buh bye sylvia.

should we tip sylvia a few bucks for leaving?????

Does anyone have any good data on what percentage of hotel guests in the US tip their housekeeper? This seems to be a hot issue on both sides, but I wonder whether tipping the maid is the norm, even in higher priced hotels.

Not asking for opinions or anecdotal evidence.

There's no way to track that... they just stuff the money in their aprons and move on...

There are 433,000 housekeepers in the United States....starting wage averages 7.40 per hour and median wage across the board is 9.40 per hour.

Maids in the better hotels will tell you that 75% of guests leave a tip of some sort, but in roadside motels tipping is much less common, "I make more money cashing in the guest's empty bottles than I do on tips" says one motel housekeeper.

Many interviewed mentioned that they really appreciate the little notes that some guests leave, thanking them for good service.

Many U.S. hotels are starting to include "housekeeping gratuity" and "bellman fee" on the hotel bill, with a "no additional tipping please" sign in the rooms. So, looks like Sylvia is getting her way and her "tip" will be included in the price of her room.

Some U.S restaurants are now presenting foreign guests (determined by their accent, I suppose?) with a different menu than the U.S. guests who supposedly tip.