When considering giving a tip to housekeeping, you might wonder how much is appropriate whether it is customary to tip or not. In this article, we'll show you our detailed research about the factors taken into consideration, the right timing, and what alternatives you have to tipping.
Depending on the service and a few reasonable factors, people often tip housekeeping an average of $4 a day, ranging between $1 and $30. Hotel guests would frequently express gratitude for the overall service, especially during difficult times when hotel cleaning protocols are stricter and more difficult.
Before we discuss the nitty gritty details of tipping housekeepers, in the chart below, I've provided a simpler method and a breakdown as a guide to help you decide how much to tip your housekeepers.
| Result (considerations) | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Nothings Special was done | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| Standard Service | $3.00 | $5.00 |
| With Special Requests | $7.00 | $15.00 |
At length, people usually overlook those who keep the maintenance, sanitary, and aesthetic of their rooms as it is not a factor that they consider as a responsibility during their stay. If you’re one of those people who show etiquette and want to be thoughtful, read more to know more!
Seeing as how housekeeping isn't a transactional job like bartending or food delivery, most people can only see the result of their service. This is an advantage to the guests as they can enjoy their privacy, but a disadvantage for the housekeepers as people often overlook their service.
Different rooms can require different maintenance. For example, a room like a kitchenette will require housekeepers to go to the grocery and restock your supplies. Considering these additional duties, you can presume that housekeepers spent a double amount of time and effort to make sure you meet your needs.
More people using the amenities particularly if you’re accompanied with or were visited by friends or family means extra amount of cleaning like changing additional bed sheets and blankets, or even more dishes to clean after.
A room located near the beach or located in the middle of the mountains will require a different type of cleaning and maintenance. The room condition is not only tied with the day-to-day necessary maintenance of the room but also as to its condition like after a party. You could only think of the mess and smell the aftermath.
Of course, housekeepers will go out of their way to satisfy your requests! You may request more towels or even an extra fan to keep you comfortable in your room. You may ask them to do their work at a specific time and not on their schedule.
There will be occasions when you come into contact with your housekeepers. Take note that part of any service is to show professionalism towards your co-workers and your clients. Positive interactions are a sign of diligence and having value in the relationships you make in and outside of work.
Most of the time, people would only give the extra cash in their wallet.
However, there are alternative ways to show gratitude other than giving a tip which will be discussed later on. Even when the service is subpar, the majority of individuals still leave tips that are below the required minimum. The length of time and difficulty of hotel room maintenance are the major factors that influence the minimum and maximum. Hotel customers typically add $1 per guest in the room to their base tip and if you want to be considered to be given a VIP treatment, you may consider tipping more than $5.
The general rule of thumb is to tip 20% of the total bill. Considering that only 1/3 of hotel guests remember to tip their housekeepers and how housekeepers even have to double time to reach the marginal living wage, this is something that we should always remind ourselves of and be appreciative of.
The right way to tip housekeepers is to do it every day, provided that you place the tip on top or next to a "thank you" note. This is to ensure that the cash will really get to the right person. Also, take note that housekeepers could be assigned to different rooms on a daily basis. Therefore, it is recommended that instead of leaving a lump-sum amount at the end of your stay, it would be better to gradually tip the right housekeeper so he/she can take credit for his/her own service.
Like in other circumstances, tipping isn't the only way to show gratitude. As hotel guests, you might be wondering what else we can do to help make their work easier or how we can make their lives better on a day-to-day basis.
Although some companies prohibit their employees from accepting tips, like in casino hotels, always keep in mind that there are other ways to show gratitude to your housekeepers. Following the ground rules itself and being responsible with the people that you're with and your baggage is a big help, not only to your housekeepers, but it will also lead to having a smooth and enjoyable trip. Tipping also encourages housekeepers to go above and beyond the call of duty. Ultimately, it is only right to only give within your means and to consider that you are one of the hotel guests who tip them a couple of bucks per day. You can only think of how much they can treat themselves and their families.