Some people don't tip at all. Some tip at he end of their stay - I don't care for that method, as there could be different housekeepers each day. So, I do leave a tip each day. I leave the money on the pillow with a note that says "thank you" so they know it's for them.

As to how much, well that is a tricky question. I always tidy the room each morning before I leave ( crazy?) since I do the same thing when I am home. I don't think (or want) someone
should have to sort through my stuff. Depending on the hotel, I leave $5 a day for my husband and myself. If I was in a super deluxe place, perhaps a bit more.

Good luck, you will get lots of varying replies I am guessing!

"you will get lots of varying replies I am guessing"
Debit's right. You will end up frustrated and confused if the tipping posters come out (Americans don't like it, either).
Many don't tip hotel maids because you are paying for a clean room. Paying through the nose, actually.
Reams of people here might state what they think is "fact" here on tipping. However, usually people who expect tips as a matter of course are paid less than the federal minimum wage (in most states, not all) on the basis of the expectation of tips (this means the food service industry: wait people in restaurants usually expect a 15% or more tip (before tax) for adequate service; don't ever tip for bad). Hotel room cleaners are paid at least minimum wage; why would you tip them, and not the grocery store bagger, or anyone else you come into contact with who makes minimum wage?
So, don't be intimidated/bullied/insulted into tipping in this case. It is not the "custom" here but rather something some people choose to do; but don't not tip in a restaurant, unless you got lousy service (then make sure the manager knows).

I realize that they earn at least minimum wage but have you ever walked down a hotel corridor when they are in rooms cleaning and seen what some people do to their rooms? I can only imagine [shudder] what the bathrooms look like!

$3 to $5 per day with a Thank You Note on the Bed Table

Depends on the hotel - we tip from $5 up - but this is more upscale hotels. Those people work hard and the good ones go the extra mile.

And if you have special services (I'm allergic to feathers and often have to aks for synthetic pillows - you should tip for them individually when performed.

Also, hotel concierges should be tipped depending on what services they perform. If it's a basic task - hand you a map or help you locate a restaurant etc - that;s part of the package. But if they do something special (get you reservations at a place that's always booked, get you difficult tickets for a show or performance or arrange individualized tours etc - definitely tip. This should be form $10 and up (often way up if the do something extraordinary). A friend tipped the concierge $100 for getting her tickets to sold out 3 tenors concert some years ago - but that was a pittance compared to the price of the tickets. (You can;t expect him.her to get you tickets that cost $1200 and tip $20.)

And we're off!

This comes up all the time. You would never know it here, but most travelers never (or seldom) tip hotel housekeepers. Tip whatever makes you feel comfortable or what you feel is justified. Don't be cowed into tipping $5 a night if you feel it's worth only $2 a night--or nothing.

HTTY

PS I've read here that I should tip $2 when a bartender gives me a beer, $2-$5 when I drop off my car with a valet, or $100 when I ask a concierge help me get concert tickets. We wouldn't be traveling three months a year if we spent our travel budget in these ways.

As long as we're all offering our opinions, here's mine. I don't generally tip hotel housekeepers unless they do something specific that I've requested, or if'm staying more than a night or two, or if they do something "special" that I have not requested. I know they don't make a lot of money, and I know it's a dirty job, but there are plenty of those, and I don't tip them either. If I were going to tip someone, I'd tip the woman who cleans the bathroom in my office every day. You can probably tell by the tone of my post that I hate our tipping culture (wait till you see the tip jars on the counter everywhere you go!) and figure it will never change if everyone just keeps going along.

Sometimes when they come by in the morning, I tell them we just need more coffee or towels or whatever, then let them know that's all we'll be needing. They seem to LOVE that, they get to mark down the room as "serviced" but have an extra 20 minutes that day and can slow down and breathe. If you call housekeeping and "cancel" your service for the day, they'll just give the housekeeper some other duties to fill her time.

Tips I usually hide. maybe under the coffee pot. I've seen those housekeeping "supervisors" go from room to room in the morning scooping up some of the tips....under the guise of "checking" the rooms.

Obviously everyone can do what they choose. If someone doesn;t feel the need to tip maids in hotels - don;t.

And if you dont; use special services from the concierge there's no need to tip them. But if you ask them to specnd significant time and energy to track down tickets to a concert long sold out that you are spending a lot of money on - it seems to me extremely rude and inconsiderate not to compensate them for it.

And if someone doesn;t want to tip a valet they don't have to use valet parking - but can park their car on the street.

But DO NOT eat in a sit down restaurant or ride in a taxi without an appropriate tip - those people need that money to live on and it's figured into their income. Someone who is determined not to tip should stick to public transit and fast food places.

I can understand not tipping in an economy in which service staff receive living wages - but in the US they don;t and IMHO tipping is mandatory. (If the staff were to receive a living wage prices would be higher so I don;t see the big deal about giving it as a tip directly to the server - versus having it pass through the hands of the owner - who will undoubtedly take part of it.)

I've seen those housekeeping "supervisors" go from room to room in the morning scooping up some of the tips....under the guise of "checking" the rooms.

You have? More than once? Where? Wow...

we tip $2-3 a day with a note and you'd be AMAZED at the little extras we get. Extra soaps, candy bowl filled instead of just two pieces etc.
But we also talk w/ the housekeeper of the day when we can to thank them and give the $$ .

we tip $2-3 a day with a note and you'd be AMAZED at the little extras we get. Extra soaps, candy bowl filled instead of just two pieces etc.

Sounds like housekeepers are stealing from their employers in an attempt to get more of your three dollar bills.

