Suggestions for small gift to housekeeper/cottage manager?
 

We will be renting a cottage in Ireland in September and wondered if anyone had suggestions for a small gift we might bring for the housekeeper/cottage manager? Is there anything we could bring from the US that someone cannot get in Ireland that would be special?

Thanks!

I have taken Kona coffee to friends in Helsinki, but they were coffee crazy.

Maple syrup comes to mind; especially if you are from a part of the US that produces m.s.

A book (perhaps set in or about your town or state) is always a good present, as is a CD. A special box of candy from your area might be nice.

This sort of question pops up on here every few weeks. You are not the Houskeeper/manager's friend or house guest. You are a paying customer. It is their business. It is not expected you would (nor should) take a gift.

If they have given you some very special service - like getting you hard to get tickets to a local festival or something - then a small token might be OK. But if they just rented you a self-catering cottage -- no.

Hi luv,

I agree with Janis. A gift is not expected and could, if given in advance, be offputting.

If you get particularly good service, send a "thank you" note when you get home.

((I))

I agree...unless you have a pre-existing relationship, this is a commercial transactions and you have likely paid well for it. If it turns out to be a great experience and you become friendly with the caretaker, then a gift might be in order.

I'd agree.
I regularly rent cottages in the UK. There is always a visitors' comments book in such properties.
Just leave an appreciative comment.
Rental firms also often send a form for comments when you return home. A glowing report from you will do the owner or manager a lot of good.
You could perhaps leave a nice book about your part of the world as a gift for the cottage itself. Future guests might appreciate it. If I buy a paperback to read on holiday, I will often leave it behind.
However, the manager won't expect anything in the way of a gift or tip.

If one is a guest, then it is customary to leave a tip (it's usually cash rather than a gift) for the staff at the end of your stay.

However, you are not a guest, you're paying for services, so there's no need to buy them a gift. Do you tip shop assistants who serve you, and then get comission for your purchase?

I agree with those who say not to leave a gift. You are not a friend nor a family member, you're a paying guest.

Especially don't bring drugstore candy or odd foodstuffs (like maple syrup), which seem to be the usual suggestion. I doubt if there is anything they can't get if they wanted it. YOu can by Kona coffee in Europe, for example, just like we can by Sumatran coffee in the US.

The owner of the cottage lives in New York but he has a housekeeper who manages the cottage for him and will be checking in with us throughout the week. I thought it might be nice to be prepared to leave a small token of appreciation at the end of our visit. I have read that cash/tips are not recommended - hence the request for suggestions for something we might bring with us. Based on most of the replies we've received I guess we should forgo this idea.

I have a friend who every winter rents a cottage in New Zealand. He usually takes a gift of a private label wine or smoked salmon - he is from Calif. While the cottage manager could get these things theirself, his gifts are always appreciated-he routinely gets the star treatment. The manager - now has dinner ready for him, when he flies in, etc. I think a small gift is always a wonderful idea - money tends to be too impersonal and is often seen as crass. While the manager may not be expecting anything, why not go above and beyond? Isn't that what makes life special?

"money tends to be too impersonal and is often seen as crass"

If any member of staff was offered the choice between some smoked salmon or some money, it's most certainly the latter. At Christmas time, many of the staff at Buckingham Palace used to sell their gifts on ebay - money speaks all languages.

Hi luvtravl
> I thought it might be nice to be prepared to leave a small token of appreciation at the end of our visit. <

If it turns out that you have received better-than-expected service, flowers are always appreciated. You can buy them the day before you leave.

If you return to the same cottage on a regular basis, bringing a small gift is appropriate.

The point is that there should be some relationship beyond a business transaction.

((I))

M-kingdom is right, leaving a nice healthy tip would be the thing to do, unless you know the person and her tastes. It seems to me that the only good thing about getting a gift from a stranger is that you don't have to get it out every time they come visit.

I believe that giving little gifts to your host/hostess/housekeeper/etc. isn't a poor idea. I personally wouldn't leave food items, but that's just me.
In the past, I've left postcards, magazines, books, perfume samples, a small bouquet of flowers, a small amount of American coins (for folks with children/grandkids, or who collect coins themselves) as well as local currency for above-and-beyond service.
I also second the motion for signing a guestbook, if they have one.

I'm taking little silk scarves. They are very popular right now (with all ages) and they don't take up much room in the suitcase!