Mousekeeping tips

[Cherinva]

We usually tip $1 per person, per day.

 

[nanalisa]

We have always tipped $3 a day for the two of us. My DBF makes sure nothing is left out so there is not much to be done. We just got home from CR. We didn't get into the room until 4:30 pm. I got a shower before going to bed and realized the tub looked way dirtier than it should have from one shower which had me totally grossed out. The coffee area needed to be wiped down and there was a half empty bottle of water in the bedside cabinet from a previous guest.

We left a tip the first day. The bathroom sink area wasn't wiped down. Towels were replaced, the tub was cleaned (thank God) and bed was made. Coffee was not replaced and neither were toiletries. Toilet paper was put on the holder with the paper wrapper left on.

We did not leave a tip after that first day. Coffee was never replaced through the trip after the first day in spite of leaving a note asking for it. I left a used lotion and shower gel in the sink so she would see they were half empty. They were not replaced until I left a note the following day. Nothing was replenished again throughout the trip.

We had placed about 6 extra pillows on the sofa one night. 4 were still there after the room was done. Two were the long bolsters. They were just left there haphazardly.

We left the hotel with no intention of ever staying again and I would say 90% was due to the housekeeping. This was my 12th time staying onsite and my 1st time having a problem with housekeeping. Considering it was the most we have paid for a room (we were in a Magic Kingdom View Tower Room) it was really disappointing.

Sorry to go on for so long. I just got home last night so it's a little fresh in my mind still.

This is not acceptable! You should have called housekeeping after the first day. When you get your comment card in the mail, make sure you mention all of these things. Hope you had a good time otherwise.

 

[nanalisa]

so you are tipping them for not stealing or altering your personal belongings?? does anyone else see the irony in this?? not messing with your stuff is required/expected not above and beyond the call. I do not expect any waitstaff to mess with my stuff and have never had anything disappear from a hotel room. Now, I do utilize safes for our higher value items. if they took something, they would loose their job most likely. This is not going to happen except in the rarest of circumstances.

I have never tipped housekeeping anywhere. Now, it's not that I'm a tipper. I tip my hairdresser, the valet, the guy who moves our bags, every single waitress/waiter I've ever encountered, and all services on a cruise line. I'm sure I'm leaving out someone. I do tip housekeeping on cruises and I usually give them above the expected because they do not earn minimum wage and rely on tips for their income. Plus, they clean the room like 3 times a day. also, my philosophy on tipping is if it is a tipped position (customarily tipped), I give the minimum always despite level of service. If they are awesome, I give above that. I just never associated housekeeping with a tipped position and have never known anybody that tipped housekeeping either.

You do now.

 

[sam_gordon]

I believe housekeeping should ALWAYS be tipped!!
For the people that don't tip, well... you should really think
about it...do you tip your waiters/waitress for dinner?
It is a real DISGRACE if you don't leave a tip, for God sake
your in Disney World be happy that someone is cleaning up
after you....AND appreciate a hard working person earning a
living!!!!!
Stop being so cheap...non-tippers, I hear you squeak when u
walk by !!!!

I don't know if you're being serious, but I'd like to know... do you work hard at your job? Do you EXPECT a tip (bonus)?
Personally I think tipping has gotten out of control in this country. You're supposed to tip delivery people, wait staff, valet, hairdressers, garbage men ("christmas gift"), etc, etc.

The main reason I hear is "they don't make much". You know what, neither did I for the first 10-15 years in MY profession. I'm guessing the person taking your order at McDonald's doesn't make much either. Do you tip them? Do you tip the person checking you out at the grocery store? They work hard too and don't get paid much.

Tips, IMO, should be for "going above and beyond the call of duty".

Now that I've probably pissed off a bunch of people on here, I *DO* tip mousekeeping... $1/day/person.

 

[buckeyecinderella]

What I've experienced is that it doesn't seem to matter whether a tip is left or not. I've always received the same service. We try to tip, but sometimes forget, or don't have appropriate cash to leave a tip. I've found no difference. I ususally don't get the towel animals. I am happy if the room is just appropriately cleaned and have sundries/towels replenished.

With that said, I don't think the rooms are quite as "perfect" as they were in the past. What I'm starting to think is that most times the housekeepers are probably really busy, likely because of some cutbacks in staff. If something doesn't get done to my expectaions, possibly they had to rush to another room for some reason and never got back to finish my room or give that "extra special touch". However, I worked at a hotel when I was just out of college. There was always a housekeeping supervisor that would inspect the rooms prior to the room being considered as "done." I'm not sure if this is done at Disney.

I did catch once a housekeeper emptying the contents of the bathroom waste basket into the toilet. That to me was not appropriate. I didn't complain. It was my last night.

