Hotel maid tipping practices?

[albie]

I just read through a thread from about a year ago that touched on this, but thought I'd ask again, with some more specifics:
- when you're staying at a nice hotel, do you tip the maid every day?
- does the answer vary by country or hotel type (e.g. small boutique vs large chain)?
- how do you do the tipping? put money in an envelope? leave cash out? leave a note with it?
- I often read that you should tip the same day, since you might have a different maid the next day -- but until you return to the room, how do you know if they deserve something extra?
- do you behave the same for business trips as personal trips? (I can't expense tips on business trips...)

This is the biggest mystery to me when travelling -- so thanks for your suggestions and ideas!

[sandyweb33]

hi albie==my personal preference is to tip daily due to change of staff. I leave $5/d because I figure I easily waste that on trips so why not give it to someone who is performing a service for me? So far, i guess i have been lucky in that the housekeeping service has always done a fairly good to really good job for me. i usually stay in nicer hotels: marriotts, renaissance, jw marriotts, and the upper end starwoods. whether i stay at a luxury resort or a 4 Points i leave the same amt. (some of the reason i tip is because i had a grandmother who worked really hard into old age as a hotel maid. also my best friend's granny also worked as a hotel maid. they never complained and seemed to like their work!) When i leave my tip i think of them. i leave the tip on a piece of paper and write "thank you" (and add if i need something). i tip the same in any country and i don't travel much on business but when i do i tip on my own dime. hope this is helpful.

[Thalassa]

Originally Posted by sandyweb33

hi albie==my personal preference is to tip daily due to change of staff. I leave $5/d because I figure I easily waste that on trips so why not give it to someone who is performing a service for me?

Coming from from a country with practically no tipping (Finland), the whole practise seems quite bizarre. I am paying a business for a service, for instance a hotel room. It would seem a reasonable expectation that maid service (along with other things) is a part of the service I have purchased and paid for. All of a sudden it turns out that I am expected to pay extra for an integral part of the service. The same for the porter, the concierge, the doorman, etc.

If the system is rigged so that employees depend on tips for a significant portion of their income (AFAIK, this is the case in restaurants), there is something fundamentally wrong with the system -- instead of pricing their service truthfully, hotels and restaurants advertise misleading prices which do not cover their cost base and then expect guests to pay extra for the rest.

Cheers,
T.

[sandyweb33]

is it wrong or is it different cultures?

[mario33]

Originally Posted by sandyweb33

i tip the same in any country and i don't travel much on business but when i do i tip on my own dime.

It is extremely rude to your host (country) to export american habits which are generally frowned upon outside of North America.

[Kagehitokiri]

Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri

Tipping
Do you tip twice?
Tipping at luxury hotels
Tipping and gratuity at luxery hotels
Concierge Tipping
Tipping housekeepers?
Club Level Tipping
Tipping at Amanresorts (and Four Seasons)

tried to compile the tipping threads

It is extremely rude to your host (country) to export american habits which are generally frowned upon outside of North America.

tipping is not an american invention / only done in america.

[mario33]

Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri

tipping is not an american invention / only done in america.

I am refering to tipping housekeeping staff. If its done elsewhere, I am sure its a country thats frequently visited by Americans.

[andrzej]

Originally Posted by albie

I just read through a thread from about a year ago that touched on this, but thought I'd ask again, with some more specifics:
- when you're staying at a nice hotel, do you tip the maid every day?
- does the answer vary by country or hotel type (e.g. small boutique vs large chain)?
- how do you do the tipping? put money in an envelope? leave cash out? leave a note with it?
- I often read that you should tip the same day, since you might have a different maid the next day -- but until you return to the room, how do you know if they deserve something extra?
- do you behave the same for business trips as personal trips? (I can't expense tips on business trips...)

This is the biggest mystery to me when travelling -- so thanks for your suggestions and ideas!

If it's the same thread I'm thinking of then I'm pretty sure it answered everyone of your questions.....why start a new one with exact same questions

Not much has changed since a year ago.

[obscure2k]

Originally Posted by andrzej

If it's the same thread I'm thinking of then I'm pretty sure it answered everyone of your questions.....why start a new one with exact same questions

Not much has changed since a year ago.

I have to agree that one more thread on tipping will not add to the Luxury Hotel Forum. Therefore, I am closing this thread and ask that you follow the links which Kagehitokiri has so thoughtfully provided.
Obscure2k
Moderator
Luxury Hotels