Hotel Housekeeping

[starshine514]

Really? Housekeeping service is one of the very best parts of a vacation for me! Why don't you ever want it?

I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I go through and Lysol surfaces, take those rarely-washed bedspreads off of the bed, etc. when we arrive and I have no desire to do that every day of my vacation! Plus, I've had stuff (not valuable stuff that you would put in the safe, but stuff that I paid money for and had flown across the country with me and then had to go to the store and replace mid-vacation) disappear. I'd rather just have everything where I left it when I leave the room and I keep up the "Do Not Disturb" sign to ensure that.

I usually tip $5 when I do let them enter the room, and at the end of my stay.

 

[kailuagirl]

speaking of tipping.... I always wondered at the GCH, do you need to tip again for the turn down service at night? We usually are back in the day, sometimes after they have cleaned our room and then when we come back at night and there are the candy on the pillows, and my DD's stuffed animals all cutely arranged for bed with the bed turned down and wonder if I should have left them a tip also. I did a couple times, but wasn't sure what to do, or how much, etc.

And, we have never gotten our washclothes folded cute into animals, etc., so I always wonder too and I not leaving enough money. There are 3 of us and we usually leave about $5 a day and we are really neat in our room, we have all the recyclables in one trash can, and the trash in another, etc.

 

[kailuagirl]

and I sooooo love the idea of envelopes. I am totally going to do this for now on. Can't tell you how many times we didn't have cash or whatever, this is such an awesome idea Love it!!!

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Really? Housekeeping service is one of the very best parts of a vacation for me! Why don't you ever want it?

I am a tidy person by nature, but I never hire a house cleaner for my house--so it is all me doing the cleaning at home by myself. I can't tell you what an amazing pleasure it is to come back to the room all cleaned up by the hotel housekeepers at our mid-day break! You are all hot and bedraggled from the parks, and you walk in to this oasis of clean room, made beds, dirty towels magically disappear and clean folded ones in their place. It feels so good! Plus, we always have stuff like random trash from buying stuff in the parks and water bottles lurking about--and then suddenly they are gone and every surface is wiped clean. It is just the nicest feeling ever. It is also important to get clean glasses and the ice bucket cleaned out with a new bag in it, because we tend to use that a lot.

I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I go through and Lysol surfaces, take those rarely-washed bedspreads off of the bed, etc. when we arrive and I have no desire to do that every day of my vacation! .

I do a combo -- LOVE daily housekeeping and honestly it's my favorite part of vacation! But I too am a germaphobe; for me it's worth the 60 seconds a day to wipe surfaces down again with antibac wipes. I stash the comforters under the beds or in the closet with a note asking that the beds not be remade with them (so far every hotel housekeeper has honored this request.) And I take my coffee pot, again with a note asking that the pot not be washed. I tip extra because I know I'm a pain with the special instructions

 

[Susie63]

Grand California Villas or DVC do not get housekeeping every day.Trash and towels are done on day 4 and a full cleaning on day 8.I am pretty sure Pixiewings 71 is a DVC owner......soooooo lucky

 

[Susie63]

and I sooooo love the idea of envelopes. I am totally going to do this for now on. Can't tell you how many times we didn't have cash or whatever, this is such an awesome idea Love it!!!

If you google "Mousekeeping envelopes" there are some really cute ones out there that you print out and then just cut and fold.DD puts the money in before we leave home and one of her jobs everyday is to put it in the bathroom......after she puts all the Mickey toiletries in my suitcase

 

[pixiewings71]

Really? Housekeeping service is one of the very best parts of a vacation for me! Why don't you ever want it?

I am a tidy person by nature, but I never hire a house cleaner for my house--so it is all me doing the cleaning at home by myself. I can't tell you what an amazing pleasure it is to come back to the room all cleaned up by the hotel housekeepers at our mid-day break! You are all hot and bedraggled from the parks, and you walk in to this oasis of clean room, made beds, dirty towels magically disappear and clean folded ones in their place. It feels so good! Plus, we always have stuff like random trash from buying stuff in the parks and water bottles lurking about--and then suddenly they are gone and every surface is wiped clean. It is just the nicest feeling ever. It is also important to get clean glasses and the ice bucket cleaned out with a new bag in it, because we tend to use that a lot.

The maids at our last hotel were so wonderful. We called the front desk as we left each morning for the parks to let them know we were going and they could come in and clean--and by the time we came back that afternoon around 2ish, the room was just sparkling. We stayed at the Doubletree Suites Hilton in Anaheim, and I was so impressed by this hotel. Some hotels skimp on the housekeeping, but this one went above and beyond.

I typically give about 5.00 per day, and try to put the money in envelopes before we travel.

Really. I just prefer to be more environmentally friendly, I don't need clean towels daily and I definitely don't need clean sheets daily. Plus, (not with DL area hotels) there have been times that things have disappeared from where we put them only to show up in a different place at a later time during our stay, that creeps me out. LOL And at our timeshare (not DVC) we only get a cleaning every 4 days, otherwise they actually charge us for it, so we are just used to it being done that way.

Grand California Villas or DVC do not get housekeeping every day.Trash and towels are done on day 4 and a full cleaning on day 8.I am pretty sure Pixiewings 71 is a DVC owner......soooooo lucky

Don't I wish? LOL No, we own with Shell (Peacock Suites) and RCI but not with DVC.

 

[Tink1987]

I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I go through and Lysol surfaces, take those rarely-washed bedspreads off of the bed, etc. when we arrive and I have no desire to do that every day of my vacation! Plus, I've had stuff (not valuable stuff that you would put in the safe, but stuff that I paid money for and had flown across the country with me and then had to go to the store and replace mid-vacation) disappear. I'd rather just have everything where I left it when I leave the room and I keep up the "Do Not Disturb" sign to ensure that.