HTTY

I think I will try to find a place to put the tip where the supervisor might not find it but the maid will.

We tip $5 a day and another $2 if there is turn down service. It is what we choose to do. I have friends that never even considered leaving a tip and travel the world on frequent flyer miles.

We put the cash on the bed/pillow. Daily. I have left a tip on a table or by the coffee maker and it was left behind, as it wasn't clear that it wasn't loose change left behind or a tip. The bed makes it clear.

I wouldn't worry about the supervisor. I have also tipped housekeeping for handing me fresh towels and not making up my room as I prefer my privacy and did not need new sheets or housekeeping. That's just how we roll.

Manlygirl, the majority of people here answered your question stating that they do not tip maids; so, I wonder that you decided to. I certainly have no problem with it, just wondering why you asked in the first place, if you intended to leave a tip?

sylvia3... where does it say that this is a vote?

So Far the vote is that FIVE TIP and TWO DON'T(including you)

I think I will try to find a place to put the tip where the supervisor might not find it but the maid will.

Where would that be? Under the bed?

Having worked as a chambermaid, I know they count on tips. If you can afford the room, IMO, it's very bad taste to stiff the cleaning staff if they do a decent job. manlygirl - you should leave a tip appropriate to type of hotel and room/suite. As others have said - always tip waitstaff in sitdown restaurants 15-20% before tax, again depending on type of place, if you are satisfied with the service. Try not to blame waitstaff for poor food or slow kitchen. That should be discussed with management.

Where would that be? A good place izright in the palm of their hand when they bring you the new towels or new cups. I've also left the tip in the bathroom behind a pile of towels. The maid will see it when she removes the towels, the supervisor won't see it when she's perusing the room.

Debit: Maybe I'm paranoid about it being rampant, but I saw it twice, The Hilton in Las Vegas and at a Best Western near Oklahoma City.
At the Hilton, we'd left the room, but only to go down for coffee. When we returned to the room the tip was gone but the room wasn't serviced yet. I then noticed "the boss" going from room to room with her clipboard and I put two and two together. At both hotels I sent notes to management about what I observed...The LV Hilton later thanked me for alerting them that there was a problem, said it was dealt with swiftly, and offered me two complimentary nights in the future. The other hotel manager phoned me and thanked me and actually gave me quite a sordid, detailed accounting of what their investigation found, everything from stolen sheets to a stash of booze in the laundry room! (Interesting tale but I would have rather had a gift card for future use).

Tipping varies from individual to individual and by age group. A friend of mine carries around a roll of $20's just for tipping - and younger people toss their spare change in the Starbucks tip jar, which even as regular - I never do.

I/we do leave a couple/three dollars for the maids on the pillow (how much for how many days - varies - up to you - but we try to do it daily if they girls are changing shifts a lot) - as it means a lot to them, but we also don't go out of our way to tip everyone else.

And I usually like to do my own research when I am traveling - and thus rarely ask too much from the Concierge (the front desk is also a good source for "quickie" info)- except perhaps a confirming opinion - but if you are in a hurry - they can often get you into a restaurant, theater tix - etc.

Of course, if you ask something from the Concierge - that favor should be returned - varying by how much help you requested/received.

Taxi drivers also deserve a tip - but again, how much is up to you, and I think sometimes our "current culture" overdoes it.

"Taxi drivers also deserve a tip" Some cabs are privately owned by the driver, and some go out of their way to take the long route; still tip them?

As always, tipping threads are all over the place; as one who absolutely hates the culture of tipping, I give gratuities only to those who are underpaid the federal minimum on the basis of expectation of tips, and to those who have offered services above and beyond their job.
There are many lousy jobs in the US, and many people work at the minimum wage; that doesn't mean I throw money to the presser in the back room at the dry cleaners, or the shelf stocker at the grocery. A clean hotel room is expected, and included in the price you pay.
I hate to see the American tipping style expanded to include other venues (and other countries). (Please no 18th century quotes about throwing the chambermaids or stableboys a couple of pence!)

On average a housekeeper is paid about $4 to service your room. It can go as low as $2 per room in some motels or as high as $7 per room for some union-represented workers.

Try not to blame waitstaff for poor food or slow kitchen.

How does a diner know when food that arrives after too long a wait is because of a slow kitchen or because of a server who doesn't pick up orders promptly?

HTTY

easy... if the food is cold... its the server....

if its hot... its the kitchen...

Yes I *always* tip my room maid. I think some people do not judging by how appreciative they are of what I give them.

I leave $3usd each day on the unmade bed, but I'm one person solo, very neat, and at a budget hotel. I'd leave more if there were 2+ people in the room, if I was messy, or if it was a "better" hotel (at least $5)

easy... if the food is cold... its the server....

Really. What about heat lamps and food that is intended to be served cold, such as a salads and many sandwiches?

HTTY

if the salad is cold... its the server

if the salad is warm... its the server

if its a room temp sandwich, have another beer and wait...

Ah, another tipping thread. I'm with sylvia.

I grew up in the UK, but I've lived in the US for over 30 years, and have traveled with both my American husbands. I had never heard of anyone tipping housekeeping staff until I started reading Fodors.

In the US I tip wait staff, taxi drivers and my hairdresser, and I usually leave a little change at my local (independent) coffee shop. If I need something brought to my room (that wasn't forgotten in the first place), I tip. If someone carries my bags (very rare) I tip. That's it. I can't imagine leaving $5 a night for someone who's just going to make a bed and wipe down the bathroom. (I bring my own soap and don't eat candy, so I don't need to be bribed to tip.)

