Tips for Housekeeping TS vs Hotel?

[JohnPaul]

I'm curious to learn what people do with regard to tips for housekeeping, especially at timeshares. Do people feel differently about timeshares vs hotels on this issue?

I'm sure people are all over the board - from those that feel they pay MF and shouldn't need to pay further to those who leave significant tips.

In hotels, I tend to leave $2-3 dollars a day. At timeshares, I leave $5 - 20 depending on the size of our unit and length of our stay.

Thoughts??

 

[artringwald]

That's also about what we tip.

 

[DaveNV]

I think for me, it depends on the level of service provided. At a timeshare, where they might give me a towel exchange halfway through the week, if I'm lucky, I'm not likely to leave a tip at all. If I get daily service of some type, or if I know the housekeeping staff has gone "above and beyond", I'm more likely to leave something. I'm more likely to leave a tip in Mexico, where I know wages are lower, and they make a point of expecting a tip of some sort. In the USA, honestly speaking, not so much. Now that I'm part of WorldMark, where they charge a housekeeping fee regardless of the length of time I stay, I'm probably less likely to leave a tip. At hotels, where I don't usually stay more than a night or two, I don't leave tips for housekeeping. Prices at hotels tend to include surcharges and taxes and other fees already.

Am I being a rude guest? I hope not. I tend to tip generously in other places (restaurants, skycaps, bellmen, delivery people.) I've never given run-of-the-mill housekeeping a lot of thought. Now I'll be totally self-conscious about it. Thanks, JP...

Dave

 

[mdurette]

We stay in ts most of the time. Hotels only for a night or two here and there. We tend to always have the do not disturb sign out the entire time, so no service. I leave no tip. On the off chance we do get service. $2-$3 per day.

 

[Passepartout]

I typically leave about $3/day for hotel stays and $20+ (more for 2+ bedrooms/more people) for a week. I give it early in the stay and try to physically put it in the hands of the housekeeper(s) who do the work. It's amazing how much more service you get. More towels/coffee packs/soap, and more importantly- SMILES from the staff.

 

[DeniseM]

We were long over due for our annual discussion about tipping!

When we timeshare, I give housekeeping a $20 tip, the first time they come to clean and I hand it to them.

 

[WinniWoman]

One resort I own at I never tip because there are no services during our stay. The other one we own at they come every day and change out towels and throw the garbage and once per week they do a through cleaning and change the towels and bed linens. That one I usually leave $20 at the end of the week in the provided envelope.

Hotels I usually leave $5 per day at the end of the stay.

 

[DaveNV]

I usually leave $20 at the end of the week in the provided envelope.

I don't know that I've ever seen a "provided envelope" where I've stayed, except in Mexico. Maybe that's the difference?

Dave, getting more self-conscious about tipping housekeeping

 

[Passepartout]

they come every day and change out towels and throw the garbage and once per week they do a through cleaning and change the towels and bed linens. That one I usually leave $20 at the end of the week in the provided envelope.

Hotels I usually leave $5 per day at the end of the stay.

Just a hint: If you're going to leave a tip anyway, give it to the housekeepers at the beginning of the stay. You'll have happier maids and get better service than if you give it as you're leaving. At hotels for just a one-night stay, this is not possible, but believe me, they appreciate the tips.

 

[Panina]

I don't know that I've ever seen a "provided envelope" where I've stayed, except in Mexico. Maybe that's the difference?

Dave, getting more self-conscious about tipping housekeeping

I have seen envelopes in the room at resorts that provide no weekly included service. One said not to give to the staff but bring it to the office to make sure the right person gets it.

I leave $15 if no services are provided, it is my home resort and I was happy with the cleanliness of the unit.

If daily garbage pickup and or towels I leave $20 for the week

 

[Jan M.]

I have seen envelopes in the room at resorts that provide no weekly included service. One said not to give to the staff but bring it to the office to make sure the right person gets it.

I leave $15 if no services are provided, it is my home resort and I was happy with the cleanliness of the unit.

If daily garbage pickup and or towels I leave $20 for the week

Sorry but I would never take the tip to the office as I wouldn't trust them to give it to the housekeeping staff.

 

[clifffaith]

It never in a million years would have occurred to me to tip at Worldmark. Then two years ago I discovered this board and the DRI and Worldmark Facebook groups. Was promptly jumped on on Wmk Facebook the first time the topic came up, but I still don't tip at Worldmark. I pay housekeeping of $100 or one of my four housekeeping tokens per trip, they do not clean while we are there, it is simply not something I do. I would have removed the $5 I'd set out at Diamond's KBC because the woman started banging on our door at 8 am check out day to see if we were still there. Told her we'd leave at the designated 10am check out time and she still came back twice more. But Cliff is nicer than I am so she did get her tip for the mid-week cleaning.

And for two nights in a hotel we don't tip because we don't let them in. Longer than that we do leave a few dollars on the last day. If we've stayed a week and happen to get a good housekeeper, we do try to tip her in person for fear she won't be the one on duty the day we check out.

 

[Panina]

Sorry but I would never take the tip to the office as I wouldn't trust them to give it to the housekeeping staff.

