But If I'm traveling in a lower wage country, even one where tipping is not the norm, if I run into the housekeeper I will offer the equivalent of a buck or two which always brings a big smile and thank you. They inevitably...
I am the same. I never tip housekeeping in the US, and their cleaning is almost always subpar. I don't care how many "guilt cards" they leave in my room.
But If I'm traveling in a lower wage country, even one where tipping is not the norm, if I run into the housekeeper I will offer the equivalent of a buck or two which always brings a big smile and thank you. They inevitably do a better job cleaning and restocking rooms than the majority of US hotels, with or without tips.
What I do is that I go to the bank and get a bundle of 100 $1 bills, and keep that in my travel wallet until it runs out. I give $2 to $3 a night.
The bank teller thinks you are going to the strip club.
Do a post re: tipping a concierge.
If a concierge has been able to work a miracle for me; such as scoring a last-minute table at an "impossible" restaurant; then I'll tip them. Before some trips I email a list of requests to the concierge team, and I'll happily give a generous tip for that. For advice on where to get the best noodle soup or a shortcut to the subway station, not so much.
Enough tipping in the USA. Why stop with housekeeping? Tip the mailman, the trash man, the doorman, etc etc etc.
You're only doing this to feel better about yourself. Save your tips and donate to something worthy like St. Jude's.
I really find the logic on this type of argument bogus. Just because one job gets a tip doesn’t require all jobs get a tip. There isn’t some law of social behavior that makes this statement true.
I completely agree with the idea that maids do the most disgusting, laborious and demanding work in a hotel... and I also realize that they receive, in proportion to what they do, the worst work in the hotel...
So, I have always left them a tip... in the range of US$3.00 to US$5.00 per day for cleaning... But, normally, I put up a "do not disturb" sign, every other day, that is, they clean...
I completely agree with the idea that maids do the most disgusting, laborious and demanding work in a hotel... and I also realize that they receive, in proportion to what they do, the worst work in the hotel...
So, I have always left them a tip... in the range of US$3.00 to US$5.00 per day for cleaning... But, normally, I put up a "do not disturb" sign, every other day, that is, they clean and tidy the room every 2 days...
I make sure to always have change for this purpose...
And what's more, in addition to leaving a tip, I leave a note informing them that the money is a tip and thanking them for the work they do... many times they just take the tip, but many times, they write a "thank you very much"... once, the maid wrote that the tip would help her buy food for her family...
On the other hand, I think The American culture of tipping for everything is deplorable, especially for taxi drivers and app drivers...
Many times, when the service is not provided satisfactorily, I do not tip... I have had problems with this, but I do not tip...
And once, at an Oliver Garden restaurant, I got angry with a "waitress" (if we could call her that), because she provided terrible service, always with a bad face and WITHOUT me asking, she brought the bill and put a 20% tip on her own.
I simply ordered her to take the tip away because I was completely dissatisfied with her work.
Of course, I never went back to that Oliver Garden again.
Five years later, I went to another Oliver Garden where a waitress who was in training provided such good, pleasant and polite service that I left a 25% tip.
Do you tip your garbage man? He works hard too. Do you tip the police officer who redirects traffic after the traffic lights are out of service? He's standing in 100° heat for hours on end. Do you tip the local independent baker who gets up at 4am and works till 9pm getting fresh bread, doing his paperwork and dealing with problems all day.
Tips are not to compensate those who "work hard". They're...
Do you tip your garbage man? He works hard too. Do you tip the police officer who redirects traffic after the traffic lights are out of service? He's standing in 100° heat for hours on end. Do you tip the local independent baker who gets up at 4am and works till 9pm getting fresh bread, doing his paperwork and dealing with problems all day.
Tips are not to compensate those who "work hard". They're a way to thank people who go above and beyond their job to make your experience amazing. Waiters/Service staff in the US (in some states) don't get a decent living wage and tipping is a living requirement (until they finally change the law and oblige owners to pay everyone a decent living wage).
While housekeepers do a hard job, so many others do as well and don't get tipped.
I won't tip my garbage man until he comes into my yard, sorts my recycling and drags the bins out to the curb. Then puts them back again, neatly and in the right place. :)
In the US, Government employees (garbage collectors, police, etc) get pensions, Health benefits, and PTO. Most hotel housekeepers are part-time employees and do not receive the additional compensation that government workers do. There is a little chance that they will receive promotions or meaningful raises. Withholding tips from them will not fix the system. Three dollars to you may be an annoyance, but to them it may be milk, or bread, or their child’s lunch....