The more I read about tipping posts on here I feel more guilty and then less guilty(both at the same time). LOL. I am always confused about tipping, especially places that are really expensive to start with. Like rafting the Grand Canyon, a helicopter ride in Hawaii, dogsled in Alaska, a Whale Watching tour, Disney Cruise, etc. All of those things are $100-$500 (why do they still sometimes actually go as far as to suggest tipping). I love places that specifically ask you not to tip www.soaringcolorado.com for example.

For the record, I never tip housekeeping.

I am still laughing about hiding $2 bucks somewhere. So, does the housekeeper actually search each room(hide and seek), looking for money?

The richest are ALWAYS the cheapest! ALWAYS

@gary - rubbish.

Like thursdaysd, I'd never heard of tipping the housekeeping staff until I read it here. I simply do not believe that it is the norm in the U.S.

A few dollars on the pillow, no note. They know it is a tip.

I assume that in places where the supervisor picks up the tips that they are making a pool that the housekeepers share equally.

<I had never heard of anyone tipping housekeeping staff until I started reading Fodors.>

I was tipping room maids long before I ever came to Fodor's. Maybe because many of my earliests trips were to *Mexico* where it most definetly is the custom to do so.

What is the reason for tipping your hairdresser as opposed to the hotel housekeeper?

As far as it being an only-fodors thing, all you have to do is google "proper tipping" to read several articles on etiquette and custom. (which I assume are the reasons you tip your hairdresser? Or is it just harder to avoid tipping her since she's standing right in front of you as opposed to coming into the hotel room when you are long gone?)

I always assumed that one tips a hairdresser partly in anticipation of her next visit to the salon.

HTTY

Tips are for personal service. The hairdresser tip is for the service that was just done. It is like tipping a waiter after the food/drink was served, or a bellman for having carried your bag. A maid tip is done in advance of the service of cleaning up your mess.

<<<A maid tip is done in advance of the service of cleaning up your mess>>>

Even if I were inclined to tip the cleaning staff, I definitely wouldn't do it in advance. In general, tips should be for good service. Giving a tip in advance presumes good service that may or may not be given.

And I don't make a mess.

spirobulldog -

By your theory you should tip in inexpensive restaurants - but not in more expensive ones. the staff is still doing the serving - and in a more expensive restaurant you are likely to get much more time and attention than you do in the local diner.

And one tips the maid for cleaning the room the night before - not the upcoming night.

As for hairdressers - IMHO based on the services they perform they deserve every penny (unless they do a poor job - in which case - no tip and go somewhere else.)

We had a hard time getting our maid to take the tip at our hotel in New York. Day 2, I put a note on it "for the maid" and it still was sitting there. I think Day 3 she finally took it.

"I was tipping room maids long before I ever came to Fodor's. Maybe because many of my earliests trips were to *Mexico* where it most definetly is the custom to do so."

That makes sense. I'm just not sure that it's truly the custom in the U.S. If it were, I'd think there'd be a much clearer and defined way of accomplishing it (tip envelopes, etc,). For it to be a norm, there'd also need to be some consequence for violating that norm - try not tipping your waiter or taxi driver.

And all those articles regarding tipping recommendations are usually written by people associated with the service industry which clearly has an interest in adding/increasing tipping across all services, so I take them with a grain of salt.

I don't begrudge people for tipping housecleaning staff in the U.S. and have no doubt that some staff deserves it, but I don't want foreign tourists to think that it is very common or expected. I see it the same as tip jars at a coffee shop - if you want to tip, great, if not, nobody's going to react negatively if you don't.

So don't tip the maid if you don't want to. BUT this is NOT just a "Fodor's thing". As mentioned, Google or research tipping etiquette and hotel room maids are most definitely included.

I agree I always leave a few dollars on the pillow (sometimes there are tip envelopes) and was appalled a few years ago on a business trip when a coworked (college educated well paid professional) said she never tips. I said the people make minimum wage and could use the money. Her reply - they should go back to college and get a better education so they could get a better paying job. Floored me!

jamie, while her response was over-the-top, do you tip everyone you encounter who makes minimum wage and "could use the money"? If not, why not?

thursdaysd... you may not make a mess, but that maid cleaned up my disgusting mess so you could have a perfect room... I know my mess and its worth your tip to clean it as well as mine...

Why would you leave more at a "better" hotel? The wage is probably the same, the job is the same. Leave the same in either. I leave mine under the coffee pot.

<do you tip everyone you encounter who makes minimum wage and "could use the money"? If not, why not?>

No. I only tip people in a service industry where tipping is the custom and expectation... waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, taxi drivers, and hotel maids.

<Why would you leave more at a "better" hotel?>

Because leaving $2 for a $500/night hotel room is inappropropriate to the circumstance.

While leaving $2 for a $25/night hotel room is generous.

I disagree with your math suze, If I'm dining at a greasy spoon for breakfast and my waiter tops my coffee and water, brings me milk instead of cream, is kind and attentive, I am not leaving her $1 because of the math.

The mess you make is the same and the wages the cleaning staff earns are the same whether you paid $25 for $500 for your room. So if you're leaving the tip because of the hard work and low wages involved, basing it on the cost of the room doesn't make sense. It is the norm in restaurants, I agree, to base the tip on the bill, but I'm more inclined to leave extra in a greasy spoon where the waiter worked really hard (a la LG's post) than I am to leave more in a fancy restaurant just because the bill is higher.

sf7307, Since you've already made it clear you don't tip anyways, I don't really see your concern for an explanation.

