sc flier

This starts to help answer the question that I was coming up with as I read this. I'm a frequent business traveller, but my company does not have a stated policy about tips for housekeepers. On my expense reports, I have to put it in the "Other Expenses" category. Do any business travelers have a written guideline from their company about what is acceptable (or proper)?

I usually clean up a lot after myself and usually leave $1/day for low or mid-range hotels. More when my impact is greater. My company's accountants are pretty stingy on anything that doesn't have a receipt, so too much extra comes out of my pocket.

My pockets are surely deeper than my housekeepers', though. Right after college, I worked as a kid's activities director at a beach hotel in Florida. I wasn't supposed to mention my wage around the other employees because at about $6.50/hr I made more than almost anyone in the hotel other than the salaried managers. All but a few maids earned minimum wage + tips, but tips weren't huge and every extra dollar was appreciated (and needed). The management was great, though, and the staff was treated very well. The hotel was widely considered one of the best to work at in the city.

When I leave a tip, I usually place it under something that the maid has to put back in place. For example, I'll leave it under a bottle of shampoo on the counter. Sometimes I'll leave a short thank you note to make it obvious. If I know or suspect that my maid speaks Spanish, I sometimes leave a "Thank you / Gracias" note in her language. If I have special requests for things like extra towels, I'll try to do the same as best that I can.

A few weeks ago, I was touched to get a nice thank you note from my maid. I think that was at the Hilton Grand Vacations on the Las Vegas Strip.

I just got back from a resort stay at the Westin at Our Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island. At this property, a "union-mandated" service fee is added to the bill in the amount of $8 per person, per day. We left a thank you note and extra tip for a few specific individuals that made our week extra special. Tipped the porter for help with our bags, though a little less than I usually would have. Still, he seemed to be surprised by the generosity. Many were working hard at the hotel while they still have no power at home following Wilma. A super staff there!!!

ghia74

I leave about $10 for a 3 to 4 day stay. I tend to leave it all at once on the last day of my stay. I am a regular at my hotel and I realize by doing this I might miss a person here or there but figure in the long run I get everyone. I found that I was more inconsistent trying to leave a buck or two each day as I did not always have singles on me in the morning.

crimyla

I never leave a daily tip for the maids. If I ask for something special, I will tip that person personally. Now you have these hotels charging a "resort fee" and not even changing the linens.

But I always over tip breakfast waitresses especially when I am in Georgia at Waffle House!

ExpoTrac

I also would have a hard time expensing tips left for housekeeping - I also wonder what the prevailing policy is among other corporations.

On business trips, I do not generally leave a tip - but I also leave my room in the same order I found it - Ironing board & luggage rack replaced, trash in trash cans, etc. As I don't require any special services I don't see the need to leave a tip - I know housekeepers are not paid well, but neither are dishwashers, the folks who wash the sheets, etc. - and you don't tip them either. Certainly if I requested some special services (or extra toiletries) I will tip, but I feel the daily room servicing is part of the cost you pay for the room.

paradocs

I try to leave $2-3 per day (a little more if some of the family is along). I leave it with a note of thanks by the coffee pot. And I always pick up after myself.

I fully agree with one of the posts above that housekeeping in a hotel has got to be one of the toughest jobs.

dickieH

Coming from a country where tipping is not the norm (Australia) I've had a hard time here in the States for tipping for EVERYTHING! To me I pay for a service and that price should reflect what it costs to pay everyone involved. Whilst I agree being a maid is a tough job, the hotel should pay them properly. By tipping the maid it basically takes the pressure off the hotel to pay them properly.

And when will tipping come to a stop. ie. who gets tipped and who doesn't? Do you tip someone at a fast food place? Most likely no, but why not they're doing the same job as someone walking upto you at a resturant.

Shift the cost back to the employers and make them get their priorities right otherwise it's only going to get worse where someone ONLY works for tips and they will do it because some money is better than no money right?

LV702

We do have a policy on tipping, but we can expese it all.

chardo

I hope I do not come across as offensive, but even if you can't expense it, what are you out, like 10-20 bucks for a week's stay? Not really the end of the world is it? And in reply to Dickie fast food clerks do not do nearly as much for you as a waiter/waitress...
Again, no offense intended!

TTT103

I am so glad to see this post becuase the housekeepers are one of the hardest working departments in the hotel, and the least paid. I generally leave $1-$2 a night and bit more on the final night due to the complete change of linens required upon check-out.

high_flyer

I agree this is a great post.

I stayed at the W hotel on Times Square and ordered a Stoli Screwdriver in Feb 2002. My little flute of orange juice and overpriced vodka cost me $17.50 and I gave a $2.50 tip by giving her a $20. (To which I received a memorable scowl from the beautiful model bartender behind the counter) for undertipping. After that, I was upset I even tipped her in the first place.

Think about the amount of work she did to get that $2.50 tip (and how indignant she was), vs what a housekeeper get's for a salary cleaning up your messy toilet on her hands and knees.

Think twice about tipping that indignant model waitress making $120,000 a year on tips, and instead give some to the housekeeper. You'll feel amazingly good about yourself.

I wish I would have thought about it 2 years ago.

767300ER

I was in a Montreal hotel about 1 month ago and I noticed an "open house" type event to recruit new housekeeping staff. One of the manager on site told me that in that property new maids were paid $16.00/ 18.00hr CDN which is not a salary that I consider low wage even if the job is tough.

I typically tip on longer stay, and give more in a resort type hotel.

sc flier

No offense taken. You're right. And as I said, I know my pockets are deeper than my maid, and so I do tip. Yes, I can afford it. Between extra tips for maids and extra cash tips for drinks, I can easily be out $10 - $20 per week. But as a business traveller, I'm in hotels more than every other week. And that adds up to $260 - $520 per year.

No, not the end of the world, but I'd rather my company (or my client) pay it rather than leave me to do the right thing out of my own pocket. But our travel policy doesn't give any guidelines, and some of our managers and accountants don't necessarily have the same opinion of tipping as we do.

When I started with my company in 1997, my first manager travelled more than I do. He questioned my maid tips on my first expense report. I explained them, and he said that he'd never even thought to leave a tip for the maid. I asked what he thought those little envelopes in some hotel rooms were for. He always approved my expenses, and I just hope that he was a little enlightened.

Globehopper

Another Waffle House fan! ^

Prestige

How many of you actually add this to your expense account?

high_flyer

why does it matter?