We’ve stayed at many types of hotels from Park Hyatts to Comfort Inns. We always leave a tip for housekeeping every day of our stay, if that’s the appropriate social norm for the country we’re in. I understand some rooms are harder to clean than others due to size or the number of things that need to be changed, I can readily figure out the appropriate amount to leave on the pillow (or with a note letting them know the money is theirs to take).
The only place I struggle to figure out how much to leave is when we stay in an extended stay hotel.
For example, we often stay at the Candlewood Suites in New Braunfels, TX when visiting Schlitterbahn. Our typical stay is around 3-4 days and the Candlewood Suites offers housekeeping service once weekly. It’s not a problem for us, as the only thing we typically need is a change of towels and they’ll give you those at the front desk if you need them.
When we check out, I hope that they’ll be cleaning the glasses and plates in the dishwasher (or replacing them), emptying the fridge, cleaning and replacing everything in the bathroom and changing the sheets and pillowcases on the bed. In my mind, that’s what happens. I don’t need to hear stories of how it doesn’t get done that way. Willful ignorance is what allows me to sleep soundly in hotels.
So when we’re checking out, what would you leave housekeeping?
It’s more work, in my mind, to turn this room around than it would take to change some towels, make a bed and do some vacuuming, so should I leave a larger tip than I usually would? What’s an appropriate amount? Should I multiply the daily tip by the number of days of the stay? 50% more than usual? Double?
Or am I just overthinking this?
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7 comments
How much do you tip the cashier at Wal Mart?
Same as every hotel — zero.
Zero. Housekeeping is a service included with a room rate and necessary to operation of the hotel. These folks should be paid an appropriate wage, not some “additional voluntary fee” to guests in the form of a tip.
$0. Let the employer start paying employees the living wages. Employees should depend on their salary not at the mercy of customers. US has one of the worst tips culture in the world. Tip for everything.
Wow, pardon the bluntness but quite the CAMF posse on this one unless it’s a serial commenter. I’d say somewhere around double a single night’s tip but there’s some leeway.
We tip. Usually 5-10 dollars.
I have stayed at all types of hotels and only once have I tipped housekeeping, which was for what I felt was exceptional service. Housekeeping is part of what is contracted in the room rate. In your case you would have not received any service so why would you tip? Service staff need to be paid a living wage. We should be moving towards the European model of “service included” for all areas of hospitality.