I'm concerned that the maids in the cheap hotels get decent tips from those who tip

$2-3 per night IS a decent tip for a single person in a hotel, and $2-3 more than you leave, so they are definitely ahead of the game by having me in their room.

i am amazed tht people think nothing of tipping a bartender who is just pouring a drink, or someone who brings your car around - hard work! BUt, so much discussion on whether or not to tip someone who cleans your toilet, changes your bed, picks up after you. I always leave something every day for the housekeeping staff. Leaving it at the end assumes that the entire time you are there, you will get the same person. $2 or $3 is what I leave depending on how many 1.00 I have. Imagine if every room they clean left them $3.00 wow WHAT a great day that would be for them. Bless someone -leave them a thank you tip.......

Suze, I also do not see why a maid working in a nicer hotel "deserves" more then a maid working in a motel. Is the tip to reward and compliment a low wage as some of you say, then do you really think the maid in the motel gets paid more in wages then the maid in the posher place?

Sometimes I tip maids, sometimes I don't. 2-3 dollars a day max,,. Sorry, don't feel the need to overtip to feel special . They spend max 15-20 minutes in my room, and often less if they don't change the sheets daily , which in many hotels is the new thing to save water etc. Sometimes I just ask for clean towels if they come and I am still in room.

I tip 15-20% in restaurants.

I agree with poster who says not to punish waiter/waitress for poor food,, I tip based on service, I am also aware when someone is trying their best but swamped by too many tables and try to be understanding of that .

Bad service gets 10 %. I do not put up with crappy service, having worked in the industry for years, I know the difference between a person trying their best and some loser barely phoning in a performance.

I don't tip anything for bad service, and I let the manager know if I have a valid complaint.

re: maids in nicer hotels...
Do yuo tip the waiter at the Ritz Carlton the same $3 that you leave for the waitress at Mel's Diner? Why not? Probably because most people don't tip the same amount on a $100 lunch as they do on a $9 sandwich.

<<<Do yuo tip the waiter at the Ritz Carlton the same $3 that you leave for the waitress at Mel's Diner? Why not?>>>

I personally think you should, but I acknowledge that that's just not the way it's done. Tipping of restaurant serving staff is always in the 15-20% range. Tipping of maids in hotels seems to always be in the $3-5 per night range, not a function of the cost of the room at all.

Everyone can please quit singling me out about tipping in expensive hotels. Since I never stay in them it is a moot point. I never stay in places that are more than $50-95/night and I always leave the maid $2-3 a day.

That said, YES I do think leaving $1 at the Ritz Carlton is probably not appropriate. Where leaving 10 peso at a $25/night hotel in Mexico is OK.

I bet manlygirl is sorry for asking (if they even ever came back).

Do you think better looking people get better tips?

absolutely

If a room has a problem such as a leaking water faucet, a burned out light bulb, or a pair of panties under the bed, should I blame the housekeeper, management, maintenance, or the people who occupied the room before me?

A maid tip is done in advance of the service of cleaning up your mess.

I try to show respect for the housekeeper by not making a mess. Should I make a big mess to justify a tip?

Do you think better looking people get better tips?

If you tip in advance, as suggested here, you'll never know anything about the recipient's attributes. Also, if you and others tip generously, a housekeeper who is deficient in the looks department will have money to improve her appearance.

Everyone can please quit singling me out about tipping in expensive hotels.

O.K. Alright, already.

HTTY

A pair of panties under the bed is housekeepers fault.

A leaking faucet is maintenance, but should have been reported by housekeeping as they are in rooms daily and are most likely to notice, they are however not responsible for it leaking, or for maintenance or mangements duty to fix said tap.

As for mess and tip amount, yes, more mess should equal more tip,, when we travelled with our kids when they were very young we tended to tip more,, although we did try to leave room in decent condition, there were often toys on floor or extra wet towels to deal with.

Whose responsibility is it to make sure the last guest didn't set the alarm for 5 am?

htty, do you not tip on a one-night stay?

i usually leave cabfare on the end table and sneak out before she wakes up...

Whose responsibility is it to make sure the last guest didn't set the alarm for 5 am?

That's what I want to know. Also, if the alarm rings at 5 a.m., is that a wake-up call to leave a tip for the housekeeper?

HTTY

COWS

That is generous, after your paying her and giving her the tip the night before.

On fodorite mentioned that when she arrived at a hotel she would seek out and tip the maid who cleaned the room before her arrival.

In a survey, one of our leading schools of hotel administration found that about 30% of travelers tip hotel housekeepers (compared to the 95% of big tippers that post on this forum).

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-24/travel/hotel.housekeeping.tipping_1_housekeeping-manager-hotel-guests-emily-post-institute?_s=PM:TRAVEL

HTTY

"I grew up in the UK, but I've lived in the US for over 30 years, and have traveled with both my American husbands."

At the same time?

Shouldn't you then tip twice as much?

I rarely use maid service, so I rarely tip the housekeepers.

You bring your own towels,sheets, clean the tub and toilet and vaccuum the room?

sounds like a fun vacation LSky...

I pay for a clean room. I assume that's what I'll get.

Well, you don't have to say "good morning" to your neighbors when you walk down the street, but it's a nice custom. Totally up to you.

Wel, in fact, I say good morning to my neighbors and to the cleaning staff too. I think that's a nice custom. I do not, on the other hand, think tipping is a "nice custom".

Don't be rude or stupid. Tip $5 per day, per room unless its a high-end resort, which would be $10.

sinabob,, don't be stupid or rude and assume you are right and everyone elses ways are wrong. And tipping 10 dollars a day strikes me as typical show off stunts of the nouveau riche.. tacky.