In the US, Government employees (garbage collectors, police, etc) get pensions, Health benefits, and PTO. Most hotel housekeepers are part-time employees and do not receive the additional compensation that government workers do. There is a little chance that they will receive promotions or meaningful raises. Withholding tips from them will not fix the system. Three dollars to you may be an annoyance, but to them it may be milk, or bread, or their child’s lunch. If you can afford to eat out, or travel, you can afford to tip.
1. My wife worked at various hotels (both in the US and EU) during the summer, and she says that housekeeping was far from the ”hardest”. Despite being grossed out now and then, she says that housekeeping was quite easy and that she never expected a tip.
2. I find that housekeeping in US hotels are generally worse than in Europe and Asia nowadays. I can’t imagine leaving a tip in/for a room that...
1. My wife worked at various hotels (both in the US and EU) during the summer, and she says that housekeeping was far from the ”hardest”. Despite being grossed out now and then, she says that housekeeping was quite easy and that she never expected a tip.
2. I find that housekeeping in US hotels are generally worse than in Europe and Asia nowadays. I can’t imagine leaving a tip in/for a room that wasn’t sparkling clean.
3. I leave $5 for an exceptionally well-cleaned room with daily service, $1 if it was good, and zero if I find a hair in the shower etc.
My sister had a holiday job as a room “servant” years ago. She said it was a tough job but she enjoyed it, but the pay was dreadful and she really relied on a few tips. Ever since then we have tipped nightly, with a short note - saying how long we are staying for and thanking for any niceties etc. £5 or $5 or €5 whatever. The payback is usually tremendous. Particularly in pricier hotel!
I never tip, but I always use “Dont make my room/Do not disturbe”
But I dont travel much to US
No, the hotel should pay them a decent salary.
$10/night, with $20 on the last night.
Anyone who tips does only one thing: Stoking TIPFLATION.
Of course we all know that businesses pay employees, and it has been proven that over time and tipping doesn't increase take home pay, but simply allows business to reduce the amount of wage they pay since the rest is made up by tipping.
Tipping everywhere simply stokes TIPFLATION, tipping jars everywhere, self-check out machines programmed to ask for tips, websites asking for tips etc.
Tippers...
Anyone who tips does only one thing: Stoking TIPFLATION.
Of course we all know that businesses pay employees, and it has been proven that over time and tipping doesn't increase take home pay, but simply allows business to reduce the amount of wage they pay since the rest is made up by tipping.
Tipping everywhere simply stokes TIPFLATION, tipping jars everywhere, self-check out machines programmed to ask for tips, websites asking for tips etc.
Tippers are the reason why tipping is out of control. Pure and simpler. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Stop tipping (outside of the rare occupation that it's tip-based, like restaurant SERVERS -- not self-serve)
@Jake... what a silly comment. Yes, in the US it can add up...but to blame "tipflation", a cute but stupid characterization. In fact, it's comments like yours that result in tips being added to the service fee.
And could the same logic be applied to white collar workers who may earn bonuses? Bonuses are based on performance, correct? So a tip to blue collar workers represents the same. Should white collar workers longer get bonuses?
The housekeeper takes at least 30 minutes to tidy up your room, change your bedding and clean you bathroom and you don't tip them because they're mostly invisible. But the vast majority of you would never NOT tip the valet, the porter, the room service guy, the same people who took 5 minutes to do their much easier job! Personally, I ALWAYS tip the housekeeper. I never tip the valet or room service guy and I never use a porter.
You tip a valet or porter because it is obviously an optional service, and thus a tip is expected. Housekeeping is not an optional service, you paid for it already. Why not also tip the check-in receptionist? The accountant in the back? The elevator repairman? It never ends.
I always tip around $5 a day in the US (occasionally more if I just have a $20 and don’t want to deal with breaking it. Part of this is because I make little effort to keep my room clean, so they work a lot on my room, and part of it is because I can afford it. I don’t make value judgments on people who don’t tip in the US, but if you can...
I always tip around $5 a day in the US (occasionally more if I just have a $20 and don’t want to deal with breaking it. Part of this is because I make little effort to keep my room clean, so they work a lot on my room, and part of it is because I can afford it. I don’t make value judgments on people who don’t tip in the US, but if you can it’s a nice thing to do.
Also, yes tipping culture in the US is out of control, but at restaurants here, unless there’s a service charge, there’s no excuse not to tip. If you can’t afford the tip in the US, you can’t afford the restaurant.
