Tipping the room maid

Diane60

We left a hotel in Spain last week. We were there for three weeks. I left 20 Euros for our maid (thought this may be a bit low). Her face beamed when she saw it, you would have thought we were now her family!!! She said that they only get low wages and tips are always garateful, though sadly not the norm these days.

lr1277

Yes I do. 1 - 2 pounds or dollars per day when staying in UK and US respectively. Depends on the cleanliness of the room and how it is made up.

HTH.

olias

I remember when I stayed in a hotel in the US, they had a 'buffet' breakfast. You just helped yourself to everything, even the cutlery, and took your plates etc back. When I went to pay (for just the breakfast) I noticed and extra charge on the bill which I queried. 'That's the service charge', said the cashier. It's a tip for the service you've recieved (She said this with a deadpan face!). She could not understand it when I explained I hadn't had any 'service' and that I wouldn't pay it as I had 'served' myself!

Olias

Jane2112

MrSmartprice wrote: »

I never tip maids in hotels. I see no reason for doing so. I do, however, leave a small amount for the cabin maid after a cruise, as invariably they will have made a real effort to make your stay comfortable.

I hate the idea of tipping anyway. I can see no reason to pay someone extra just for doing their job, while others would never get a gratuity. Why would you tip a taxi driver but not a bus driver, for instance? Or your hairdresser but not your chiropodist?;)

Dont ever go to Egypt - tipping is a way of life. Everybody even the street sweeper asks for a tip. Baksheesh!!!!

Errata

Barmen get tipped, waiters get tipped - why not chambermaids, they're the ones who clean your lav !

shellsuit

We leave whatever change we have, in the ashtray, on the morning we leave ~ it's not normally much, say around 8 - 10 euros.

We also give anything away to other holiday makers that we think others could make good use of (so suncream/pool floats/beer/coffee/toiletries etc).

I'd never do it in this country, only when we go abroad. Don't know why before anyone asks!

pattycake

I leave a tip most days. The first day usually $5 and then $2 a day thereafter. The maids are usually on very low wages and the small amount of money means a lot to them.

At the end of the holiday, all the toiletries, nail polishes and similar are left behind. We holiday in the Caribbean and stuff like this is expensive for the locals to buy. Plus it takes the weight out of the luggage on the homeward trip.

WolfSong2000

In this country, no. When I'm in the USA, I try to leave a tip...actually got into an argument last time I was over there with an American friend as she claimed I hadn't left enough of a tip (left $20). Told her she could top it up if she wanted ad I'd just paid for the meal for myself, her and her daughter...she did as well. lol.

But yeah, the wage for a waitress in the USA is something like $2-3 per hour as they're expected to get tips, and I'd imagine it's only marginally more for maids.

MrSmartprice

Jane2112 wrote: »

Dont ever go to Egypt - tipping is a way of life. Everybody even the street sweeper asks for a tip. Baksheesh!!!!

I remember some people scrounging tips when in India. At the airport kids carry your bag 50 yards and expect £1 coins! I gave them 5rs instead. Many people in India earn that in a day.

I have to say, though, that most people in India actually don't expect tips. The maids there were grateful for leftover toiletries and flipflops, but would always ask you to sign something to say you had given it to them as they were often searched on changeover day, apparently.

Baksheesh does get things done there though. If you want a taxi, for instance, a few rupees will ensure one arrives fairly quickly! The difference in India, I think, is that everything is generally well-mannered and there is none of the hassle and pressure you get elsewhere.

Blue264

I've some exceptional service in hotels around the World and when that happens, I always leave a a tip. The reason is, when I worked on reception in a hotel, I did overtime helping out the housekeeper on a few occasions when one of the maids had broken her arm and I can assure you that it's backbreaking work. All I did was strip and make 50 beds in 3hrs but man! I felt it the day after!
I stayed in one hotel that still had an evening bed turning down service and got to know the housekeeper quite well and she looked after me like one of her daughters. One night, when she knew I was going to a party, she left a jug of iced lemon water in the fridge and an aspirin on the bedside table. I gave her a nice tip and left small gifts for her grandchildren.

And going back to the first post, one of my clients is very happily married to a woman he met when she was the maid in a hotel he used to visit regularly on business over 10yrs ago.