<p>When our daughter went on a band trip with school for the weekend I reminded her to leave a tip for housekeeping on the day she left. When she returned she said the other girls thought it was strange, that they’d never seen that before. I leave 2.00 per room per night or more, depending. Nobody does it anymore?</p>
<p>I not only do it, I have trained DS’s and DD to do it too. When she arranged the spring trip for her friends, she assessed them the tip as part of the fees. And it was not just $2 per room, but $1 per day per person in the room since they had 4 in each room. The tip was left each day since the person may change. They did not all understand, but she taught them, too. She also knows to tip the people who handle her bags for her when she goes to the airport with several large bags and what the proper restaurant tips are and how to calculate them. . </p>
<p>The people who live on very low wages deserve the tip for service well performed. If you cannot afford the tip, you should not go. D3 is a waiter and is suffering with people cutting back to minimal tips ($5 on a $100 tab). It is better for him if they don’t come at all and take up the table from others who would tip. He said it is always the ones that are hardest to please, too.</p>
<p>When I’m travelling alone, I leave $5/day for the housekeepers. If my husband is travelling with me, I increase it to $10. I have always found them to be very appreciative. We taught our Ds, from the time they were very young, about tipping and through their teenage and college years, when so many of their friends were servers, they came to appreciate how important tips can be.</p>
<p>I leave $10-$20 at end of a short stay ( 2 nights)usually- although I don’t usually have housekeepers come in at all as I don’t need sheets changed etc & I can make my own bed
;)</p>
<p>Yes, I always leave a tip every day. I am not as generous as Alwaysamom or EK4; perhaps I should rethink my “rates.”</p>
<p>I find those that have had to live on tips tend to be more generous 
but I figure it makes up for the time when I forget to get cash and don’t leave any thing or just a little</p>
<p>DD just corrected me, she assessed everyone $2 per day per person. More in line with what we do as a family. I just usually travel alone and am pretty low maintenance.</p>
<p>Whenever my children traveled on school trips, hotel housekeeping tips were included in the travel fees.</p>
<p>Daily $3 to $5.</p>
<p>Friends son who attends Villanova apparently tip their floors maintenance people yearly. All the kids on the floor throw in $5 or $10 bucks. I wonder how prevelent this is.</p>
<p>mominva, you’re right. When on school trips the housekeeping tips and bus driver tips were always included in the student fees. Seems maybe not doing a favor in teaching the kids that way, though, if they did not realize that it was being done. .</p>
<p>I do $2 day – but I ususally travel by myself, so I dont get into the per person issue.</p>
<p>Also – if I stay more than one day, I make certain to tell them not to change sheets, and ususally not to do room every day - I am neat and can pull the bedspread up myself and ask for more towels, and ususally have my papers and computer and rechargers arranged how I want.</p>
<p>singersmom, that’s ridiculous about the 5 bucks on a 100 dollar bill. I feel bad for your son. I usually do 20% as a default - could be a little bit more or a little bit less, depending on the service… but I can’t tell you the last time, if ever, that it was less then 15%. Went out for a $430 dinner the other week - OUCH!!!</p>
<p>dke, we have taught our kids about leaving a tip for housekeeping, too. I have heard that $2 a day was appropriate, per person. I wonder if that is now considered to be “light?” But I also wonder if most people leave anything at all? </p>
<p>I waitressed during college and law school and earned a considerable amount of $$ doing that, so I am pretty sensitive about how important it is to tip. Many people don’t realize that waitstaff does not need to be paid minimum wage since it is assumed that tips will make up the bulk of their compensation. Back in the “dark ages,” I used to be paid $1.09 per hour, plus tips.</p>
<p>Where exactly do you leave the tip in the room? Or do you look for the housekeeper/maid as she comes down the hall?!</p>
<p>I tip $5 a day in cheaper hotels and $3 a day in more expensive hotels. </p>
<p>I tip daily because I have found that I get fabulous service that way–better vacuuming, extra shampoo, that kind of thing. Tipping at the end doesn’t make it better for me, and I’m a bit selfish. Also, I notice that it’s not the same housekeeper every day.</p>
<p>I tip more in cheaper hotels because I figure it means more there. In more expensive hotels I figure everyone tips.</p>
<p>I put the tip next the bathroom sink, folded into a piece of paper on which I write “THANKS!”</p>
<p>(Momof3sons: in Washington and Oregon, the wait staff MUST in fact be paid minimum wage. I still tip generously though. I like to go back to the same restaurants over and over, and it’s worth it.)</p>
<p>I didn’t know about tipping in hotels.</p>
<p>My family never goes on vacation or anything - we just stay at hotels if we have to make a special visit some where (usually if they come to visit me at school). They never leave a tip, and never told me to. </p>
<p>I have stayed with my bf at a hotel a couple of times. I think I did see a sign one time saying tips were appreciated, but never thought anything about it.</p>
<p>I also stayed at a hotel during a class field trip and nobody mentioned leaving a tip… (But maybe extra money was taken for this, and given by our teachers?)</p>
<p>I usually am very neat though, and don’t ask for room service, I think changing the sheets and towels everyday is a waste.</p>
<p>I will keep that in mind though. :)</p>
<p>Zimmer, some hotels have a small envelope left in the room with the housekeeper’s name on it. When one of those isn’t available, I usually just leave the $$ on the bed, with a note if there is something in particular I’d like, e.g., an extra box of Kleenex, or maybe ice. Sometimes I’m in the room when the housekeeping person arrives because, when travelling, I like to do some work after breakfast but before I head out for the day, and that is often when they first try. In that case, I thank them for their service and give them the tip then.</p>
<p>momof3sons, I must be older than you. My first job was as a waitress when I was 16 and I was paid $.70/hr. I’ve always been a fairly generous tipper as a result, as long as the service is good.</p>
<p>SOad, don’t feel badly. A lot of people don’t tip in hotels. Not that that makes it right, but it’s not that unusual. </p>
<p>dmd, I agree with you. I always feel like I get better service if I tip starting on the first day. It may not be true but it feels like that, so I do it.</p>
<p>Many/most hotels these days give the guests the option of whether or not they feel the need for their sheets and towels to be changed daily. They will have a little sign you can place on the bed if you want the linens changed. If you want the towels changed, they instruct you to leave them on the floor in the bathroom. Otherwise they will assume that you will reuse them. This is smart, in my opinion. No one needs fresh towels each day, and it’s a huge waste of resources to do it.</p>
<p>We also leave a tip, usually $2 per day per person. BUT we never leave less than $5 (in other words, if we only stay one night, the person gets a $5 tip). Our kids have both worked in service jobs were tips were part of their income. They also leave tips when staying in hotels…and are excellent tippers at restaurants too.</p>
<p>I leave the money on the nightstand, usually tucked under the edge of the clock or something, on the morning we are leaving. DH usually does it when we’re staying a long time, not sure where he puts it.</p>
<p>I should probably raise my rate though, I was doing $1/person/night, but that’s really low.</p>
<p>We always leave tips. But I wonder if nicer hotels do pay their staff more than less expensive hotels? Anyone know?</p>