I don’t think it is about being able to afford the restaurant or not. As others have consistently pointed out, the employers should pay better. It is nice that you tip, but there are some waitstaff who expect or even demand a tip even if the service was non-existent or just barely at all.
There are also some waitstaff who would tell customers that the tip is not enough and want more. This is clearly...
I don’t think it is about being able to afford the restaurant or not. As others have consistently pointed out, the employers should pay better. It is nice that you tip, but there are some waitstaff who expect or even demand a tip even if the service was non-existent or just barely at all.
There are also some waitstaff who would tell customers that the tip is not enough and want more. This is clearly wrong and these types of waitstaff don’t get that good tips should come with good service. In some restaurants like in NYC, it is like ‘mandatory 18% percent’ that is added on to your check and another line below it asking you to tip even more. It is becoming too humorous.
Also, there are very posh restaurants outside of the U.S. that don’t expect tips at all. They get paid by their employers a fair wage for their living standards. It is an American thing.
If you can afford, your money will go much father supporting a charity than subsidizing an employer allowing them to lower their wage costs.
What about the line cook in the kitchen? Do you go into the kitchen to tip them? I used to leave a few dollars for the housekeepers, but not anymore. This just exasperates the tipping problem in the US. In California no one gets less than minimum wage and then in San Francisco most restaurants add 5 % or more to the bill for healthcare. The most ridiculous practice I recently came across is a...
What about the line cook in the kitchen? Do you go into the kitchen to tip them? I used to leave a few dollars for the housekeepers, but not anymore. This just exasperates the tipping problem in the US. In California no one gets less than minimum wage and then in San Francisco most restaurants add 5 % or more to the bill for healthcare. The most ridiculous practice I recently came across is a dim sum restaurant in Daly City just outside San Francisco called Koi Palace. No one tells you they added 18% service charge to ALL bills except a tiny notice in the bottom of the menu and a faded line item in the final bill. On the bill they still have suggested tips of 5/10/15 % for you to pick♂️. I mean what the f__!! Stop this insanity.
Often a line item service charge is designed specifically so people in the back of the house can benefit.
Now what if you’re in a Park Hyatt or equivalent hotel that charges a cash rate of 4 figures a night. Would $5 be really sufficient? My standard has always been $10-$20 per day.
$0 is the correct answer.
Yep. You pay 1000 per night and the housekeeper is bad paid. It is me to fix it?
Especially when it's $1000 per night plus a 10% "service charge".
I'm sorry you're a cheapskate to hardworking people who cleans your bed.
It’s the responsibility of the employer to remunerate the staff. It’s an American centric concept of tipping staff for doing a job they are contracted to do.
Some are very untidy and leave a complete mess. When I’m in a hotel I fold the towels, wipe surfaces in the bathroom and pull back the bedding as that’s how it was brought up.
I tip housekeeping if they allow me to stay in the room beyond the official check out time.
You tip housekeeping for something they have no control over?
You stupid chink. I tip them if they agree to clean other rooms (out of order) and come back to my room so I can stay longer when the hotel refused to extend my check out time. Stupid chink David.
YOU @Paul Weiss don't say what you think, so be specific before you start yelling here!
... maybe YOU should think first, before using words like "stupid" against others! ;-)
.... but i guess, EVERYBODY understands where you're coming from! Well done.
Oh, it's a bribe!
Paul, you can say what you want without the use of discriminatory words such as with the ‘c——‘ word. It’s very inappropriate. And like what @STEFFL said think before yelling.
How do you guys have cash constantly available? Most of the payments are cashless nowadays. Do you go to a stripper club to get $1 bills?
Tells us a lot more about you than us if that’s the only thing that comes to mind for you.
I have always been a strong advocate for tipping housekeeping. I tip $5-$20/day, depending on quality of hotel. They are the lowest paid and hardest working on property. However, even “premium” brands are still limiting housekeeping service since covid, which to me is awful and automatically disqualifies any “four star” claims. If they don’t clean my room or provide fresh towels/etc, I’m likely not returning and definitely not tipping.
I don’t tip housekeeping. I’m paying hundreds of dollars for a room. It’s the hotel’s responsibility to pay their employees. You don’t see Mr Marriott coming around with his hand out, do you? However, I bend over backwards to make housekeeping easy. I use one trash can and if possible, empty it myself. I straighten up my room and make my bed. They could totally ignore my room and I’d never notice, but sometimes I...
