Tipping for housekeeping in hotels

[Caroline NZ]

Hi, we are from New Zealand where we generally don't tip.
We will be staying at Hojos in May and I would like to know what sort of tip should we leave each day for housekeeping ?( I intend to make up some envelopes in advance ).
Many thanks

 

[Sherry E]

I had never tipped housekeeping prior this last stay at the PPH, but based on the suggestions of many of the DISboard members, I left at least $2.00 per bed per day. So, in my case, it was $4.00 a day, and one of the days I didn't have one dollar bills so I just left a five dollar bill. I also overtipped the Bell Desk guys by accident. I grabbed the wrong bills from my wallet rather than the ones I had set aside to give them, so they got a bit more than I would have tipped, but I had planned on $2.00 per bag! Oh well, 'tis the season and all that!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Since we stay in a 2 room suite I have always left $5.00 each day. I always felt that this enhanced the level of service but was not a necessity.
I travel a lot and have found a little goes a long way.

Have fun,
Jack

 

[tzuhouse]

We do $5.00 a day. There are 4 of us and typically there are toys and stuffed animals all over the room. At WDW our ladies did lots of towel animals and used the stuffed animals as accents for the towel animals. It was great! I don't know if we would have had such great service if I hadn't left the money, but it was worth $5.00 to come back each night and see what creative thing they had done that day.

Mary

 

[kiwitravel]

Hi, we are from New Zealand where we generally don't tip.
We will be staying at Hojos in May and I would like to know what sort of tip should we leave each day for housekeeping ?( I intend to make up some envelopes in advance ).
Many thanks

Hey fellow Kiwi... We found tipping really difficult and until i read about it on this board i never thought to tip housekeeping....

We tipped the bus driver $1 per bag, we tipped 15% for restaurants (with one notable exception at airport... long story) so i guess we are at the "cheapskate" end of the scale.

I would definitely makeup envelopes addressed as "Housekeeping" and leave out prominately, we didn't tip housekeeping on either of our two trips and still got great service. I don't think its something the americans do a lot of either but we were thinking of maybe tipping $1 per person next trip.

 

[SANDIEGOFAN]

We leave $1 per person, per day, staying in the room.

 

[JeannieNM]

We travel a lot. We always tip housekeeping. We never use envelopes. That is a Disney board thing. We just leave the cash on the pillow. Housekeepers know what it is for. We tip between $3 and $10 a day depending on the room and the number of people using it as well as the level of the hotel. We tip a lower rate in a small motel room that takes less time to clean then a Penthouse Suite in a 5 star hotel. Usually we leave $4-$5 a day. We tip about half that amount for the evening turn down housekeeper. Also, we always tip daily as you never know who will clean you room on what day. Same with turn down service. I hope this helps.

 

[Peri]

We also travel a lot. We tip each day, since housekeeping staff (who are paid VERY LOW WAGES) can change from day to day. We tip 3 dollars a day for two people who are very neat and tidy but when i have grandkids, etc with me, that goes way up - haha.

For bags - two dollars a bag.

I would not agree that most U.S. people do not tip in hotels. I think the opposite is true and most do tip.

The standard for a restaurant now is 20 percent, by the way - I didn't make that up - I saw it somewhere! I believe many (but not all) servers are paid LESS THAN minimum wage, they have to "report" all tips to the tax people and are expected to make up the difference in pay through tips.

At a buffet where no one is really doing much for you, I tip 1 to 2 dollars per person, rather than using the bill as a guide - so if they bring drinks you might add some.

Just suggestions, you should get same service whether or not you tip.

 

[fairykin]

We usually take our own luggage.. but if it's called up.. then it's 2 a bag.

For housekeeping..we tip 5 a day and leave it with a note that says Thank You! Sometimes i bring back an extra cookie or something from the park to leave with the tip. I always think..what if it was my mother cleaning the room..i would want someone to be sweet to her.