Tipping Cleaning Staff at Hotels/Motels

[Mapmikey]

My wife worked serving tables at a chain steakhouse when we were first married (1990) in South Carolina.  Minimum wage then was $3.35/hr and she was paid $2.10/hr plus tips.  She often got tips that were comically small, so we have always tried to be generous with tipping at restaurants.  And it is definitely true that if you visit the same eateries repeatedly and you tip well, they DO recognize you and you get better service.  One thing to remember about this compensation scheme is that there will be days when the server has to work a mostly not-busy time for the restaurant and they will not get that many tips.

We also tip hotel housekeeping if we stay multiple nights or if we leave a mess from eating dinner in the room, etc. 

I also stay in Marriott properties a lot and their lower end brands do not generally have tipping envelopes.  Something new though was this past summer in an actual Marriott they offered 500 points on our rewards program for every night that we requested no housekeeping service, up to 3 nights in a row.  So we did that but still left a few bucks at the end since we were there several nights.

In terms of figuring out who needs tips to earn a living, we think about this more when outside the US (although we are aware from our own experiences that the South needs more help with this than other parts of the country outside the big cities).  So when we went to Cuba recently we researched the issue in advance so that we knew whether (and how much) to tip.  Most Cubans do not earn a whole lot of $ so we tipped the guy who toured us around in his 1948 Ford 50% of what he charged us and gave nice tips to our tour bus driver and tour guide from an all-day tour earlier in the day.  Down there they can get away a little bit with not giving the government so much of their earnings when it is through tipping.

[thenetwork]

Since the majority of my hotel stays are work-related and just for myself, I usually only request housekeeping every other day for 3+ day stays.  So if it's a 2-night stay, I don't even have housekeeping at all since I'm gone by the 2nd morning.  My company usually puts me in hotels where they don't skimp on the towels, so I usually have a 2+ day supply, and most of the rooms have 2 beds so if I so desire, I have a 2-day supply of fresh bedding as well.

[hbelkins]

Since the majority of my hotel stays are work-related and just for myself, I usually only request housekeeping every other day for 3+ day stays.  So if it's a 2-night stay, I don't even have housekeeping at all since I'm gone by the 2nd morning.  My company usually puts me in hotels where they don't skimp on the towels, so I usually have a 2+ day supply, and most of the rooms have 2 beds so if I so desire, I have a 2-day supply of fresh bedding as well.

I would guess that most hotels/motels don't change the bedding every night unless the occupant of the room is going to be someone different. Does anyone change their bedding every day at home? I wouldn't think so.

[CtrlAltDel]

When I am staying in a hotel for longer than that I tend to leave the DND tag on the door except on days when I want the trash emptied

When the trash is full, I'll usually just put the can out in the hall during cleaning time. The staff will usually change it in an hour or so.

[allniter89]

When I am staying in a hotel for longer than that I tend to leave the DND tag on the door except on days when I want the trash emptied

When the trash is full, I'll usually just put the can out in the hall during cleaning time. The staff will usually change it in an hour or so.

I recently left my full trashcans in the hallway b/c I like to sleep late. When I woke up the trash cans were gone. It seems management doesnt want the cans left in the hall b/c they could draw roaches or someone could drop a lit cigarette in it & start a fire, this coming from the hotel manager. I asked isnt this a smoke free bldg? He mumbled something in Pakistani & shuffled off.

[Scott5114]

It seems management doesnt want the cans left in the hall b/c they could draw roaches or someone could drop a lit cigarette in it & start a fire, this coming from the hotel manager. I asked isnt this a smoke free bldg?

Good luck getting every customer to actually act the way they're supposed to. People are animals.

[Duke87]

How does placing a trash can in the hallway make it more likely to attract roaches than leaving the same can in your room?

[jakeroot]

Just spent three nights at a Wyndham in Los Angeles. We tipped $5 each day before we left. Room came back looking excellent! I suspect it would have looked the same regardless, but I sleep better at night knowing that I helped a family who's probably not very rich, and could use the tax-free income.

[kphoger]

How does placing a trash can in the hallway make it more likely to attract roaches than leaving the same can in your room?

They probably more attracted to the TV set, anyway...

[Roadgeekteen]

Just spent three nights at a Wyndham in Los Angeles. We tipped $5 each day before we left. Room came back looking excellent! I suspect it would have looked the same regardless, but I sleep better at night knowing that I helped a family who's probably not very rich, and could use the tax-free income.

$5 will not buy much.

[cl94]

I generally tip a couple bucks a day if I'm somewhere for multiple nights, especially if I'm on a work-related trip (because they're footing the bill). Rarely do if I'm somewhere for just one night, as I make every attempt to leave the room spotless.

I like the little toiletries they use. I always bring my own soap, shampoo, etc., but I will always stash the hotel-supplied goodies when I get to the room, with the exception of one bar of soap I use for hand-washing. Sometimes you just get soap and shampoo, in other places you will get conditioner and lotion and even mouthwash.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who does this. I rarely have to buy bathroom hand soap because I just use the hotel stuff. When I was a kid, my dad traveled a lot for business and I loved when he'd bring home the hotel soap for me; still love bringing that stuff home.

[Roadgeekteen]

I generally tip a couple bucks a day if I'm somewhere for multiple nights, especially if I'm on a work-related trip (because they're footing the bill). Rarely do if I'm somewhere for just one night, as I make every attempt to leave the room spotless.

I like the little toiletries they use. I always bring my own soap, shampoo, etc., but I will always stash the hotel-supplied goodies when I get to the room, with the exception of one bar of soap I use for hand-washing. Sometimes you just get soap and shampoo, in other places you will get conditioner and lotion and even mouthwash.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who does this. I rarely have to buy bathroom hand soap because I just use the hotel stuff. When I was a kid, my dad traveled a lot for business and I loved when he'd bring home the hotel soap for me; still love bringing that stuff home.

