by juley g.
Member since:
August 28, 2007

Do you tip your hotel housekeeper?

September 02, 2009 10:11 AM EDT
views: 190 | comments: 22

I recently read an article on MSN.com called Confessions of a Hotel Housekeeper that absolutely shocked me.  We travel a lot and I had never given much thought to the person who was cleaning our room.  I am a clean freak and so is my husband so you will not come into our home or hotel room and find a mess.  We pick up our own trash, we do not leave clothes on the floor and we hang up our towels.  I put all my products back in the bag before I leave the room for the day so that no one would have to clean around them.  It is disgusting to me to think that some people go to a hotel and forget the way they were raised.  Come on people!  Just because you aren't the one cleaning it up doesn't mean that gives you the right to be filthy!

I honestly didn't know you are supposed to tip the housekeeper.  The article was pretty gross, the housekeeper stated that she had cut corners and really didn't clean where she didn't have to.  She said that you can't tell the difference between a clean sink and a sink that has just been dried. 

The thing that was worse were the comments.  Another housekeeper had posted a comment saying that you should hide your toothbrush because if you don't tip her she will clean the toilet with your toothbrush!!!  EWWW!   Now, I am thinking of taking my toothbrush with me on outings just to be sure. 

We are leaving for Hawaii on Friday and will be staying in a resort for 8 days.  I have made an envelope for each day with a little thank you note in them and I will add cash to the envelopes.  I am still not sure how much to tip the housekeeper daily.  Is $5 enough?  Then maybe a bonus at the end of the week??  Do you tip the housekeeper?

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Comments: 22

adam w. Sep 2, 2009, 10:15am EDT
Yep. Always a few bucks, depending on how long I stay.
Absolutely! Ever day a few dollars, and then a larger tip at the end of my stay. I also am anal about how the room looks when they get there and most of the time, spruce it up myself before they get there. Just about everything is put away, beds are at least made tidy but not completely made. Any messes are cleaned up. That's just me.
Deb J. Sep 2, 2009, 10:20am EDT
I always have but we no longer have the money to travel anymore so I don't even remember what I used to tip them!
N. L. D. Sep 2, 2009, 10:31am EDT
I've never tipped a housekeeper. That is their job.
Donald M. Sep 2, 2009, 10:35am EDT
To be honest, never thought about it. Guess I had better think about this one.
☃ Aunt Shanny Sep 2, 2009, 10:36am EDT
I only tip a housekeeper when staying at a really nice resort type hotel. I guess I was just assuming they actually cleaned when they came in.
Carla B. Sep 2, 2009, 10:37am EDT
Yeah, I always tip the housekeeper. We rarely spend more than one night in a hotel anymore, though, so I don't have to worry about them using my toothbrush or anything. ;)

My best friend's mom was the cleaning manager at a hotel when I was in high school, and we went with her to work sometimes, and helped clean when they were short staffed. Some people are really gross when they stay in hotels. And some people leave the weirdest things. We had a guy leave a 12 pack of beer once as a tip. It had a note on it and everything. lol
Monica H. Sep 2, 2009, 10:39am EDT
I had never thought about tipping the housekeeper, but the next time I stay in a hotel I will do that.
Absolutely!
My Mom used to clean hotel rooms & their wages are usually low/minimum wage. You are supposed to tip your housekeeper & don't wait until the last day to do it! On the last day you may be tipping someone that only cleaned your room that day.
Tip each day. $5 is plenty, you could probably do $3 if you do not have children/leave a mess.
Dusty Hubbard Sep 2, 2009, 11:20am EDT
I never realized until a few years ago that you were supposed to tip the housekeeper. Usually we only stay a night or two at most in hotels and I don't think I would tip for that. I do not make a fuss about the housekeeping and most times I will keep the do not disturb sign up so that they don't feel the need to come in and clean my room. When I go on cruises I always tip the housekeeping. They are so attentive and come in 3+ times a day to clean, turn down bedding etc. Also, I would probably tip the housekeeping if I stayed in a luxury hotel.
☼ Lisa ☼ G. Sep 2, 2009, 11:28am EDT
I have left tips befire but I also consider what the place looks like when I first arrive at the hotel we recently we and stayed in a cabin and when I arrived it didn't even seem clean to me..I also am a neat freak so I clean up after myself and dont' leave a mess
scott .. Sep 2, 2009, 11:29am EDT
The room is very neat when i check out. That's my tip. Now if they have assisted me they get a nice tip.
Marianne R. Sep 2, 2009, 11:57am EDT
Yep, I always tip
d d. Sep 2, 2009, 12:23pm EDT
ewwww about the toothbrush, i would hide it even when tipping a housekeeper.
Veronica Hosking Sep 2, 2009, 1:51pm EDT
I never thought about tipping housekeeping. When I was little, my parents took us on a lot of vacations, staying at quite a few hotels. I never saw them leave a tip so it didn't cross my mind. I am also like you though; we don't leave the room a disaster area. If my girls do leave a bit of a mess and we are going to be staying there for awhile, we put up the do not disturb sign so we can get back and clean it first.
Sarah (I want points) Sep 2, 2009, 1:53pm EDT
I always thought that that service was included in the hotel charge. At least with the hotels we stay at.
We generally put up the do not disturb sign and clean ourselves. We're not necessarily clean freaks, but I am anal about germs and have been known to bleach a hotel hot tub before using it! that being said, I usually tip a couple of dollars each day anyway, because I know they don't make much and their job sucks.
Sophie S. Sep 2, 2009, 4:27pm EDT
I know what you mean about people being nasty in the rooms they get. When my extended family was traveling all together for a funeral I could not believe how disgusting their rooms were. They let the kids dump trash on the floor and just be outright pigs. My parents would never allow us to leave a place looking like that, regardless of whose place it was.

When we stay somewhere for a while, we always leave a tip. If it is just overnight at an inn on the side of the room, I don't think I have.
Linda T. Sep 3, 2009, 12:18am EDT
We always tip the housekeeper unless they do a terrible job. I could never leave my room a mess either. On our last trip, which was to Hawaii, the housekeeper went out of her way to clean our room. It was a work trip for my husband so he was gone by 6:00 am. I liked to lounge around in the morning and the housekeeper did our floor early. She made it a point to save our room for last when she knew I would be finally out.
Steph-in-NE ..... Sep 3, 2009, 12:55am EDT
not if they do crappy jobs, I see ahir in bath tub or something on the table forget it...
Heather ~of the Whippets~ M. Sep 5, 2009, 1:23am EDT
Only a very foolish person would not tip or tip poorly when it comes to housekeeping on an extended stay or at any restaurant that you go to on a semi-regular basis. Tip, and tip well.
Lady of Lake Merritt =P Sep 19, 2009, 5:33am EDT
yes we tip, my yeti works in the hotel biz and so we must

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