Look folks, this poster is from Australia and asking about tipping customs in Hawaii. You people can justify it all you want (you non-tippers) but it IS customary to leave $3-5/day for the maid that cleans your hotel room. Not "mandatory" but customary and good manners.

No, it is not "customary" by any means. Just because you do it, does not mean that it is the norm.

Of course it's not "mandatory." After all, even tipping in a restaurant isn't technically "mandatory" although it is certainly more "customary" than tipping the hotel maid.

And I'm not so sure what it has to do with good manners. I know some pretty rude people who are very generous with tips, including hotel maids. Probably because they like to show off!

Bottom line: Hotel maid tipping is an area where there is no universal concensus. I'm guessing that it's a 50/50 deal with most travelers, and that it's a more common practice in resort areas (such as Hawaii) than in urban centers.

All you have to do is Google "Etiquette for tipping a hotel maid" or a similar phrase and all kinds of links will pop up with newspaper articles, opinions from experts, etc. $3-5/day is what most say.

I'm a tipper. I'm a big tipper. Housekeeping doesn't find me to be nuevo rich showing off. They take the tip, put it in their pocket and graciously thank me if I am in their presence. No grand standing, no patting myself on the back. No look at me, aren't I generous. Just a simple acknowledgment by both parties.

suze, please keep googling, because I did and have seen MANY results that would suggest and lead me to believe that only half of us tip housekeeping. These are from people in the hospitality industry and hospitality educational programs.

Ah, remember the good old days when you would bribe the skycap $5 a bag for fear your luggage would be lost? Seems it was a bargain now.

suze, please keep googling, because I did and have seen MANY results that would suggest and lead me to believe that only half of us tip housekeeping.

Here is one article that might have been found:

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-24/travel/hotel.housekeeping.tipping_1_housekeeping-manager-hotel-guests-emily-post-institute?_s=PM:TRAVEL

HTTY

Fergoodnessssake, so be cheap, keep your $3, don't tip, keep telling yourself it's OK.

I totally agree with "Shar" on this one.

Regardless of what type of hotel I stay at, I leave a tip on my pillow everyday. I normally leave between $2 - $3. I believe that's a fair tip and I know the maids appreciate it.

The non tippers are the same people who steal from the breakfast buffet so they can have free lunch, fruit, and cold waffles for the road... they can justify anything with their pockets full of teabags, bananas, and packets of sweeteners...

stealing and not tipping are not in the same category.

Tipping is so confusing

Hair Dresser-typically you don't tip the owner of the salon but any other employee. really confused if you have a hair washer and then a stylist
Waiter or Waitress
Porter
Doorman
Taxi Driver
Mailman--just holidays?
Trashman--just holidays?
Tour Guide
Hotel Maid
Barista
Takeout Service
Bartender
Room Service
Conierge
Skycap
Sommelier
spa service
Shoe shine
valet parking
Gas station (especially in Oregon)
grocery store bagger
coat check
a mover or furniture delivery
baby sitter
newspaper delivery
food delivery
hotel doorman
people on a cruise line

Longer list than mine....

I am stricly of the view that tipping should be limited to services in establishments frequented by you in your home town.Tipping is done by those flaunting their money and those who take morbid pleasure in spraying it around.It is best to use this money to give to genuine charities.

the above by garyt22 is nothing but ridiculous.Tipping was started by guys flaunting their riches in front of girls who they were taking to the restaurants etc. Normally tips are given to ensure attention the next time you are at a place.Why leave a tip where you are not likely to show up again in your life? And do not feel guilty about not tipping or picking up an apple for yourself at a buffet 'cos you are paying for it all the time. There is no point in carrying airs about you. Be resonable, kind, considerate but aboe all practical .

To Manylygirl:

Some tip in hotels.
Some do not.
But virtually everyone tips sit-down restaurant waitstaff 15% (or more).
It is a touchy subject in the U.S., as you can see from the disagreements. But note that no one here argued about the restaurant tipping, just the other.

<Why leave a tip where you are not likely to show up again in your life?>

Because it's the right thing to do. I'm not expecting anything special in return or trying to impress anyone. Only a thanks to the person for the service given (by a waiter serving a meal, by the maid who cleans my hotel room).

Just go back and read all of the bogus excuses that non tippers are using to justify their cheapness...

room cleaners are poorly paid and $2 for their time can be well justified... if you can afford the luxury of travel, then you should include this tiny amount in your budget...

anything else is a poor excuse...

You leave a tip in a restaurant because otherwise the waitstaff is working for about $2 per hour - which is unconscionable. You are taking income (on which they will be taxed)out of the hands of people who work incredibly hard for a not great living.

That is the way the system is set up. And your decision not to tip is nothing but CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!

And your logic isn't.

Does that mean you can steal something from a store since you will never go back there again?

The cashier in my local grocery is poorly paid, as are the stockers. Should I tip them too?

I tip wait staff for precisely the reasons given by nytraveler. That is a special case.

I thought this would be over.
1. Legal payment for waitstaff in SOME states is less than the federal minimum wage. They are taxed on expected tips, so we tip them.
2. Hotel staff make minimum wage or more. They are not taxed on expected tips. I pay for a clean room, that's what I should get, without bribing anyone.
3. It is NOT being cheap to not throw money away on tips to everyone, everywhere.
4. Tip whomever you like for whatever you like; do not assume that it is standard practice, or insult those who do not follow your habits.

So insulting people here (who have common sense) is pointless and unreasonable.