I usually tip $5 when I do let them enter the room, and at the end of my stay.

I couldn't agree more about those bedspreads! A lot of hotels seem to have started using them and I don't see why. They just get chucked on the floor in the night and as you say, I bet they are very rarely washed....

 

[Suelala]

I always tip $1 per person in room,plus an extra dollar, each night. Will definitely use the envelopes this year, great DISboard tip! I am going to try to make a different themed one each day, hopefully bring a smile to the mousekeeper's face!
I am also thinking of buying some keychains from my hometown and include one in one of the envelopes...is that a dumb idea? Maybe a postcard, too. Has anyone else done this? Any other ideas?

 

[Rebekkap]

I always tip $1 per person in room,plus an extra dollar, each night. Will definitely use the envelopes this year, great DISboard tip! I am going to try to make a different themed one each day, hopefully bring a smile to the mousekeeper's face!
I am also thinking of buying some keychains from my hometown and include one in one of the envelopes...is that a dumb idea? Maybe a postcard, too. Has anyone else done this? Any other ideas?

I'm from Australia, and I always bring a bunch of tiny koalas that can hold thing in their paws - I put tips in their paws and leave them for housekeeping!

 

[Suelala]

LOOOOOVE the koala bear idea!!!! I know you put a smile on your mousekeeper's face, and probably her kids' or grandkids' too!

 

[Nox54]

I'm from Australia, and I always bring a bunch of tiny koalas that can hold thing in their paws - I put tips in their paws and leave them for housekeeping!

How cute!

 

[SomeDude78]

We don't have housekeeping come in until we check out, unless we stay more than 4 nights. So we rarely tip more than $5 because we don't get housekeeping. On the other hand, if we are there longer we request housekeeping 3-5 days into our stay (depending on the length of stay) and we will tip at that time and on check out day. If we do request extra towels or blankets we will tip the person who brings us those items upon delivery, that's usually $2-3.

Same exact approach here! We NEVER get housekeeping unless the stay is longer than 5 days or so. For any other stay, the only item we ever request is more toilet paper I just don't like people I don't know being around my stuff, so the very first thing when I check into a hotel is the "Privacy Please" sign goes up and never comes down.

As for tipping, I usually do $5 for valet drop-off/pickup, $5 for bell services, $5-$20 for housekeeping depending on the property, and $2-$5 for anything else depending on level of effort required (ok, and also what kind of mood I'm in).

To be perfectly honest, while I tip, I do find the practice pretty odd, and the expectation of receiving one offensive at times. For instance when someone provides totally garbage service and still demands their "customary" tip. The whole thing is just an added "cost" as opposed to an actual "tip" nowadays IMO.

 

[pixiewings71]

I couldn't agree more about those bedspreads! A lot of hotels seem to have started using them and I don't see why. They just get chucked on the floor in the night and as you say, I bet they are very rarely washed....

I have a friend who worked many years in a hotel, they washed the spreads after each guest. I know that's not normal but I wish every hotel/motel did that!!

Same exact approach here! We NEVER get housekeeping unless the stay is longer than 5 days or so. For any other stay, the only item we ever request is more toilet paper I just don't like people I don't know being around my stuff, so the very first thing when I check into a hotel is the "Privacy Please" sign goes up and never comes down.

As for tipping, I usually do $5 for valet drop-off/pickup, $5 for bell services, $5-$20 for housekeeping depending on the property, and $2-$5 for anything else depending on level of effort required (ok, and also what kind of mood I'm in).

To be perfectly honest, while I tip, I do find the practice pretty odd, and the expectation of receiving one offensive at times. For instance when someone provides totally garbage service and still demands their "customary" tip. The whole thing is just an added "cost" as opposed to an actual "tip" nowadays IMO.

In many cases this is unfortunately true......
Glad to see I'm not the only "weirdo" who doesn't like housekeeping in and out all the time. lol

 

[Disneylovers2000]

Are there really people who don't tip at all? Hide your toothbrush!

EWWWWWW!!!! Hadn't thought of that!!!

 

[Disneylovers2000]

Tips for housekeeping are not left on the nightstand, as this has sexual connotations, i.e., this is where money is left for a "lady of the evening."

Oh my! Hadn't thought about that either!!

 

[cpster]

Another tip question...when checking in at the GCH one person helps us unload our bags, then we go through the check in line and call down to bell services for our bags to be brought up. Often it's someone different. We've been tipping both people. Is this what you all do?

If so, I think I will split the total tip amount I intend to give. Last time I spent $10 at check in...$5 to the first guy, who I thought would bring our bags up, and another $5 to the second guy who showed up.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Susie63]

I always tip $1 per person in room,plus an extra dollar, each night. Will definitely use the envelopes this year, great DISboard tip! I am going to try to make a different themed one each day, hopefully bring a smile to the mousekeeper's face!
I am also thinking of buying some keychains from my hometown and include one in one of the envelopes...is that a dumb idea? Maybe a postcard, too. Has anyone else done this? Any other ideas?

No,that's cool! We visited a week before the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and I brought some US/Canada Olympic pins.We gave them to CM's who made the extra effort to make our trip so special.

 

[viaggiamo]

This thread has been sooo helpful. We are from Australia and the tipping etiquette gets me every time.
So for a famly of four $5 per night is OK?

Thanks
C

 

[raiderfan]

This thread has been sooo helpful. We are from Australia and the tipping etiquette gets me every time.
So for a famly of four $5 per night is OK?

Thanks
C

Yes, that seems to be the going rate. $1 per person per day or $5 per day.