Do you leave a tip for hotel housekeeping?

[Mattg]

I would just ignore it!

Oh don’t worry, I did!

The bed wasn’t even made properly and there were crumbs on the carpet when I arrived in the room.

 

[SYD]

Oh don’t worry, I did!

The bed wasn’t even made properly and there were crumbs on the carpet when I arrived in the room.

From memory, it’s not exactly a great hotel. Unlike the Indigo Durham in the old Post Office building! We stayed in both on our first post Covid bolt overseas (amongst other places).

In many, many years travelling to the UK, I can’t recall ever seeing anything suggesting a tip for housekeeping was expected…

 

[Princess Fiona]

This was in my room at a Hotel Indigo in the UK:

View attachment 518848

Yep also at Motto Chelsea in NY.
I actually prefer this to the cash on a table method.
But only in the USA would not expect to see this in the UK at all.
Must be there for the visiting Americans

 

[TheRealTMA]

From memory, it’s not exactly a great hotel. Unlike the Indigo Durham in the old Post Office building! We stayed in both on our first post Covid bolt overseas (amongst other places).

In many, many years travelling to the UK, I can’t recall ever seeing anything suggesting a tip for housekeeping was expected…

Creeping American tipping garbage seems to be starting to infect the UK it seems. It’s bad enough when expensive restaurants add 15% service fee (optional) then the owners keep it rather than distributing to staff. (As has happened at a few Michelin star restaurants. )

 

[cove]

We leave tips in the US hotels as they get paid a pittance.

 

[offshore171]

This was in my room at a Hotel Indigo in the UK:

View attachment 518848

What's the bet the operator siphons off some sort of "platform fee" before distributing what's left to the actual housekeeper.

 

[Princess Fiona]

What's the bet the operator siphons off some sort of "platform fee" before distributing what's left to the actual housekeeper.

Not in the one I have seen at Motto NY
There is an option to pay the service fee so that 100% of the tip goes to housekeeping. When you scan the QR code it takes you to a landing page where you select the staff member’s name and tick the box to pay the platform fees if you wish to do that.

 

[I love to travel]

I will tip in the US but only cash. On principle will never tip when it is overtly requested.

 

[Dalescott]

We always hand some money, to the house staff. Did it in Singapore, and when we return the following year. They remembered us. Free Drinks and fresh fruit and crisps in the room every day. We usually give around $50 aus to the room and bar staff.

 

[offshore171]

Not in the one I have seen at Motto NY
There is an option to pay the service fee so that 100% of the tip goes to housekeeping. When you scan the QR code it takes you to a landing page where you select the staff member’s name and tick the box to pay the platform fees if you wish to do that.

I'll preface this by saying I mostly enjoy travel in the US, but I'm really not a fan of their tipping culture - and that's ok to say. The scenario you describe above just highlights what I dislike about US tipping culture.

The hospitality industry is not paying its staff a decent wage, instead throwing partial responsibility of paying the staff onto the customer by way of tips.

Yet the "employer" won't even cover the cost of running the tipping platform either. The fee either gets passed onto the customer, or taken out of the employees tip. Anyone but the actual business itself pays it. Miserable.

And there's been so much scope creep for tips in recent years, both in size of tip and breadth of locations/services where there is an expectation. Even Americans are starting to complain about tip creep. It wouldn't entirely surprise me if dentists and GP's over there were touting for tips in a few years time based on the current trajectory!

Wait what?

https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/1b84947/more_tip_creep_dentist_office_daughters_math

Places like Japan and Korea prove that you can receive great service in a non tip based culture.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I would update that with my account details....

Wasn't the Service charge introduced into hotels to cover all these services?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Sanity in the LOTFAP.

Why some US restaurants are banning tips

Tips are central to US dining culture but some eateries think that they are unfair.

www.bbc.com

And UK.

‘It’s absolutely criminal’: US tipping culture has reached the UK – and is causing chaos

Service charges used to be a matter of choice, but now consumers feel obliged to pay them for even a cup of coffee. How do we navigate this minefield and who is really profiting?

www.theguardian.com

 

[drron]

Check out the rates for housekeepers in NYC. in Union hotels. $40 per hour plus healthcare and pension. Will rise to $60 in the next 4 years.
Non union hotels the rate is $17 - 23 per hour and no other benefits.

 

[cove]

In NYC it is pretty expensive living there so $23 an hour wouldn’t get you anything to rent.
Sure no Australian likes tipping but with “slave labour “ hourly rates to staff there it is a necessary evil.

 

[SYD]

In NYC it is pretty expensive living there so $23 an hour wouldn’t get you anything to rent.
Sure no Australian likes tipping but with “slave labour “ hourly rates to staff there it is a necessary evil.

I often do wonder how many hotel staff actually expect everyone to tip or are just happy when people do?

Unlike a restaurant where staff would make a scene if you tried to leave without tipping!

 

[VPS]

Sanity in the LOTFAP.

Why some US restaurants are banning tips

Tips are central to US dining culture but some eateries think that they are unfair.

www.bbc.com

And UK.

‘It’s absolutely criminal’: US tipping culture has reached the UK – and is causing chaos

Service charges used to be a matter of choice, but now consumers feel obliged to pay them for even a cup of coffee. How do we navigate this minefield and who is really profiting?

www.theguardian.com

I always find it really weird tipping hairdressers

 

[Happy Dude]

In NYC it is pretty expensive living there so $23 an hour wouldn’t get you anything to rent.
Sure no Australian likes tipping but with “slave labour “ hourly rates to staff there it is a necessary evil.

To be fair, that's not unique to NYC. Try living off $23/hr anywhere that the cost of living is distorted.