Doc Savage

I think most maids get paid per room cleaned. If they can skip your room but still get paid, I'm sure they would be happy, but I suspect a DND sign on your door all day clues management in that the room was not cleaned.

CKA1

I worked as a housekeeper for a while in a posh resort. I would work 7 hours some days, 9 other days. There was a relatively finite amount of hours I could work. You generally have to stay away from somebody's room till 8 or 830. After that, you generally have to be done all occupied rooms by about 3PM. After that there were other duties if you wanted more time. Some people just drove home or went to their rooms for a Red Bull. (for example, picking up trash or doing odd jobs for the owner was an option if you were pressed for pay). It was quite expensive to live on site, especially if you went for drinks at night with the staff.

Of note, if you're drinking with staff, they'll kick you out if a customer off the street wants a table. Even if he's not a guest. There were also restaurants on site we weren't allowed in.

I was paid per hour, and it was rarely a full day every day. The wages weren't bad, but I made dramatically more at my regular job that I went back to later.

If you tip, be very clear it's for housekeeping. When I stay somewhere, I always stop the cart in the hall, ask if they're cleaning my room and tip them directly. I don't care if the room is messy, if they're there, and they're going to restock my coffee machine, clean my toilet and change my sheets, they get about 10% of the cost of the room.

CK.

mules

I leave about $5 under the notepad that is usually on the desk or by the phone. On the top slip of paper I write "for the housekeeper" in the local language. However, if I am in a country where tipping is not the norm I will skip it. But I am american and end up feeling bad about it!

Has anyone else read the book from a few years ago called 'Nickeled and Dimed'? It was a memoir by a woman who had been working several different kinds of minimum wage jobs. Hotel housekeeping was one of the jobs.

Long Train Runnin

I will always write thank you on the note pad and leave the money below it. I think that is a pretty good signal. Although usually I will only tip the last day.

gracall

I'm pretty good at following local customs when it comes to tipping, but I'm one of those that tips every time I request the room to be cleaned, typically every other day. Of all the stories I've heard about housekeeping, I would rather show some appreciation than just ask them do their "job". Almost all would take the money and provide something extra in return, be it extra shampoo or more bottled water.

planemechanic

I don't tip and I don't care what there wage or hours are. That is the responsibility of the hotel, not the hotel guest. My DND sign hangs on the door 100% of the time.

wendyg

mules: yes. The book is by Barbara Ehrenreich.

It strikes me that there's a third option: use the DND sign to bar service but tip *anyway*.

However, it has never occurred to me to tip housekeeping in hotels. I don't stay in a lot of hotels, though, and those I do are usually on the cheaper end. Who leaves a tip in a Travelodge? So in what class of hotel is this standard practice?

wg

planemechanic

None, less than half of all hotel guests leave a housekeeping tip.

LadyPhoenix

Something so basic as bringing tip money for travel is a PITA? Interesting. Why should the housekeeping staff deal with your "lottery"?

LadyPhoenix

When we tip, we use the hotel stationary (letterhead and/or envelopes) that's already in the room, marking it FOR HOUSEKEEPING STAFF. Otherwise, I will attach a labeled Post-It note (I always keep a pack in my purse) to the $5 bill.

FYI: We have only stayed/traveled around the United States. Our first international overnight stay will be sometime next year in Windsor and Toronto, Ontario. I will make inquiries then on the tipping guidelines.

VivoPerLei

Yep. And as I've mentioned several times before on these threads, I do have one really good data point on this subject, albeit only one - my MIL is a hotel housecleaner and she absolutely could care less about being tipped. She has an allotment of rooms she has to get through and the best room for her is one that has not been trashed.

EmptyKim

What if you don't want your room cleaned? I don't care if they get paid by the room. I don't want my room cleaned during my stay.

AppleApe

the 50% who don't leave tips better hide their toothbrushes and similar
items. housekeeping employees are 50% more likely to forget their own
cleaning brushes and use the toothbrushes instead. (to clean sinks and/or
toilet bowls)

Emeraldcity

Totally agree with this so I will tip daily. The person who cleans the room on the last day is not necessarily the one who has been cleaning your whole stay. Especially if you check out on a Sunday. Weekends generally have a different "shift" of people than the Monday-Friday service.

I also leave the tip in the bathroom rather than in the room proper as they will take what is in the bathroom but not necessarily what is in the room.

If you don't want your room cleaned, just put the do not disturb sign on the door.

Personally, I like to have my room cleaned every day. It's the only opportunity where I can get someone else to make my bed everyday and do the laundry. LOL LOL

invisible

Two rooms: one where drunken party was last night, beer cans all over, footsteps on furniture, piss in bathroom... anyway, you got an idea. Second room - just to replace coffee pads, nothing else is required.

First room's occupant leaves $5 tip, second - nothing. Which room do you think the cleaning staff would be happy to deal with?

I don't ask to clean my rooms - unless I stay in the same room for more than a week (never happened) I would use the same towels. I can take care to straighten-up the bed. So when I check into hotel, I always tell - no housekeeping needed till I check out.

Works for me.