How many of you that are road-warriors tip your hotel maid service? If you do what how much do you usually tip? Does the amount that you tip depend on cost of the hotel room and length of stay?
according to fodors, 1-2 dollars per person in the room.
should you be an extra picky guest an extra dollar or two.
It depends on a few things. If I’m traveling for work, I leave about $2 a day, because I get extra coffee, have lots of cups ect. that need to be cleaned up. Plus, work is going to reimburse me most of it. If I’m staying on my own somewhere, its $1 a night. I have stiffed the maids, for instance when they don’t read the do not disturb sign, open the door, find the chain on, then proceed to knock. grrrrr.
I usually leave about 2 bucks per day, daily (I travel alone), in an envelope marked TIP.
If the staff has gone out of their way for me, I throw in something extra like a gift certificate (I keep a few Border’s $10 gift certificate cards on me when I travel - this only works if I know there is a Border’s nearby).
At least $2 per night; more if I’ve made an usual mess of the room, e.g. used every towel what w/ swimming, bathing; filled up the trashcans with take-out or delivery food stuff; rumpled up the spread on the spare bed, flopping my suitcase on it, lounging around reading, while I slept in the other bed.
I don’t view this as etiquette so much as common decency. And it isn’t guilt either, though the folks sure don’t earn much. I’ve never had so much as the tiniest item missing from a hotel/motel room. Purely personal preference, but it falls somewhere between “acts of random kindness” and appreciation for unglamorous, honest work well done. The day I couldn’t spare a measley few bucks I’d be poor in ways I don’t ever wanna be.
Veb
Well, I feel like a horse’s ass and a total dumbfuck. I’ve never been much of a traveller, but I’ve stayed in motels from time to time. I never left a tip. I never even thought about it. Now, I feel crappy. 
I delivered pizzas once and would bitch about the people who wouldn’t tip. Now this.
Honestly? I don’t tip either, unless it’s a luxury hotel. Except now, when we travel with Cranky Jr., it’s inevitable that there will be cracker crumbs in the carpet and dirty diapers in the trash and other bigger messes. When the kid is along, we do, regardless of quality of the room/hotel. Coupla bucks a day.
I truly think this convention isn’t explained or understood. I’d never heard of it until I was in my 20s and had already travelled a LOT.
I tip anyone whose job involves scrubbing other peoples toilets. Having been a bartender, houseboat maid and home maid, I over-tip everyone. The cheaper the hotel, the more I tip, figuring the staff makes minimum wage, or less.
I tip only if the room requires an EPA squad after I leave.
(kidding – 2-3 bucks a night)
Tip…ping?
I usually leave spare change on the last night/morning I’m there.
No problemo, no foul and no fault. That’s why we’re here, fighting ignorance and all. Took me a few hefty swings upside the head with a 2X4 before I got a clue, being a perceptive type and all. thwaack!
The system works! My ignorance has been fought and killed (without the use of lumber!), and all before breakfast. Now I’ll leave 4 bucks to make up for the snub yesterday. Thanks to everyone who replied.
Nope. Not a cent. Never have, never will. Not for an overnight nor for an extended stay.
I ask nothing special of the maids, and they provide me no personal service that I am aware of other than performing their normal job duties.
And if I had had any incliniation to leave a tip, I would expend extra effort to overcome that urge if confronted by a convenient “tip envelope”.
Perhaps I should tip the maid who cleaned the room before I checked in?
I really don’t want to tell you people this, but if you put the tip money out or in an envelope, the maid supervisor gets it first!
If you want the maid to get it, put it under a pillow, which is what I always do.
Really? I never knew that. Thanks for the tip, handy.