I don’t tip housekeeping. I’m paying hundreds of dollars for a room. It’s the hotel’s responsibility to pay their employees. You don’t see Mr Marriott coming around with his hand out, do you? However, I bend over backwards to make housekeeping easy. I use one trash can and if possible, empty it myself. I straighten up my room and make my bed. They could totally ignore my room and I’d never notice, but sometimes I notice that my bed-making was actually improved on while I was out. If given a choice, I decline daily housekeeping. No tip, but no guilt about it either.
In SE Asia where I travel the hotels add 10% value tax which is split equally among all employees. I stay at Hyatt and during the high season the employees make more money from the bonus than their salaries so I am tipping indirectly every day. Throw in that all these employees get free meals at the canteen working at hotel is a very good job in ASEAN countries.
Stop tipping for everything, it makes the rest of the world expect tips just cos theyre used to american tourists turning over cash anytime someone breathes.
this, a huge thing in Italy for instance.
I agree. I am European and my spouse is American. Outside of North America I am never hassled for a tip, but my wife instead often is -- last time was in Germany! -- as servers will take advantage of ignorant American tourists.
The Europeans have learned well that they can suck more money off of dumb Americans who will tip indeed .
In Italy if I speak Italian to the staff, never prompted for one. If they hear me speak American, every time, for which they got scolded for.
Good for them.
I never tip, because I never carry cash. Sometimes I do feel a bit guilty when they’re obviously making an effort to have the room by extra clean and organized… but at the same time I’m just totally sick of this ridiculous culture in the US. It’s getting so much worse too.
At the end of the day I’m losing the guilt really fast and am back to tipping 15% at sit down restaurants and little to nothing elsewhere, especially for takeout or counter service.
No. It's getting out of control. Include the cost of respectable wages for staff in the room rate, but do not expect that staff can make up the different their difference in livable wages by expecting guests to tip them.
It's the mindset that not tipping is you personally punishing the employee that keeps tipping around. You are not punishing the employee, the employer is punishing the employee.
And what are you doing to make the employer stop punishing the employee? Hotel cleaning staff not only work hard for us, but they frequently earn poverty-level wages. I know I can't fix that, so I'm going to alleviate their poverty rather than self-justify with the perfectly true observation that the employer is at fault.
The employer is punishing the employee by giving them a job? That's top level marxism right there.
I do not tip anyone at any hotel outside from those who works at an onsite F/B outlet. So I am not paying any one less including housekeeping.
When we pay $100 to stay at a Hampton Inn we won’t find a concierge, bell hop, room service, a musician, activities staff, kids club staff, pool staff, lounge attendants, periodic housekeeping (not daily and no turndown), on site maintenance team, etc.
However when we...
I do not tip anyone at any hotel outside from those who works at an onsite F/B outlet. So I am not paying any one less including housekeeping.
When we pay $100 to stay at a Hampton Inn we won’t find a concierge, bell hop, room service, a musician, activities staff, kids club staff, pool staff, lounge attendants, periodic housekeeping (not daily and no turndown), on site maintenance team, etc.
However when we stay at a higher end property paying 5-20x more per night all of these services are available. Sure the fixed costs are probably higher, but the main cost differentiator between a limited service property and a luxury property are the labor costs. That is why rooms cost significantly more and that is what we pay for in our room rates.
I do not tip anyone because if I tip one person the first thing that comes to mind is what about all the other people providing different services for us during our stay and I feel like I have to tip everyone when I am already paying for these services as part of my room rate.
Housekeeping should be paid appropriate wages and dare I say should be paid more than many front line employees at hotels and hotels trying to make customers subsidize employee wages through service charges, encouraging tips, resort fees, and whatever concoction some of them come up with should be ashamed. Build the wages in your room rates and we will pay for it if it’s a property I want to stay.
Tried this in a JW Marriott hotel in India to leave 200 indian rupees ($2.5) on the pillow only to have it put on the main work desk of the room, they took it as a mistake that I had it there!
:-) :-) happened to me too, since then, i always (always) put my cash in some chocolate MERCI bars and say what i want to say incl. the cash. Worldwide US$ will work all over. Since then, it was never seen as a mistake. ;-)
Please stop this despicable ugly American imperialist habit and respect the local culture. You're disrespecting the local culture, and literally treating people who are very proud to have a very sought-after luxury hotel job as if they were street mendicant, skewering their pride. Sickening.
