Does everyone tip Mousekeeping?

[Margaret West]

We just returned from WDW, stayed at CR, and we also tipped everyday we were there. We tiddy up before we leave the room and put the used towels in the tub that need replacing. We always returned to a clean smelling, fresh room. Our maid, whose name was Marguerita, left us notes of appreciation and inspiration. We never needed extra towels. She was super!!

 

[paperboy]

I am sooo glad I read this thread. I always tip house/mousekeeping, however I always tip at the end of the stay. To be honest, it never occurred to me to tip everyday a little at a time. I just assume it was always the same person taking care of our room, we have never been in any hotel/resort for more than a weekend. Now, that we are staying for an entire week with four people...as oppose to two, I will defiantely tip everyday!

Thanks for the info guys!

Paperboy's Wife

 

[Luv2Roam]

We tip a few bucks a day. But we always have at every motel for years. I can't imagine we are hard to clean up after. (If we were I would tip more.) I think hosekeeping is an underpaid, underrated thankless job.
My boss has three active, young boys. She says she would feel like she should tip $20 a day.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by gina2000
Disney is the only US resort I've ever seen that suggests that housekeeping is not a tipped position.

We just got back from a long weekend at the mirror lake Inn in ake Placid, NY, and they automaticall charge $8 per day as a housekeeping gratuity. The rooms there are SPOTLESS clean, and the housekeepers are sooooo pleasant and accomodating, they deserve it!

Anne

 

[Darian]

Originally posted by Cris
bellmen,valet, room service.

Cris,

What is the official Disney policy on tipping concierge? I was under the impression it was verboten.... We had tried to tip our concierge at AKL but were told it was not allowed. Is this really the case? Is it a resort wide policy? Some posters to this thread have said they tipped concierge. I'm a bit confused by all this.

Thanks!

Darian

 

[athyng]

I always tip at a hotel regardless of where it is. I guess I thought everyone tipped and that maids were like waitresses, part of their pay was based on tips. I also tipped the guy who brought bags to our room and the guy who took them when we were changing resorts . Do these two positions normaly get tipped. They gladly took my money ? I will add that I am 25 and have only traveled a few times as an adult, so I am not sure on who gets what.

 

[Darian]

Originally posted by athyng
I always tip at a hotel regardless of where it is. I guess I thought everyone tipped and that maids were like waitresses, part of their pay was based on tips. I also tipped the guy who brought bags to our room and the guy who took them when we were changing resorts . Do these two positions normaly get tipped. They gladly took my money ? I will add that I am 25 and have only traveled a few times as an adult, so I am not sure on who gets what.

Good question Athyng,

housekeeping is not a tipped position and tips are not part of what their pay is based upon. In tipped positions, the IRS estimates what they would have earned from tips and requires the employer to deduct a percentage of that (withholding) income towards their income tax obligation at tax time. That does not occur with housekeeping positions. They are paid a salary about on par with what someone at the front desk, or other service people earn.

As Cris and other posters have pointed out, you would tip your bellman $1-3 per bag depending upon how big or heavy the item might be; valet - $2-5 for bringing your car (though some tip when they drop off - usually to get special care taken of a nice car); room service 15-20% of check just like you would tip a waiter/waitress. In hotels where there is a restroom attendent, you would tip him/her $1-2 for services rendered.

Some people do tip housekeeping and some of those people have good reasons and good motives for doing so. Other justifications and generalizations I've heard on this thread are less nice. But if you do tip housekeeping, please do so to be kind, not because its expected, required or you would feel guilty if you didn't.

And Mad4Mickey, gosh, i thought those names you mentioned were directed at the people who didn't tip by those who did! (but we'd have to add a couple of their names to their list - "cheap" "selfish" "opressors of the poor" etc. No pleasing some people.) LOL I say - to each his own!

 

[Cris]

Originally posted by Darian
Cris,

What is the official Disney policy on tipping concierge? I was under the impression it was verboten.... We had tried to tip our concierge at AKL but were told it was not allowed. Is this really the case? Is it a resort wide policy? Some posters to this thread have said they tipped concierge. I'm a bit confused by all this.

Thanks!

Darian

Concierge is part of the front desk department. A concierge/front desk castmember supose to refuse 3 times. If the guest still insist, then the CM takes the tip and gives it to the manager who supose to put it into a front desk fund. Who knows if that happens LOL.

 

[Morticia]

Thanks Cris!

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by gina2000
Disney is the only US resort I've ever seen that suggests that housekeeping is not a tipped position.

I'm from the NE and we tip everywhere. Mailmen, garbagemen, doormen... all get tips at Christmas. Housekeeping, porters, valets....all get tips in hotels. Waiters, hairdressers, shoe shine guys, delivery guys....all get tips. If they do a service for you, they get tipped. About the only place tipping is not de rigour is in a fast food restaurant/takeout situation and tip cups are starting to appear in those places (which for some reason rubs me the wrong way and I have yet to tip in that situation).