 

[Bradsdadg]

We've always tipped, but never really liked the maids. Now that we have DVC they only come once when we are there. We left a tip at the end of the week last year. To be honest, i'm not sure what we are going to do this upcoming trip.

 

[muchadoaboutdisney]

We give $5.00 a day. We make up the envelopes before hand, we always have a lot of fun decorating them. We tip mousekeeping because it's the right thing to do, and that's that.

 

[tinkerone]

Here's my tipping question...

Which person gets tipped...the person who unloads your baggage from your car and puts it on the cart or the person who delivers the cart to your room and unloads it...or both people?

Same goes for the reverse, when you are checking out.

We tip $1 a bag, but that can really add up when you have a lot of bags and they keep switching out people on you.

this brings to mind our first trip to jamacia. we had 3 people moving our luggage from one door to the next and passing it off, each with their hand out. tipped three people before we left the airport, or, rather, before i caught on...... those people are not stupid!! lol.

 

[dbriggsq]

this brings to mind our first trip to jamacia. we had 3 people moving our luggage from one door to the next and passing it off, each with their hand out. tipped three people before we left the airport, or, rather, before i caught on.....:rotf2:. those people are not stupid!! lol.

And I'm afraid this will be the situation everywhere if people don't come to terms with the fact that tipping is not appropriate in a modern economy. We don't employ servants we emply staff - who should be paid appropriately by their employers. The more we encourage tipping the more we delay the situation when we can get away from the situation where people have to rely on 'handouts' from strangers for their living.

I'm waiting for the comment 'well I tip $100 per night on a silver salver -top that'.

 

[acc82]

We give $5.00 a day. We make up the envelopes before hand, we always have a lot of fun decorating them. We tip mousekeeping because it's the right thing to do, and that's that.

OT: I really like your taste in men!!!! Gerard butler and Ewan Mcgregor are two of my all time favorites!!!!!!! No so much on michael buble but.....it's okay!! Ewan Mcgregor is dead sexy.

 

[stitch34]

Family of four, usually would tip $3 per day... last trip we did $2 a day. We keep the room pretty clean - mostly a matter of them making the beds and replenishing the towels. No crumbs to vacuum up or anything like that.

I wonder, what percentage of people do you think tip? How many rooms per day does each mousekeeper usually do? Just wondering how much they actually end up making in tips per day.

and bell services... we do a lot of split stays. We call in morning for someone to pick up our bags to be transferred to next resort. Usually have 6 bags - one large suitcase, 2 large carryons, and 3 duffel/backpack type bags. I give them $4. Is that enough?

 

[summerlady]

I'm wondering...is it expected and appropriate to tip RAC when you bring your bags to check out?

We pretty much clean up after ourselves, but I always tip the mousekeeper $1 per day, per person. Last November we had a lovely woman named Norma clean our room, she even stopped in to tell us good bye the morning of our departure.

 

[heather13]

The main reason I hear is "they don't make much". You know what, neither did I for the first 10-15 years in MY profession. I'm guessing the person taking your order at McDonald's doesn't make much either. Do you tip them? Do you tip the person checking you out at the grocery store? They work hard too and don't get paid much.

Now THAT is a great point! I worked some crazy jobs out of college before I could find something that remotely resembled what I studied. During that time I never made more than minimum wage and only received tips when I was a waitress at a bar (and even then I had to split tips with the other waitresses and the bartender - so ended up with $30 rather than $100 on my best night).

Personally, I tip when we're traveling with kids and the staff ends up doing extra stuff for us - like removing stinky diapers from the trash, providing extra towels, vacuuming excessive crumbs and setting up a crib. That said if I arrived at a room and found it to be unacceptably clean I'd call the front desk immediately and complain. If it lasted more than one day I too would cease tipping and would call the desk every single day until checkout (and would complain once again there!!). We're staying at CR in Nov so hopefully they'll have some mousekeeping turnover by then!

 

[kaligal]

I tip them $5 - $10 a day and I do almost their whole job for them. I neatly stack used towels in the clean sink. I wipe the shower down. I empty the trash and tie up the bag. If I want new sheets, I pull the sheets off and leave them in a pile. If I don't need the sheets, I make the bed myself.

Housekeeping has physically demanding work. They are not given enough time to do their task, especially considering what pigs some people turn into when they don't have to clean up. The housekeepers are treated like crap by much of the hotel staff and by many customers.

IMO, they deserve a break and a good tip, so I give them one. I tend to over-tip because I know there are a lot of people out there who give them nothing.

I don't put it in a designed envelope, but they don't care. They aren't as into Mickey as we are. It's their job. I generally leave it on top of the towels.

I tip daily.

 

[acc82]

I tip them $5 - $10 a day and I do almost their whole job for them. I neatly stack used towels in the clean sink. I wipe the shower down. I empty the trash and tie up the bag. If I want new sheets, I pull the sheets off and leave them in a pile. If I don't need the sheets, I make the bed myself.