I totally agree, never have.

 

["Roger"]

If I stay at a hotel one night, I leave a tip even though I got no service while I was there. I feel the same about a timeshare. Even if I was given no service during my stay, they are cleaning up my condo after I leave and I leave a tip.

 

[cgeidl]

We feel guilty as we have stayed about 4 years total in timeshares and have never left tips other than vouchers from restaurant.com or Groupons we did not use.Guess as a teacher in a service industry we never received tips and quite frankly maybe timeshares should try to get tips included like cruise boats although service on cruises is much greater. My wife is very idioms and leaves very minimal cleaning for the next people coming in.

 

[Paul_C]

I typically leave about $3/day for hotel stays and $20+ (more for 2+ bedrooms/more people) for a week. I give it early in the stay and try to physically put it in the hands of the housekeeper(s) who do the work. It's amazing how much more service you get. More towels/coffee packs/soap, and more importantly- SMILES from the staff.

Thank you! Never thought of tipping early in the stay. I’m getting some great ideas from all these posts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clifffaith]

As I mentioned above, we rarely tip for lodging. But interesting that sometime in the last 7-8 years a standard restaurant tip, for us, has risen from 15% to 20%. I'm not sure why that is. Really fancy restaurant (like over $150 for two of us) has always garnered a 20% tip, but now that is standard for us anywhere we go. And we're likely to throw in an extra few dollars on a lower priced Denny's type meal, or if we chat the waiter up and find out s/he is a student. We were somewhere, maybe Seattle??, where there was no tipping because they'd raised the wages. We still tipped because the service warranted it. I do not tip at the takeout counter. But I will go back up and put a dollar or two in the jar as we leave if they bring the order to our table (not at Carl's Jr, but at independent fast food where eating in gets you your burger on a plate).

 

[Talent312]

Really fancy restaurant (like over $150 for two of us) has always garnered a 20% tip, but now that is standard for us anywhere we go. And we're likely to throw in an extra few dollars on a lower priced Denny's type meal, or if we chat the waiter up and find out s/he is a student.

If a meal for two costs $75+, I tip 15% of the pre-tax bill - the accepted minimum. For meals at low-cost places , I tip 20-25% of total bill. Staff at the less expensive place often work just as hard, and IMHO, they deserve some generosity. Conversely, staff at the more expensive place do not work that much harder and should not get huge tips just becuz the place has tablecloths. <my 2 cents>

------------------------------------
I first read the title of this thread as calling for housekeeping tips. So, I wanted to say:
Keep the counters clean, wipe out the sinks, and remove your leftovers from the fridge.

.

 

[WinniWoman]

I don't know that I've ever seen a "provided envelope" where I've stayed, except in Mexico. Maybe that's the difference?

Dave, getting more self-conscious about tipping housekeeping

Yes- at our Pollard Brook timeshare there is an envelope. Used to have one for a short time also at our Smuggs one years ago, but no longer.

 

[WinniWoman]

Just a hint: If you're going to leave a tip anyway, give it to the housekeepers at the beginning of the stay. You'll have happier maids and get better service than if you give it as you're leaving. At hotels for just a one-night stay, this is not possible, but believe me, they appreciate the tips.

I don't know about that, but it is certainly a reasonable idea. Also- I can't figure if it is the same staff all week or not.

 

[Passepartout]

I don't know about that, but it is certainly a reasonable idea. Also- I can't figure if it is the same staff all week or not.

What difference does it make? If you wait and leave the gratuity as you're leaving, do you know you're rewarding the housekeeper who cleaned the unit for you, or the one(s) who are cleaning up your mess for the next occupants? Here's a concept. . . ASK!

 

[WinniWoman]

What difference does it make? If you wait and leave the gratuity as you're leaving, do you know you're rewarding the housekeeper who cleaned the unit for you, or the one(s) who are cleaning up your mess for the next occupants? Here's a concept. . . ASK!

True. But also, I am hesitant because I can't see tipping for work that wasn't yet done. But that is just me. Doesn't mean I won't maybe try it anyway.

 

[geist1223]

If we are at a Timeshare that provides daily maid service we tip. If we are at a timeshare that only provides housekeeping after we leave we so not tip.

 

[1st Class]

I tip to show my appreciation to the housekeeping staff for a job well done, $20 for a full week in a 2BR. Why? For purely selfish reasons -- it brings me joy! Oh, they get a thank you note too.

 

[turkel]

I tip to show my appreciation to the housekeeping staff for a job well done, $20 for a full week in a 2BR. Why? For purely selfish reasons -- it brings me joy! Oh, they get a thank you note too.

On our honeymoon in Thailand at the JW in Bangkok and Marriott in Phuket my husband wrote a note to each housekeeper and included a tip. In Bangkok he went so far as to ask around for our male housekeeper and when he found out he wouldn't be back for several days he left a sealed envelope at the front desk with his name on it. I thought he was the only note writer! He's very generous but we don't discuss what he leaves since one time it was so extravagant my mouth hit the floor which lead to us deciding he's a big boy and he can do what he wants