HERE~HERE! Hailing from the East, I am steeped in the tradition of tipping, thank-you cards and general (knee-jerk) responses to reflect appreciation. If a friend/neighbor or other goes out of their way to assist/aid me in some manner, they will receive a thank-you card, and in many instances, and additional gift.

I have on occasion tipped fast food personnel, usually on "Holidays" and extenuating circumstances. Most are literally "stunned" by the gesture, as they are so unaccustomed to receiving any gratuity. Here in So. Cali, we have drive-thru coffee houses on every corner. College kids are manning the windows...and I always add a dollar to the beverage total. It seems natural, as I also tip a bartender for a bev., (even when not sitting at the bar), and they have never turned me down (especially in WDW). It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[Virgo10]

I always tip as well. Because it's usually just me at WDW, I leave $2 a day. I also make up WDW envelopes to put the money in. They are business size and say Housekeeping: Thanks for taking such good care of my room. Then I put different pictures on each one. Sometimes it's Disney clip art and sometimes it's photos I've taken of the parks. I make a different envelope for each night of my stay.

It's just another fun thing to do before my trip starts. When I get to the day it's time to make up the envelopes, I know I'm almost ready to go to Disney World!

Roberta

 

[splashmountain31]

DITTO DITTO DITTO....

I guess it was probably drilled in my head as a child to thank, thank, thank...

It sure does make a person feel good too!!!

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by splashmountain31
DITTO DITTO DITTO....

I guess it was probably drilled in my head as a child to thank, thank, thank...

It sure does make a person feel good too!!!

Add me to the list too!

 

[lmhall2000]

Oh! I must agree that I was raised to be thankful and show appreciation- however that can take on many forms....taking the time to introduce yourself and thank the housekeeping for making your stay so homey, at our AKL stay where we received towel animals everyday- I was able to see our housekeeper quite a bit (our ds had asthma and was hotel bound for a couple of days) and we had wonderful conversations- shared about our children- even spoke in her language a bit which was very comforting for her. Everytime we saw her in the hallway we exchanged hellos and the kids loved her. She may have appreciated extra $$ but I think she more than appreciated me taking the time to visit with her and genuinely sharing our combined love for our families. Sometimes touching someone with a human touch is the best gift of all.
I teach my children to be stewards of their money- my ds who is 8 has held lemonaid stands and donated all his piggybank money to a boy in Russia who is friends with his missionary pen pals. The 8 year old boy needs eye surgery but they have no funds to carry it out. It's not being frugal because I don't tip- it's because I know there are many many needs out there and God will present them to me- my money is His money. I just don't necessarily see tipping housekeeping being the only way to say thank you.
Tara

 

[splashmountain31]

Although the "monetary" thanks is nice, it's equally as important to say "thank you."

 

[tampafan]

We tip mousekeeping $3-$5 per day depending on how many singles I have at the time. We do use the tip envelopes that are talked about so often on these boards. I just feel that housekeepers have a job that is equally as hard as some others and this is a nice way to recognize them. It really does not add that much to the cost of the stay.

 

[ducklite]

I agree that saying thanks is equally as important, however many of the WDW housekeepers are supporting families both here and in other countries. So a cash tip can really help.

Anne

 

[doombuggy]

While i did not read every post on this thread, I have to say that I tip the housekeeping staff at ANY hotel.

Back in 1994, I had to live in the Millenium Hilton at the World Trade Center for six weeks. I came to know the bell staff and the h/k staff pretty. I had no problem tipping them (some of the cab drivers I got is another story). I was training someone at Chase manhattan Bank to do my job (long story), and Chase paid all my expenses, including the Metroliner ride evey week from Philly to NYC, the room at the hotel (which is no more btw), etc. I always encluded the tips I gave on my expense report and was never questioned. I was about 26 at the time and it was the first time i stayed in a hotel by myself. I was told tipping ediquite (did I spell that right?).

Back to the Disney resorts, tips are included in your room bill if you order ROOM SERVICE. I had to read the "tipping" paragraph in the Birnbaums book a couple times before i understood that. Housekeeping is not automatically tipped, it's the waiter (or whatever that person is called) who delivers your food that you ordered thru room service to your door.

 

[BarbaraMB]

If the housekeeping staff is not a tipped position - do they get to keep their tips?

 

[dbail2]

We tip $5 a day and I do make up the envelopes before we go so I have the right amount everyday for housekeeping..I read that on these boards to make up the envelopes ahead of time and bring them along and have done it every trip since then and at Universal Studios I do the same thing.