Housekeeping has physically demanding work. They are not given enough time to do their task, especially considering what pigs some people turn into when they don't have to clean up. The housekeepers are treated like crap by much of the hotel staff and by many customers.

IMO, they deserve a break and a good tip, so I give them one. I tend to over-tip because I know there are a lot of people out there who give them nothing.

I don't put it in a designed envelope, but they don't care. They aren't as into Mickey as we are. It's their job. I generally leave it on top of the towels.

I tip daily.

That I definately do not do!! And, i know i'm not alone. Not that i don't appreciate what they do. But, as a nurse, my job description sounds similar. I do physically demanding work and do clean up after folks but that's just what I do. If I get a thank you, that's enough.
So, I do not feel bad about not making my bed on vacation. I agree - I don't think people should trash the room and leave it for housekeeping. And, I do organize our stuff so it's easy for them to clean but I don't make the bed or wipe the shower. Vacation is the only time I'm not cleaning up, so I enjoy it.
Reading this has changed my philosophy on tipping somewhat but IMO, tipping should be reserved for when someone goes above and beyond when they are in a position where tips are not relied upon for the completion of their income. (i.e. a waitress doesn't get minimum wage because tips are PART of her salary so therefore she shouls be tipped always). For instance, I did recently stay in a nice hotel where the housekeeper even went so far as to organize my makeup collection I had in the bathroom. I didn't even know she was going to do that - had I known - I definately would've tipped.

 

[roxiepenguin]

This is an interesting thread...we usually tip all hotel housekeeping around $2 per night. That would be $1 for each of us. On our upcoming trip to WDW, though, I was planning on $3-5 per night.

Unfortunately, you are tipping ahead of time, which is the only caveat. However, if I have a bad experience with housekeeping, I'll complain to the front desk and/or manager. They might get my $2, but they will hopefully get a lecture from the boss.

That sounds perfect, Sophie; like a 'best of both worlds' solution!

 

[Farmersue]

I don't tip at any hotel and may not at Disney. I think the world of workers out there (doesn't matter what business it it) has a tip jar out. When does the tip jars end? From what is posted here, you are suggested to tip bus driver, people to move your luggage to your room, mousekeeping, people moving you bags to the bus on departure, and bus driver going back to airport. And I would guess their are more people expected to get tipped. I am a dairy farmer and many farmers do not make enough to cover the cost of making milk, so should you send the farmer a tip for making milk that you drink? I ALWAYS tip the wait staff and even that isn't fair as most of them have to split with others working there. I understand that most do not believe that $8 an hour is not much but it is a job that pays and they probably get benefits. They can choose to not work there and find a better paying job. Whether or not someone is tipped, I do expect the room cleaned and the belongings left alone. I think the best tip is a note to management saying that the person did a good/great job and that in the long run will help them to keep the job or get promotions. With that said, I think it's great that everyone can do what they feel is best and hopefully enjoy their trip.

 

[acc82]

I think the best tip is a note to management saying that the person did a good/great job and that in the long run will help them to keep the job or get promotions. With that said, I think it's great that everyone can do what they feel is best and hopefully enjoy their trip.

I agree about a note about the great job someone did!! I did this last year when the box office attendant at cirque went way above and beyond to help me despite the fact that I booked our tickets for the wrong day! Disney personally called me to tell me that they passed the word along to the people that helped me.

Again, being in a service industry in which tips are not accepted (and must be refused) - Nursing - It means soooooo much to me when someone mentions my skills to management. Nothing makes me happier at my job. I believe this is good to do for anyone regardless if tips are accepted or not. And, I'm here to say that disney DOES follow through with these comments.

 

[le9397]

This is not acceptable! You should have called housekeeping after the first day. When you get your comment card in the mail, make sure you mention all of these things. Hope you had a good time otherwise.

You are right. It really was totally unacceptable. In hindsight, I'm angry with myself now that I did not complain about it at the hotel. Still waiting on a comment card. Looks like I may need to write a letter instead.

We did have a great time otherwise though! We just booked another four nights in December with some friends during free dining. It is their first trip so it will be fun for us to show them around. This time we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside. Hopefully it will be a better experience.

 

[YanksWinAgain]

my philosophy on tipping is if it is a tipped position (customarily tipped), I give the minimum always despite level of service. If they are awesome, I give above that. I just never associated housekeeping with a tipped position and have never known anybody that tipped housekeeping either.

I think the interesting point that has come out of this thread is that "customarily tipped positions" is in the eye of the tipper. I had always thought there would be more of a debate about the AMOUNT of the tip as opposed to whether or not to tip in the first place.

$1 per person per day seems to be ~80-90% of the common tip amount for those who tip.