Do you tip your hotel maid?

[Deberg_1990]

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/0...ips-for-maids/



HOTELS
Hotel chain's program encourages tips for maids


NEW YORK – Do you leave a tip in your hotel room for the maid? Marriott is launching a program with Maria Shriver to put envelopes in hotel rooms to encourage tipping.

The campaign, called "The Envelope Please," begins this week. Envelopes will be placed in 160,000 rooms in the U.S. and Canada. Some 750 to 1,000 hotels will participate from Marriott brands like Courtyard, Residence Inn, J.W. Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance hotels.


The name of the person who cleans the room will be written on the envelope along with a message: "Our caring room attendants enjoyed making your stay warm and comfortable. Please feel free to leave a gratuity to express your appreciation for their efforts."

Shriver, who founded an organization called A Woman's Nation that aims to empower women, says many travelers don't realize tipping hotel room attendants is customary. "There's a huge education of the traveler that needs to occur," she said. "If you tell them, they ask, 'How do I do that?'" She said envelopes make it easy for guests to leave cash for the right person in a secure way.

So how much should you leave? Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson says $1 to $5 per night, depending on room rate, with more for a high-priced suite.

Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, says his research shows that "30 percent of people stiff the maid," while 70 percent said they usually leave a tip.

Sorenson noted that housekeepers "are less frequently tipped" than other hotel workers because they do an "invisible task." In contrast, workers who carry bags, hail cabs and park cars tend to get tipped because they "make a personal connection" with guests, he said.

Rosario Rodriguez, who works as a housekeeper at Marriott's Times Square hotel, says many guests don't tip and welcomes the envelope campaign as "a good idea."

Jessica Lynn Strosky of DuBois, Pennsylvania, who earns $7.75 an hour cleaning rooms at a hotel that's not a Marriott, says only 1 in 15 or 20 guests leaves a tip. When they do, it's a dollar or two; she's lucky to get $20 a week in tips. "I've talked to lots of people who say they don't know they are supposed to tip," she said.

Unlike waitresses who earn less than minimum wage because tips are expected to raise their earnings, hotel housekeepers are paid minimum wage, and in expensive markets, substantially more. In Washington D.C., Sorenson said, Marriott housekeepers start in the mid-teens per hour.

Not everyone applauds the envelope concept. "It is not Marriott's responsibility to remind customers to tip; it's their responsibility to pay their workers enough so that tips aren't necessary," said author Barbara Ehrenreich, who tried working as a hotel maid for her 2001 book "Nickel and Dimed," which chronicled her experiences in low-wage jobs.

But Scott Lazerson, 42, who lives in Sundance, Utah, said he "had no idea" tipping was customary until his wife told him on a recent trip to Orlando. He said he "feels stupid" for not knowing all these years, and added: "Yes, the hotel industry needs to do a campaign about it."

[Why Not?]

I give the mailman a gift card at Xmas every year. Garbage man gets nothing. Never seen him and he just pulls up to the curb and pushes a button.

[007]

I always use the Do Not Disturb sign. I don't want strangers coming in my room while I'm away and I can pick up after myself thank you very much.

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

You travel alot. You seeing all these fees hotels are adding on at the places you travel?

Most of my travel is billed to clients, so I don't always look at the receipt. In fact, they normally book it and pay for it on their card, and I sometimes don't even receive a bill.... so I could be getting random charges and never know.

I'll start looking now.

[BWillie]

Absolutely not.

In fact, I leave the do not disturb sign on my door until I leave, even if it is a very lengthy trip. But even then, I will tip nothing this much I assure you.

[BWillie]

You old white people crack me up. Thanks for subsidizing the entire service industry for everyone else. Compared to most ppl, Old White & Asian Ppl tip like 50% more on avg than everyone else. Id like to take this opportunity to thank you for keeping my costs lower.

And by old white ppl, I mean those that are like 40 to 65. For some reason old geezers dont really tip that much either. Not sure what it is about the baby boomer generation but they always seemed to tip very well when I waited tables. Couples good to, but when the punk kid wasnt with his GF he aint shellin out shit...and I respect that..and cheap ppl everywhere.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by srvy

Heck I tip Motel maids. Ya gotta if you want fresh sheets and extra towels.

So you tip, so the people who use your room next have a clean room?

Pay your employees better. Nobody, and I mean nobody SHOULD deserve a tip for doing their job. You do you job well because of pride and future career development...not to expect someone to tip something if they dont have to. This different minimum wage for service employees is bullshit, but im not going to be the one to keep it afloat.

Ppl in Vegas expect me to tip for telling me where the poker room is, or pointing at a cab at the entrance. Its is unreal.

[Miles]

About the only time I have heard of it was from the Seinfeld episode.

[007]

Originally Posted by BWillie

So you tip, so the people who use your room next have a clean room?

Pay your employees better. Nobody, and I mean nobody SHOULD deserve a tip for doing their job. You do you job well because of pride and future career development...not to expect someone to tip something if they dont have to. This different minimum wage for service employees is bullshit, but im not going to be the one to keep it afloat.

Ppl in Vegas expect me to tip for telling me where the poker room is, or pointing at a cab at the entrance. Its is unreal.

That was the thing I hated most about Vegas. Everyone expects a tip. Its ludicrous.

[KCUnited]

Couple bucks per night as motivation to not **** with my shit.

[Saulbadguy]

If i'm staying multiple nights i'll tip at the beginning of the stay.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

There are people who don't tip? Guess you like jizz to sleep in.

You are sleeping in jizz regardless.

Saying that, hell no they do not deserve a tip. Paying them tips is like fast food workers wanting 15 dollars an hour. Great food service I can understand tips.

I also put out the dnd sign, I can make my own bed and go get my own towels.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

There are people who don't tip? Guess you like jizz to sleep in.

I carry my black light with me on all trips

[srvy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

So you tip, so the people who use your room next have a clean room?

Pay your employees better. Nobody, and I mean nobody SHOULD deserve a tip for doing their job. You do you job well because of pride and future career development...not to expect someone to tip something if they dont have to. This different minimum wage for service employees is bullshit, but im not going to be the one to keep it afloat.

Ppl in Vegas expect me to tip for telling me where the poker room is, or pointing at a cab at the entrance. Its is unreal.

Well I am not usually staying for a night or two. This maybe my home for 6 months for work. So ya I try to treat the staff good and in return get good service. Also I like to do if I can.

[ChiTown]

I tip food service +20%, I tip my barber, I tip the guy that gets my parked car, the coat check girl, the Concierge who gives me great restaurant advice, the pizza delivery guy who isn't being a dick, the kid who cleans my clubs after a round of golf, the hotel guy that flags down a cab when I'm in a busy City, the bellhop who helps with bags, taxi service, shuttle service to and from the airport and SOMETIMES I just hand someone a $20 for being overly and genuinely friendly when they didn't have to be while I'm traveling on business. But, I've never tipped a Maid, and most likely never will. There's no interaction, most don't speak English, and many of them **** with your shit if it's left out in the open. Not gonna happen.

[KCUnited]

I will say this, having worked for Marriott, the entire behind the scenes staff are thick as thieves. They all know you whether you interact with them or not (if staying more than one night). Housekeeping talks to kitchen who talks to servers who talk to bar. That tip is an investment and can go towards service during your stay that you may not even know about. Food coming out quicker, a stronger drink, faster service because the entire hotel staff knows that the good looking guy in the death metal t-shirts tips well; and that can begin with housekeeping.

Obviously if you're staying 1 or 2 nights at a Holiday Inn Express, I wouldn't worry about it.