i too am perplexed by the personal/business tipping method. i'm even more fascinated that someone on the foodstamp program would be bothered by a working individual receiving a stipend for laboring in an undesirable job when in essence their income taxes were subsidizing your meals.

btw i do $3 on the pillow

+1

I cannot believe the number of people who don't tip. If your company gives you a per diem or allows you to claim actual expenses, there is no reason that you shouldn't be tipping. Your per diem is supposed to cover housekeeping gratuities.

As another poster said, the people here on Flyertalk are well to do compared to housekeeping staff. You may not agree with tipping to subsidize wages, but that is how the service industry operates (at least here in the US). Your "protest" of this just sounds like greed to me.

Those who don't tip on pleasure travel are even more ridiculous. I have a friend who refuses to tip at restaurants. When I go to eat with him, I tell him -- if you can't afford to tip, don't eat at restaurants. What I'd like to say to Flyertalk is -- if you can't afford to tip, don't stay at hotels.

I am in an entry level position in my field. I make a decent living, but I am not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. I always tip housekeeping. I spend 3 nights a week in hotels, almost every week. I receive a per diem which is supposed to cover housekeeping gratuities, and therefore, I tip housekeeping.

If you are a government worker, this is partially correct but not entirely. Each day's per diem includes $3 for incidentals, and according to the Federal Travel Regulation -

describes Incidental Expenses as: A. Fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, hotel maids, stewards or stewardesses and others on ships, and hotel servants in foreign countries. B. Transportation between places of lodging or business and places where meals are taken, it suitable meals cannot be obtained at the temporary duty site. C. Mailing cost associated with filing travel vouchers and payment of Government charge card billings.

So that $3 has to cover a lot more then just the housekeeping tip, especially if you have to catch an airport shuttle to and from either the hotel or the car rental place.

No, I don't tip the doorman(unless he carries my luggage, that's an extra service) and I never use valet unless I am forced to. I hate hotels that force you to use valet and avoid staying in those hotels whenever possible. I make my own beds and decline housekeeping unless I am traveling with family.I don't know why I need new towels and new toiletries every day if I am traveling by myself. Hotels always tell you to "reuse your towels" to be "environment-friendly." So I always do it the "environment-fiendly" way and reuse the towels.
This week I have a lot of trash and I am going to bag and seal the trash before I leave. In my opinion, the hotels should pay their housekeeping workers adequately.

There are exceptions. When I stay at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa hotel I always leave a tip because their housekeeping and Concierge staff always go the extra miles. They really do more than their jobs normally require and I would be embarassed if I don't tip them.

Well, sometimes I'd rather make the room and bed in my own way. I don't want anyone to come in and mess with "my way". Unless I stay for more than a week, I don't think I really need housekeeping. The hotels always tell you to reuse your towel... sometimes when I let housekeeping come in, they always do the good service by replacing them with clean ones.. Not sure if I should thank them for the good service or complain.

That's so true. I don't like doing an expense report that requires many lines explaining why I have to leave many $1 tips every day.

I've never tipped a housekeeper and I was pretty shocked to see people do that. Now I do tip when dining out, but I'm not afraid to just tip 10% if the service is poor. Shoot me!

I tip whenever there is some type of service given to me. When the shuttlebus driver takes me from the airport to the hotel I tip him/her regardless of whether my bags were handled. For hotel stays, I always leave something on the desk/pillow for the person taking care of my room. That being said, it would be nice if the hotels had some way to allow me to tack on a tip to my bill so that it was documented that I left the tip. Just like when I tip a bartender/server for good service.

And I don't just do it on business trips so I can write it off. I always leave a tip in the room when I'm on vacation.

Interesting thread. I sometimes leave a $1 tip per day, especially if the service was unusually good or if I'm worried they will steal my stuff (which has happened to me several times, to the tune of $400). But I don't think anyone else needs to ever tip a maid, especially when a service fee has already been applied to the room rate.

In fact, I hate the concept of routine, expected tipping (though I'm ok with occasional tipping for extra services beyond the regular call of duty). To me, it's ugly. I dislike trying to figure out whether I need to tip and what an appropriate tip would be (see this thread). I dislike the way tippees try to give me extra things i don't want, like taking my light carry-on bag to my room, or opening the door for me, or pretending to be my bestest friend. I dislike the subtle dishonesty of the prices. I'd much rather see business owners post honest, "all-in" prices and mange their employees. The labor market will eventually force them to pay their employees a competitive wage.

To me, these negatives outweigh the positives (slightly lower effective tax rate, encouragement for better service, providing a means for the rich to pay more than the poor). Unfortunately, though, I expect that tipping will actually just become more and more prevalent, spreading to new professions and new countries. You have a vocal lobby strongly in favor of tipping (business owners, employees in the service profession) against the rest of us, who are generally apathetic.

I think that, generally, tipping is out of hand, and I would prefer "all in" pricing for just about every service that customarily involves tipping.

Amongst other things, there is a pernicious effect when, essentially, generous tippers subsidize those who do not tip or who tip poorly.

The "tip jar" has simply become ubiquitous, and for me it hit a new height a few weeks ago when I saw one on a municipally operated passenger ferry in a touristed town.

Don't forget that most (if not all) hotels in Asia charges 10% to 15% (depends on where your are) as "service charge". This is on top of the room rate. Not sure if any of that money goes to the housekeepers.

The practice of tipping just makes me feel sick.

My problem with tipping is when it is on a pricey excursion. For example, we were just in Sedona and went on a jeep tour. The fee was $265 for 4 of us. One of the brochures recommended 15% gratuity for driver/guide. I find this offensive when the beginning price is so high. We tipped him $20, but I'd never want to give $40. Another time we went parasailing and paid $100 and saw "tips appreciated" all over the boat.

I'm impressed...
 

Seems to me, for those that are in line with this way of thinking (above post), that, surely, they do not claim the per diem for breakfast if they get it for free!! Very honest folks out there...way to go!

As for me, I claim the entire per diem (6-B, 10-L, 18-D, 6-Incidentials) regardless of whether I had breakfast (and or dinner for that matter) at the hotel.

I do tip the maid daily....if I get services. I usually put the do not disturb sign on door every other day. I really don't need anything. I need a clean washcloth every day...that's about it. I don't use hotel coffee and there is no reason I need a fresh towel every single day. I don't do that at home...not sure why I would automatically change the way I use towels just because I'm in a hotel! I use my own soap/shampoo too...just because the stuff at the hotels usually dries my skin out pretty quickly.

Since we get $6 per day for incidentials, I don't worry about going over since I'm not always in a city that requires tipping for bell hops/shuttles/porters. It really depends on where I'm at and how I got there (I drive long distance quite often). So sometimes, the $6 per day is plenty....a couple for the housekeeping, a couple for the executive lounge for breakfast and a couple for the staff at the exec lounge for evening snacks/drinks, etc.

As far as tips, I think the staff that "take care of us" at the executive lounge are some of the best when it comes to service. I always acknowledge them with a couple dollars and I know all of my colleagues do as well. It is a very small token of our appreciation.

Dawn