Is taking hotel soap home not illeagal?

[cl94]

Is taking hotel soap home not illeagal?

Of course it's legal. The toiletries are complimentary. And being as they have to throw out anything that is opened, the hotels consider this to be a sunk cost. Not like the stuff costs more than 25-50 cents/room

Edit: quote tag

[jakeroot]

Just spent three nights at a Wyndham in Los Angeles. We tipped $5 each day before we left. Room came back looking excellent! I suspect it would have looked the same regardless, but I sleep better at night knowing that I helped a family who's probably not very rich, and could use the tax-free income.

$5 will not buy much.

You gotta expand beyond just my $5. Assuming the average house-person cleans 20-30 rooms a day (wild guess), if just 10 rooms leave $5 (the rest leave nothing), that's $50 in their pocket at the end of the day. Multiply that by a standard 5-day work-week, and they're bringing in $1000/month in untaxed income. That's a lot of money for some people.

You can probably guess that tips are part of my income.

[kphoger]

Just spent three nights at a Wyndham in Los Angeles. We tipped $5 each day before we left. Room came back looking excellent! I suspect it would have looked the same regardless, but I sleep better at night knowing that I helped a family who's probably not very rich, and could use the tax-free income.

$5 will not buy much.

You gotta expand beyond just my $5. Assuming the average house-person cleans 20-30 rooms a day (wild guess), if just 10 rooms leave $5 (the rest leave nothing), that's $50 in their pocket at the end of the day. Multiply that by a standard 5-day work-week, and they're bring in $1000/month in untaxed income. That's a lot of money for some people.

You can probably guess that tips are part of my income.

Besides which, who said $5 can't buy very much?  It can buy a MEAL.

[thenetwork]

Just spent three nights at a Wyndham in Los Angeles. We tipped $5 each day before we left. Room came back looking excellent! I suspect it would have looked the same regardless, but I sleep better at night knowing that I helped a family who's probably not very rich, and could use the tax-free income.

$5 will not buy much.

You gotta expand beyond just my $5. Assuming the average house-person cleans 20-30 rooms a day (wild guess), if just 10 rooms leave $5 (the rest leave nothing), that's $50 in their pocket at the end of the day. Multiply that by a standard 5-day work-week, and they're bring in $1000/month in untaxed income. That's a lot of money for some people.

You can probably guess that tips are part of my income.

Besides which, who said $5 can't buy very much?  It can buy a MEAL.

It buys their round-trip transportation on the bus getting to and from work, or their gas if they drive to work.

[kphoger]

If gas is 2.50 a gallon, their car gets 25 mpg, and five bucks pays for their commute, then that would have them living 25 miles from work.

[jakeroot]

If gas is 2.50 a gallon, their car gets 25 mpg, and five bucks pays for their commute, then that would have them living 25 miles from work.

According to the FHWA, the average commute is 15 miles one-way: https://goo.gl/V5zKBX -- assuming this house-person is "average", $5 would pay for their commute, and a coffee!

Damn, $5 goes far.

[Scott5114]

It's kind of amazing how far you can stretch money if you are committed to doing so. That is, being a tightwad. I've had entire lunches that cost 48¢, for instance. Meaning that if that housekeeper were in a position where they could do that, they could buy almost 10½ lunches with that $5.

They might get sick of ramen, though.

[Roadgeekteen]

If gas is 2.50 a gallon, their car gets 25 mpg, and five bucks pays for their commute, then that would have them living 25 miles from work.

According to the FHWA, the average commute is 15 miles one-way: https://goo.gl/V5zKBX -- assuming this house-person is "average", $5 would pay for their commute, and a coffee!

Damn, $5 goes far.

I spend over $5 on school lunch.

[kphoger]

If gas is 2.50 a gallon, their car gets 25 mpg, and five bucks pays for their commute, then that would have them living 25 miles from work.

According to the FHWA, the average commute is 15 miles one-way: https://goo.gl/V5zKBX -- assuming this house-person is "average", $5 would pay for their commute, and a coffee!

Damn, $5 goes far.

I spend over $5 on school lunch.

But that doesn't mean $5 can't buy much.  It just means you personally spend more than necessary on lunch.

[Brandon]

It's kind of amazing how far you can stretch money if you are committed to doing so. That is, being a tightwad. I've had entire lunches that cost 48¢, for instance. Meaning that if that housekeeper were in a position where they could do that, they could buy almost 10½ lunches with that $5.

They might get sick of ramen, though.

You can get a whole lot more than ramen for under $5 if you're careful at a grocer.

[kphoger]

It's kind of amazing how far you can stretch money if you are committed to doing so. That is, being a tightwad. I've had entire lunches that cost 48¢, for instance. Meaning that if that housekeeper were in a position where they could do that, they could buy almost 10½ lunches with that $5.

They might get sick of ramen, though.

You can get a whole lot more than ramen for under $5 if you're careful at a grocer.

There's also stuff to put IN the ramen.  Which can be amazing.  Onions, potatoes, these things are cheap.

[briantroutman]

If you're paying over $5 for a "school lunch" , I can't imagine that it's the kind of federally subsidized lunch that comes in a multi-section tray (like the one below). Either you're buying food items a la carte, or you're going to a private school which can charge whatever it wants. School districts set their own prices, but the average for middle school lunches nationwide is $2.54.

[Roadgeekteen]

If you're paying over $5 for a "school lunch" , I can't imagine that it's the kind of federally subsidized lunch that comes in a multi-section tray (like the one below). Either you're buying food items a la carte, or you're going to a private school which can charge whatever it wants. School districts set their own prices, but the average for middle school lunches nationwide is $2.54.

I buy double or triple lunch.