I'm going to take a wild guess that none of the non-tippers here ever worked cleaning hotel rooms. If you can afford to stay in a hotel, you can afford a couple bucks to the maid.

<It is NOT being cheap to not throw money away on tips to everyone, everywhere.>

No one here has mentioned "everyone, everywhere". And you can choose not to participate in tipping the maid, but it is "standard practice".

I will not even comment on not tipping waiters because you're never going back to that restaurant again. That's a new low.

"If you can afford to stay in a hotel, you can afford a couple bucks to the maid."

That particular canard is not the point.

What is "standard practice" is not dictated by the habits and wishes of some.

<<<Does that mean you can steal something from a store since you will never go back there again?>>>

This is about the most ridiculous retort I've read. Stealing something in this case would be walking out of the hotel without paying the bill. You can't steal something someone wasn't legally entitled to in the first place.

"And you can choose not to participate in tipping the maid, but it is "standard practice"."

Clearly not. There is no dispute here (to speak of) about tipping wait staff. There is considerable dispute about tipping hotel cleaning staff.

""If you can afford to stay in a hotel, you can afford a couple bucks to the maid."

That particular canard is not the point."

Agreed.

And why are we calling the cleaning staff "maids"? So old-fashioned, not to mention sexist.

I call them maids because my travel is most often in Mexico, and that is what they are called. They are always women (so not sure how that's "sexist").

I'm in the crowd that did not know about tipping housekeeping until I read it here and I lived almost exclusively in hotels for nearly 3 years.

Nowadays, if I have some loose change I may leave some but I'm not going to go out of my way to find the change.

To tip someone who folds down the bed sheets at a night time, I just can't understand it, why it even needs to be done is another matter. Do you also tip the person who checks and replenishes the room bar/ snacks because I know they are paid very little, also the person who cleans the pool, the person who is on swimming pool patrol, the person who hands out the towels, the list goes on and on, they are all paid very little.

I am reading fantastic logic here.Like if you are walking away w/o paying a tip you are stealing....and you are tipping f because the staff or taxi driver is poorly paid or that it is a standard procedure. by that logic if you are in a third world country you must pay to the station masters ticket collectors, etc etc. because all of them are poorly paid compared to you. Someone even calls non tippers as cheap...Do we not know that we are paying for each and every service that we get anywhere. So I guess that people who tip are those people who expect tips when they are providing services themselves

Geordie, The kind of hotels I stay in don't have fold down service or minibars or snacks. No I don't tip maintenance people who take care of the common areas of a hotel, only the nice lady who cleans my room.

Here is a suggestion Next time you are in a hotel/restaurant ask for a break up of charges and you will discover that all services are being charged for as service overhead. Now if you are again tempted to pay anyone out of pleasure is your call...but not paying it should not make you hang your head in shame or you can't be stealing anything

I know why I am keeping up this argument. Because I am hoping even one person reading might change their mind and tip housekeeping in the future.

But I don't understand why the non-tippers keep posting. You don't tip, you are OK with that, why keep on & on about it?

Could ask you the same question; why are you so insistent that something you do is the correct thing?
There are obviously many who do not agree with you. Please let us know when you go to the back of the dry cleaners and tip the folks in the back. Or the stocker at the grocery, if you are there when they are working.
There are many jobs that pay lousy wages; that doesn't mean we have to open up our wallets and throw money at them.
There is no logic to your argument.

logic is an excuse to not be nice...

Churches are the wealthiest property and possession owners in the world, but people continue to tip them on a weekly basis... our local priest has a condo on the beach, takes two annual tropical vacations and drives a free car... but every week the basket is passed and comes back full... LOGIC?

LOL I agree garyt22. The priest is making merry on tips that people have given to God for services rendered ot to be rendered.Temples in India have billions o and billions while masses starve.

Because there is no sense to the argument for tipping the dry cleaner, grocery store stocker, maintenance at the hotel, because that's not ever been a custom.

Tipping hotel housekeeping staff is something that many people do in many places. You can choose not to participate, but pretending we've just made it up here on Fodor's is ridiculous.

"I know why I am keeping up this argument. Because I am hoping even one person reading might change their mind and tip housekeeping in the future."

you are starting to sound delusional insisting to ignore facts and harping on others. you are a great poster. disengage from this. the above quote is beyond dramatic

I'm still not going to tip the maid. LOL

Frankly, I think the solution is that everyone stop tipping. This would make all of the above I listed quit their jobs. This would force all employers to pay a fair wage and we could end this nonsense.

Let me also say I worked as a grocery stocker/bagger for several years in High School/College. This was 20 years ago, but in our small little town, I might have received $5 in tips a year. It wasn't expected. I was glad to have a minimum wage job.

Suze,, sorry tipping the maid is not a common practice, but it is a practice, that I admit. It is almost always done by Americans, and usually by those staying in nicer places then Motel 6s.

The point is, those who choose not to tip the hotel maids are not cheap,, they may in fact be the same people who volunteer at their local soup kitchen, give to cancer, donate blood, they may in other words just as good and kind as anyone else, but they don't feel the need to tip paid staff except food servers.. which btw is mostly a North American habit due to your absolutely atrocious minimum wage laws that allow employers to pay on the cost of paying their staff a living wage to the consumers.. Even in Canada our waitstaff get a minimum of 8 dollars an hour,, I hear in States its as low as 2-3 dollars an hour,, and its not even a third world country(yet). .
And this is not just directed at Suze, but rather at another poster also,, the big tipper, lol
Tipping 10 dollars a day to paid staff does seem excessive, but I guess it hurts no one, if you want to tip alot then go for it , no one will refuse money, but calling some people "cheap" and saying the non tippers are also stealing from buffets suggests to me that some big tippers deep down believe it makes them morally superior to non tippers.

