Should I tip the hotel housekeeping? How much does it cost? - A mile at a time

The topic of hotel housekeeping tips can be surprisingly controversial. There are people who think cleaning services should be gifted, people who think cleaning services shouldn't be gifted, and many people who just don't know what to expect.

In this article, I wanted to lay out the arguments on both sides, share my thoughts on tipping, and offer some general advice on how much you should tip (if you want to).

In this post:

The argument for tipping maids

Many people think that tipping hotel housekeeping staff is appropriate. The logic is as follows:

• Maids are often the hardest working and lowest paid people in hotels.
• Not only do they work the hardest, they also have arguably the dirtiest jobs and have to solve some tricky situations.
• Housekeepers provide customer service, as do hotel concierges, bellhops, or hotel bar and restaurant staff; Just because you don't interact with them doesn't mean they don't serve you.
• Tipping hotel cleaning staff is not an endorsement of the practice of shifting the cost of labor from hotel owners to guests, but rather a recognition that these people are poorly paid and hard working.

Hotel cleaners work very hard

The argument against tips in hotel housekeeping

Many people believe that tipping hotel cleaners is not necessary. The logic is as follows:

• When you book a hotel, you pay for a clean room and housekeeping takes care of that, so that should go without saying.
• It is not the hotel guests' job to subsidize housekeeping wages, and hotels should simply pay them better wages.
• The tipping culture in the United States is terrible and enough
• Hotels have cut housekeeping , blaming the pandemic, and we should not reward such behavior.
• We've seen hotel company CEOs suggest that hotel guests should simply tip more to subsidize wages. So why should we support this practice?
• For some people, it's an "out of sight, out of mind" thing because it's not that they don't try to tip, it's that they don't even think about it.

Don't you pay for a clean room when you book a hotel?

My position on tips for hotel housekeeping

Personally, I'm a strong believer in tipping hotel housekeeping staff, at least in the US, which has a general tipping culture for good customer service (I don't find it as necessary in other countries where housekeeping can earn). fair wage). , but play by ear).

Well, to be clear:

• Do I like the tipping culture in the United States? Not…
• Would I like hotel cleaning to be paid more so I don't feel pressured to tip? Absolutely…
• Am I frustrated with the concept of giving in to greedy hotel owners who don't want to pay for their staff? I'm sure that…
• I think maids have the toughest, most thankless jobs in hotels? Yes…
• Am I going to punish these hardworking employees, most of whom have thankless jobs, just because the system sucks? Not…

I believe in the live and let live ideology, so whenever I have cash I try to leave about $5 a day for some of the hardest working folks at a hotel. I'm lucky that a few dollars doesn't make a big difference in my financial situation, although I know it can make a big difference for many people who work in hotels.

I also believe housewives bear the brunt of our tipping culture. Like it or not, in the United States you are expected to tip a cab driver simply for doing their job without providing you with any additional service. If they need a tip for not making an effort, I think those who work as hard as the cleaners should too.

Now I have to admit that I'm not perfect for tips. I tip the hotel housekeeping staff whenever I can, but the problem is that sometimes I don't have cash, which can make tipping difficult.

I tip hotel maids when I have money.

What percentage of hotel guests tip housekeeping?

A 2017 New York Times article that surveyed hotel workers reported that about 30% of customers tipped. I don't know if that number has changed in recent years, but it's one of the few hard numbers I've seen when it comes to tipping.

One thing is for sure, tipping is the exception and not the rule. As one housekeeper described, they sometimes go days without a tip, and even a $2-3 tip makes them happy because it means someone appreciates what they do and is thinking of them. .

It's true that since the pandemic began, it has become more difficult to regularly tip housekeepers given the number of hotels that have stopped daily housekeeping. Of course, many hotel workers are frustrated by this policy change, as they have less work overall and more work each time they have a room to clean (since days between cleanings often run out).

Over the years we have seen some hotels launch initiatives to try to encourage tipping directly or indirectly. For example, a few years ago Marriott had envelopes with the housekeeper's name for tips. These were eventually thrown away as guests apparently found them sticky.

Marriott had housekeeping tip envelopes a few years ago

Other hotels have subtly introduced other initiatives to at least let you know who cleaned your room. For example, some hotels have thank you cards that the housekeeper will leave with your name on them. It's probably meant to remind you that a real person is cleaning your room.

A note in a Hyatt Place hotel

How much should you tip the hotel housekeeping?

The American Hotel and Lodging Association (ALHA) recommends tipping $1 to $5 per night for housekeeping. When tipping, the ideal is:

• Leave it on every night because someone else might be cleaning your room every day.
• Make it clear that this is a tip and not just a waste of money as you don't want a cleaner to be accused of stealing; Personally, I always leave a tip with a short thank-you note.

Personally, I usually leave about $5 a night if I have it (I tip a lot because I often don't have money to tip, so I'm hoping that partially offsets the times I don't tip ). I also give extra tips if the room is particularly messy (although that doesn't happen often).

A few bucks cleaning tip can go a long way.

at the end of the line

Tipping hotel maids can be a surprisingly controversial topic. I see both sides - ideally cleaners would be well paid so I don't feel I should subsidize them. At the same time, they tend not to be paid very well, work very hard, face awkward situations, and pull the end of the stick because they are "out of sight".

I personally think it's reasonable to give $3-5 a night for hotel cleaning if you have cash. And if you do tip, make sure it's an obvious tip and not just money lying around. That being said, tipping is not expected of hotel staff, in the sense that most people don't tip.

Where are you in tips for hotel cleaners?