This is golden. Now stupid Americans are trying to force and/or trick employees .... and feel proud about it ..
I always leave a tip. $5 a day means nothing to me but may make someone who works hard for a living happy. What a cheap and easy way for me to bring a little bit of happiness to someone whose efforts I appreciate.
More likely they just pocket it and dont think anything else about it.
@frrp really? You don’t think they appreciate it? Have you ever worked in the service industry? Tips add up.
Anyway I agree with Tim. Tipping is a small *non-mandatory* act of kindness. What a weird thing to get offended by.
The point is, it's not "non-mandatory" any longer. Ask anyone how much the pressure to tip has increased in all kinds of situations where tipping didn't used to be expected.
@TravellinPenis being so helpful as usual.
It's plain and simple. You tip, you are contributing to the problem.
You are enabling corporations to subsidizing their costs by supplementing wages with tips.
Go to websites like https://www.fairhotel.org or other union sponsored websites to find union hotels in the area you'll be traveling in.
Thanks. If I can't decide between two hotels, I can use the site to avoid unionized hotels where a strike could occur.
As the former founder of a tipped employee association, I do not believe housekeepers, by lawful category should be tipped. They are hourly workers and are paid at least the Federal Minimum Wage compared to a tipped category employee who has only to be paid $2.13 per hour if combined with tips and the cash wage adds up to $7.25. I know how ridiculous this sounds.
However, there are states where the state law...
As the former founder of a tipped employee association, I do not believe housekeepers, by lawful category should be tipped. They are hourly workers and are paid at least the Federal Minimum Wage compared to a tipped category employee who has only to be paid $2.13 per hour if combined with tips and the cash wage adds up to $7.25. I know how ridiculous this sounds.
However, there are states where the state law requires employers to pay tipped employees Federal minimum wage or higher. Instead of workers begging for tips or hopping their employer will be extra kind to them, they should unionize. With that said, after working almost all tipped jobs over my life I will say that I do tip house keepers, bell hops, valet, hair dressers and taxi drivers. None are actually tipped categories.
If you feel guilty, tell the management that you won't return until they pay their workers a living wage. Just stay at union hotels.
I completely agree with everything you do about tipping. We tip $5 per night. Just a thank you, really. It’s a tough job.
No, I generally don't. You can't even be sure the same person is cleaning your room every day during your stay. I have tipped once, and that was because I was sick and vomited on the sheets and on the way running to the bathroom. The housekeeper had to go above and beyond in that case.
Next time…should I tip my dental hygiene person too? The bank teller? The cop?
Does the cop make poverty wages? If so, tip the cop. But the answer is almost certainly no, so your comparison really is not apples-to-apples.
I don't know why is it that American customers have got in their heads that it is their responsibility to pay the service folks properly. It should be the responsibility of the business to pay the proper wages and benefits. By tipping you are hurting these people ever get good wages.
I was in Europe for a couple of weeks, and it was so refreshing to be away from the tipping disease that we have...
I don't know why is it that American customers have got in their heads that it is their responsibility to pay the service folks properly. It should be the responsibility of the business to pay the proper wages and benefits. By tipping you are hurting these people ever get good wages.
I was in Europe for a couple of weeks, and it was so refreshing to be away from the tipping disease that we have in US. We should go back to that while demanding a living wage for workers.
I always leave a note for the housekeeper with a $5-10 tip. They work extremely long hard hours and I appreciate a clean pillow and bed linens.
They aren’t paid tipped wages, like waiters. I’m not compelled to pay someone more for doing their job, just because it’s hard.
Do you tip a fast food worker? A grocery store check out clerk? Your doctor?
I agree with everything in the article and always tip housekeeping daily. I change larger bills at the front desk. And I leave a “thank you” note. Query if those that don’t tip housekeeping always tip valet and those who bring luggage to or from the rooom.
Agreed. Good analysis and good of you.
Like in every hotel and hospitality department, there's a difference between housekeeping vs excellent housekeeping service - just doing the minimum expected, i.e. "just" cleaning the room and doing what can be considered "paid for"/included in the room rate, is not excellent housekeeping service. Having travelled extensively in Asia, I'm used to housekeeping going the extra mile - even for someone being a very neat traveller - folding your clothes, arranging your shoes, nicely organizing...