It doesn't .

well said.

Like the similarly frustrating abortion thread running simultaneously here on Fodor's, no one is going to change anyone's mind here. This thread is pointless at this point.

<<<which btw is mostly a North American habit due to your absolutely atrocious minimum wage laws that allow employers to pay on the cost of paying their staff a living wage to the consumers>>>

As I've said [more than a few times ], I detest the tipping culture in the US, but econonomically-speaking, whether the retaurant pages an atrocious minimum wage and we tip serving staff, or pages a higher wage and we don't, "the cost of paying their staff a living wage" will passed on to the consumer. Lower prices = low wages plus tips; No tips and higher wags = higher prices.

Perhaps sf7307, but we manage it in Canada, and don't think we are worse off then the States, do you?
It may take a whole rethinking, but it wouldn't be easy to sell the minority in control ( restaurant owners) that the majority ( the clients and employees) shouldn't have to ensure they ( the owners) have a profitable business by passing on the finacial burden to us.

Lets look at this another way,( make believe) suppose I own a lumber yard, I have to pay my drivers to deliver the lumber, but, what if on arrival the client was expected to tip the driver for the delivery because I only pay him 5 dollars an hour, if you don't tip him I have to pay him more, right? Does that make sense,, why do food servers get the short end of the stick, and why to restaurant owners get off paying that responsibilty onto the public, its not like that for any other job is it?

just, I don't disagree that it SHOULDN'T be that way, but that the economics will be the same whichever way it is. Your example doesn't really add anything, because I'd say the same thing -- if you're expected to tip the driver, you pay a little less for the lumber; if the driver is paid $10 an hour instead of $5, you'll pay more for the lumber.

I learn that the wait staff are taxed. On what basis since there is no documented income.I don't think anywhere in this world this can happen.Tax on hypothetical income? Can someone throw a light?

Tax on hypothetical income?

Yup! Correct-o. They figure it as a percentage of the total $ value of the food you sell each night. Since most restaurants are computerized now, it's easy for them to find that amount. It also calculates how much $ value per person a waiter sells.

The fact that you may have been tipped $0, $10, or $40+ on a $200 tab, doesn't matter. You pay taxes on the percentage they think you would have been tipped (sorry I do not know the exact % figure the government uses for this). When a waiter is "stiffed" (no tip) they pay taxes on money they did not make.

Suze, I guarantee you that more than 50% of the tips don't get reported to the IRS

"If I don't tip the maid I am not STEALING".....

but that wasn't her point. The point was that if you are going to say the REASON for your not tipping is that you're never going to see the maid again, you could use that reason for a number of other things. I'm gonna steal from a store because I'll never be there again, I'm gonna shit on the floor because I'll never go to that restaurant again.

Tipping is voluntary and you tip what you please when you please, but "because I'm never going to see them again" is a pretty lame reason to choose not to.

As for it being logical, there is no logic to the voluntary gratuity. It may be customary, but not logical. We don't tip less in states where waiters make $8.50 an hour than we do in states where they get $3 an hour. We don't tip less in high-end restaurants where the staff takes home $200 a night, and more for the poor waiters who struggle to make $40 a night. So, I don't think how MUCH they're paid has much of anything to do with it. It's a G R A T U I T Y . A little something extra for good service. A friendly maid waits til you're ready, cleans the room, does a spiffy job, gives you an extra coffee packet, smiles, is quick, everythings shiny....and you give her a little tip to show your apprecation. Or not. (And she takes your laptop.)

<Suze, I guarantee you that more than 50% of the tips don't get reported to the IRS>

Maybe that used to be true a few decades ago but since restaurant went to computer systems for taking orders & ordering food from the kitchen (therefore tracking volume of your daily sales) not so any more. They can pull a number that you are responsible for paying taxes on, *assuming* you were tipped x% on your total sales.

An individual waiters isn't on the honor system doing their own reporting like in olden days, it's tabulated by the restaurant based on the gross food sales you make each night.

Keep in mind that the maid has an average of about TWENTY MINUTES to clean your room. That includes cleaning the tub and shower and toilet, making the beds, vacuuming and tidying up. They have another few minutes to empty the trash, haul your sheets and towels to the laundry, knock on doors to see if you're ready, vacuum the hallways.

So, even if you're not a tipper, you might want to leave a lil something if you're particularly messy or have the kids in tow.

And if you're writing a review, think about how thorough you'd be at home if you only had 20 minutes. Do you really want to dis the maid service just because you found a thin layer of dust on top of the air conditioning unit? Wipe it off and move on.

And don't you figure most men tip more on the way a waitress looks. I know it's not fair at all, but I'm sure that's the case. And I have to say this, would you tip a Manly Girl? (the op)

Suze your explanation re taxing of tips applies to wait staff, but do you really think housekeeping staff declare their tips?

This is from a link I posted earlier: "The housekeepers, unlike the bellmen, are not filling out tip reporting forms," she said.

HTTY

After doing some investigating, it is recommended by most accountants for Waitstaff to report 8% of their sales. So this is about half of 15%, which is supposed to be the norm.
Most accountants tell waitstaff to not deposit more than 10% of their tips into an actual bank account.

I am amazed that till now no Public Petion or whatever you call that in the US. I think it is called Class Action.I am talking of Natural Justice How can IRS tax the waiters assuming that they are earning say10-15% of the food cost. Funny...when everyone knows that the waiters are not being tipped by everyone.

