I'm not a big fan of the tip cards either - I've stayed at some hotels (not Marriotts, but some Cendant branded hotels while on mileage runs) where they actually leave an envelope with a handwritten "Thank You!" on it. I don't really appreciate it - also, it depends on the hotel as well & how clean the room was when I checked in. I've checked into some hotels (again, not Marriotts, but complete & total dumps for 1-night stays while passsing through) where there's streaks in the toilet or trash still in the trash can - in a place like, no way in hell am I tipping & if I'm traveling with a laptop or something valuable, I don't even leave it in the room - I'd feel better leaving in the trunk of my car.

I did do a stay in SLN at a Courtyard there a right after Christmas & on the notepad, there was a handwritten note from the housekeeper that said something like "Happy Holidays - I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay with us, sincerely, [insert HK's name]" - I did appreciate that & did leave a tip there. Often times, if I'm on a multinight stay (and I rarely am in the same place for more than 2-3 nights), if I have enough towels & toiletries & don't create too much trash, I'll leave the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door & not get any housekeeping - then, when I check out, I'll leave between $1-2 per night on top of the TV near the remote or in another obvious place as a tip - but only if the amount of cleaning that needs to be done is more than just a "touch up" and the overall service was good. Often times, while at hotels, I do go back to my room during the day to get some work done & even if I have the DND sign on the door, if a housekeeper sees me walking into the room, they'll ask if I need more towels or anything & I'm sure to tip those ones - who can anticipate my needs - at the end of the stay. I don't do a daily tip though - my tips are always at the end of the stay...