Housekeeping is a physically demanding type of employment. Tasks involve making beds, vacuuming floors, washing and tidying rooms, cleaning bathrooms and the list does not stop there. Although frequently providing invisible services during your stay, hotel maids can and should be tipped for the best service. By tipping correctly, you show appreciation for housekeeping work and make sure that the chambermaid will take special care of your room. Tip incorrectly, or not at all, and misunderstandings or poor service can arise. Below are some suggestions on how to tip a hotel maid for your next trip.
Tip Daily
The same maid cannot service your room each night of your stay. If you wait unless check-out time to tip for the complete stay, your tip cannot go to the right person. Furthermore, it’s recommended to leave a tip in cash, rather than spare change. This aid alleviates the confusion on whether that is the guest’s loose change or not.
Mark Your Tip Clearly
Leaving cash in the room isn’t a clear enough signal, as a hotel maid can be very careful about taking anything from your room. Enclose the tip in a sealed envelope. You can also check the desk drawer and mark its housekeeping. If you cannot find an envelope, you can ask the front desk to provide one. If that does not work either, you can always wrap the bills in a blank sheet of paper and then label them appropriately. When you travel internationally, learn how to write housekeeping in the local language. You can always call the front desk if you are not sure how, so you can label the envelope accordingly.
Leave Your Tip in an Obvious Place
You want to make it simple for housekeeping to find your tip and mark it clear that it’s a tip for them. Few recommended places to leave the tip involve on the TV, on top of the pillows on the bed, the bathroom counter, or on top of the desk.
Tip According to Service and Hotel Type
In luxury or high-end hotel, it is recommended to tip up to $5 each night. For an average hotel, $2-$3 per night is suggested. Travelers should also keep in mind that if there’re 3 or more guests in a room or suite, tipping rates should raise. If the maid goes above and beyond in services, like providing extra shampoos and soaps or folding towels in the shape of swans, feel free to leave a dollar or two more. It is also great to take into account the location of your hotel. If it is in a more expensive area like Hawaii, then you may want to tip more. Tipping should take place at all types of hotels. but motels are the one exception if you are staying for one night only.
Do not Tip for Poor Service
Like all tips, if you are not satisfied with the service that housekeeping provides, do not leave a tip. Alternatively, you can also decrease the amount you will tip or alert the front desk if you’ve any specific complaints.
How Much to Tip Hotel Housekeeping
Just how much of a tip is appropriate? Post recommends tipping $2-$5 per day. The American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Gratuity Guide suggests $1-$5 per day. Industry-standard, according to the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), is about $5 per day in the United States. Make sure to tip every day rather than leaving one large tip before checking out on your last day. Different housekeepers will likely clean your room throughout your stay. If you ask for further towels or make some other special requests, the consensus is that a $1-$2 tip is appropriate for each delivery.
Where to Leave the Tip
Leave your tip on the nightstand or desk in an envelope, or put it with a thank you note. That way you do not keep your housekeeper guessing, and you know the money gets into the right hands. If you forget to leave your tip in your room and instead leave it with another staff member, there’re, unfortunately, no guarantees that the cash will reach your housekeeper.
Tipping at Upscale Hotels
Should you tip more at nicer hotels? That depends, say the experts. Etiquette expert Diane Gottman suggests tipping more in finer hotels. The level of service and the quality of the hotel and location will play a part in the amount of gratuity. However, you should not tip more in an upscale hotel. Whether it is a 3-5-star property, housekeepers make approximately the similar wages across the board in a given city. Tip more if the service is exceptional, says Post. Do not leave less tip just because you are at a motel instead of the Waldorf. No matter where you are staying, if you did not receive the best service, then do not feel obligated to leave a tip. But do remember that sometimes certain factors are out of the housekeeper’s control.
Tipping Hotel Housekeeping Overseas
Every country has different customs around tipping. It is great to ask the concierge or take the time to research the destination’s culture and tipping customs before you travel.
Tipping for Exceptional Service
In each corner of the world, housekeepers have a difficult and labor-intensive job. People should thank their housekeepers if they see them, particularly if the hotel’s housekeeping staff has gone the extra mile. If you find the services exceptional and best in the hotel or other place where you are staying, then it is time you should tip the cleaning staff as they deserve for excellent service. However, if you are not satisfied with the cleaning or maid services or other services, then it is not necessary to tip and actually, you should not tip in this situation.