Like in every hotel and hospitality department, there's a difference between housekeeping vs excellent housekeeping service - just doing the minimum expected, i.e. "just" cleaning the room and doing what can be considered "paid for"/included in the room rate, is not excellent housekeeping service. Having travelled extensively in Asia, I'm used to housekeeping going the extra mile - even for someone being a very neat traveller - folding your clothes, arranging your shoes, nicely organizing bathroom amenities, decorating your room, replacing ice buckets if you have a bottle cooling, and even leaving handwritten notes, etc etc., are all ways for housekeeping to enhance your experience, and thereby should be rewarded through generous tipping imo.
Pretty sure the tipping culture when it comes to housekeeping is about the same as ever... save for the hotels that have cut back (which still doesn't actually change the culture, since you'd only be tipping at the end or leaving it for when they come to the room and clean).
I haven't really changed my habits on this front since pre-pandemic.
As far as taxis go, I always figured since Ubers were being used...
Pretty sure the tipping culture when it comes to housekeeping is about the same as ever... save for the hotels that have cut back (which still doesn't actually change the culture, since you'd only be tipping at the end or leaving it for when they come to the room and clean).
I haven't really changed my habits on this front since pre-pandemic.
As far as taxis go, I always figured since Ubers were being used to replace taxis, drivers would be tipped accordingly. Nope. So I'd only say IF you're going to tip your taxi driver, IF you're going to tip your housekeeper, I hope you tip your uber driver, too.
Slow day eh? Rehash an old chestnut, an article that has done the rounds enough on this blog. Boring!
But you found it enticing enough to click and vent your spleen. Ben gets the clicks, and you get...nothing.
Sucker.
Well said, @TravelinWilly.
Curious if you tip based on the room rate. A $5 tip at a Ritz Carlton maybe low when a room goes for $400 a night verse staying in an
Courtyard that gets $100 a night.
When calculating the 15% tip for housekeeping on the room rate, do you include the Resort Fee or exclude?
I tip $3-5per night regardless of the rate. It’s not 15% of the stay.
I’m always quick to tip if I receive over and above service. In a free market, nobody is forced to work in an underpaid position against their will. I refuse to be guilted into subsidizing wages by hotel owners, management, hotel worker unions, or virtue signalers especially while room rates are sky high. I pay enough taxes and many of the “working poor” double dip and collect wages and government handouts.
It's really tone-deaf to talk about a "free market" in the travel industry, though I suppose the airline industry is worse than hotels in terms of getting bailouts and using bankruptcy law to get out of labor contracts.
I think a small tip for housekeeping in the US is reasonable -- I don't go out of my way to do it, but I have some cash I may.
My biggest pet peeve in the tipping/gratuity scene is US hotels that have adopted the European-style service fee model yet, in addition to said service fee, expect people to leave a generous tip on top of that. This essentially means every food/beverage ends up being ~35% higher than listed price. I say have one or the other, not both.
Why are we encouraging more tipping? While I agree housekeeping works hard... tipping is getting out of control.
agree 100%! . . . especially in North America!
"begging" for a lot of $$$ for not so much in return, incl. the dirtiest hotel rooms globally! Beginning with carpets, under the beds and even in bathrooms!
... BUT, i think it's a US management error, to beginn with. "HARD" work looks V E R Y different in the US compared to Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe at hotel Housekeeping. This is...
agree 100%! . . . especially in North America!
"begging" for a lot of $$$ for not so much in return, incl. the dirtiest hotel rooms globally! Beginning with carpets, under the beds and even in bathrooms!
... BUT, i think it's a US management error, to beginn with. "HARD" work looks V E R Y different in the US compared to Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe at hotel Housekeeping. This is no joke, most disgusting and filthiest hotel rooms are in the US, even at High Class properties, but they got the highest expectations on "Tips". Makes me sick! . . . 1 reason to avoid US Hotels whenever possible.
There's very good money in owning and operating hotels. Bill Gates didn't buy 71.25% of the Four Seasons group to get a discount on his room rate. Margins are high, yet employees are paid badly... Or very badly. It's a nice little earner if you own the property and/or the management company, though.
tipping culture is out of control in the US. we dont need to add something else to it
While I completely agree with all of this, it sure is hard as its a slippery slope when you really think about it. Do you tip the rental car cleaning team? How about the aircraft cleaning team?
I wish we could get back to tips are only for truly above and beyond service. It should never be 'expected' in any circumstance, anywhere. Including restaurants.
Here's the bright red line I use: If the workers make poverty wages, I tip. I suggest you glance through the book "Nickeled and Dimed" to see which service workers make the least. It left a big impression on me.