I think a class action is overdue.

In all years of experience no one can tax you on income that is not documentedf.

That's why there is a case for including a service charge to be paid to the wait staff and which can be taxed @ 5-10% by the IRS. I am sorry I am not able to read what I am typing so I have those typing hollers. Please pardon me.

Perhaps the IRS controlled by the politicians considers the tips as "kickbacks"

I am sure there is no logic at all on tax on tips..all that income should be gratis. or Or let all politicians also pay 15-20% on their kickbacks LOL

My understanding is that in many restaurants the wait staff does not get to keep the entire tip amount. It has to be shared with the bus staff, etc.

I was explaining how it worked in restaurants in response to arun_roy's post.

I don't care if housekeeping declares the tips I leave them or not.

But the wait staff IS being tipped by everyone. If someone left without tipping - they should NOT go back to the place again - since the results might be very unpleasant.

I used to have an acquaintance who was incredibly cheap (even though very well salaried) and would always find a reason to leave less than a decent tip. She was just plain cheap! First, we argued with her - useless. Then we wold increase our tip to make up for what she wasn't paying Then we stopped inviting her to join us for brunch.

She was just plain cheap!

Once, in NYC, a friend invited me out for dinner "going Dutch." When the bill arrived, she produced a 2-for-1 entree coupon as payment for her part of the tab and she found some coins at the bottom of her purse to sprinkle on the table for her tip.

HTTY

Okay letme ask a question. We have those free buses in many cities in the US e.g. Charlotte, Seattlee where the drivbers have a tipping box right behind them. What are these drivers getting as a salary per day and if what they are getting is the minimum wage why should they 'request for tips.

"...why should they..."?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained...

(If I'm in a private long-term lot at the airport, and the driver gets off and puts my 50 lb suitcase in my car, I tip.)

but the drivers expect tips even when there are no suitcases to lift and that too a whooping 15-20%....robbery

Where do they post "I expect a 15-20% tip"? The most obvious I've seen is a tip can near the dash.

I think that this is why so many of us have gotten sick to death and fed up with the tipping culture. Nothing stops people from sticking their hands out (figuratively) by putting out a little box or cup, like beggars, even if they make the federal minimum or more. Counter service, drivers, even the cashiers at casinos have a tip jar. What next? Tellers at the bank, checkers at the grocery, the oil-change guys?
It's ridiculous.

“Therefore, ask and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…” 3 Nephi 27:29 ...

sylvia3 ... try living on "federal minimum wage or more" ...you wouldn't last three days...

That's baloney.

So, you want to give everyone making federal minimum tips? Feel free.

sylvia3, Why is not tipping such a big deal to you. I am truly curious why you won't drop this?

Have to admit sylvia has valid points,, Suze, go tip the grocery clerk and the kid at the McDonalds drive thru window they makes minimum wage, why are they not entitled to a tip but your hotel housekeeper is,, that seems a bit of a double standard.
And telling sylvia to drop it is silly when you can't drop it either. A little like pot calling kettle black.


Gary, most of us who didn't have rich parents did in fact live on minimum wage for several years when younger, didn't you? And many of us did that without having a tipped job. It sucks but sorry thats the way it was and is for many people starting out in the working world.

ok, I'll leave! (I kept coming back to see if manlygirl had responded)

That $4 cup of coffee gets a tip at Starbucks, but that $4 burger at McDonalds doesn't. I never get that either.

There are a lot of jobs that don't get tips that require a lot of service. Like an auto mechanic or even an airline attendant.

justineparis,

I never said anything about tipping minimum wage employees, or McDonald's, or gas station attendents, ot flight attendants, or Starbuck's, or mechanics, or ANYone else that people are ridiculously bringing up trying to muddle the point here.

I was talking only about the HOTEL ROOM MAID which IS the topic of the question of this thread.

"sylvia3, Why is not tipping such a big deal to you. I am truly curious why you won't drop this?"

Wow. come on, Suze, let it go yourself. You tip maids. Lots of people do not. Many do not see why one job is tipped and one isn't, which is why all the examples were given. You have still given NO reason why that group in particular should get paid more for doing their JOB.
Why on earth does it matter so much to you?

Auto mechanics make noting like minimum wage - they probably make at least as much as many of their customers - os that parallel makes no sense. FAs are not allowed to take tips - even if someone felt it to be appropriate. the idea being is that they are not really waitresses - in fact they are really there for the safety of the passengers (originally they were nurses to help passengers who had problems in cabins that were not pressure-controlled).

This is mixing apples and oranges.

wow what a discussion we had! Thanks folhks. I realised even in tip-friendly country as US there are people who put head before their hearts. To bring the topic to a finale let us rule tha 1. Tip the cab drivers who handle your luggage. the tip proportional to the bulk of your luggage. 2.tip the person who takes your baggage to your room in a hotel.3.No tips to the maids unless they do anything beyond the call of duty????4. No tips to janitors, Bell captains, waiters,gatekeepers,concierges,5.Tips can be given to any of the above for doing anything spectacularly beyond their brief...like helping you up the stairs etc etc

Good synopsis.

arun_roy,

Who made you the authority tipping or when to bring the post to a finale.

So you think tip the cab driver, but not the bellman

I tip more for the lower hotels. Like Holiday Express than the Hyatt. I feel the less polished worker gets hired at the less expensive hotels and they do not get the opportunities that the Hyatt workers get for jobs.

I also tip a larger percentage of meal at cheaper restaurants like I-hop for example.

I am just happy to see people work instead of sitting home collecting freebies and watching TV. So I tip.