Should you tip a maid for a one-night hotel stay?

I'm about to stay in an upscale establishment for one night. This will be the fourth one-night stay I've had this year (in different hotels), and it never occurred to me to leave a tip for the maid until recently. I definitely am not leaving much of a mess behind, just some towels and maybe a few things in the trash can. Is it customary to leave a tip behind regardless?





Additional information: I live and travel in the U.S. only. These hotels generally cost $100-$200/night, in metropolitan districts.Should you tip a maid for a one-night hotel stay?
This is an excellent question. Unfortunately, it's not really customary, but think about thier job....Whether it's an upscale hotel or just a plain motel, I feel we should all leave a tip for the maid. Think of what these people do as opposed to the waitresses/waiters out there who seem to get a tip no matter what they do (or don't do) Maids clean up the most personal aspects of you. They clean the dirty soap scum left in the tub. They change the sheets after only God knows what went on the night before. They scrub out your toilet (and we all know what goes on there) They empty your garbage, full of smelly beer bottles full of backwash, used dental floss, used condoms.... These maids most likely have no decent education which means not much money. Give them what you would a waiter/waitress who can pull in as much as $300 a NIGHT in tips alone for doing what.... bringing you food and checking to see if ';everything's ok';....Should you tip a maid for a one-night hotel stay?
You should, assuming you found the room in good condition upon arrival. If you had to call down for basics, such as no towels, dirty tub, etc., then you should not tip because the housekeeping staff didn't do their job well.





Tips to housekeeping are truly voluntary, and are above and beyond a decent wage (no less than minimum). I typically leave $2-4 a night even on a one night stay.





Here's how I do it to maximize my level of service:





1-2 nights: full tip first morning ($2-4 per night)


3-5 nights: 2 days' tip first morning, then 1 tip per day after (no tip on check out)


6+: 1 day's tip every morning.
It depends. When I stayed at the Sheraton in Hawaii, I tipped $5 a night. Last weekend I stayed at a one star hotel in Williamsburg, VA, I tipped $3 a night. I used to date someone who worked as an executive in a hotel chain. It's international custom to tip the maid no matter where you live. It's expected of you. But I don't believe there's a rule how much you give. When I was in Southeast Asia, I gave about $1 a night. But that's me.
The maid works for crappy money.


It is cutomary but most people don't leave tips for her for what reason, I don't know.


There's the person who pumps your gas in the dead of winter for close to 0$ and the waiter makes shite money.


The maid cleans your toilet, wipes god knows what from places not normally full of god knows what and is generally unappreciated and underpaid.


yes. Tip your maid.
Yes, you tip even if you only stay for one night.
Mark your tip clearly. Leaving cash or change in the room is not a clear enough signal, as a hotel maid must be very careful about taking anything from your room. Enclose the tip in a sealed envelope (check the desk drawer for hotel stationary) and mark it ';Chambermaid.';


Leave your tip in an obvious place. On the television, on a pillow, or on the bathroom counter are all common places to leave the maid's tip.


Tip according to service and hotel type. In a luxury hotel, tip about $3-5 each night. For an average hotel, $1-2 per night is fine. If the maid goes above and beyond in service, such as providing extra soaps and shampoos or folding towels in the shape of swans (for example), feel free to leave a dollar or two more.


Don't tip for poor service. Like all tips, if you're not satisfied with the service the maid is providing, don't leave a tip (or reduce the amount you would tip).


Tips:


Leave a tip in cash, not with spare change.


If you can't find an envelope, or the hotel doesn't provide one, wrap the bills in a blank sheet of paper, labeled appropriately.


When you travel internationally, find out how to write ';maid'; or ';Chambermaid'; in the local language so you can label the envelope appropriately.
Yes, you should always leave a tip for the maid. We generally fold about two dollars inside a piece of note paper, marked ';for the maid'; and mentioning our room number and the date, so she's sure it's meant for her.





We aren't messy people, but there's always a certain amount of work to do -- changing the bath and bed linens, swabbing or vacuuming the floors, emptying the trash baskets at the very least. Considering the fact that not every guest leaves a tip, it's a nice thing to do.





Advice for hotel guests: Bring along a big safety pin or clothes pin -- sometimes the window curtains don't close completely. Bring your own travel alarm clock, in case setting the hotel's clock baffles you. Put your luggage on the console or on a luggage rack, never on the bed. If you need to sit down to put on your socks and shoes, open your bed to the sheets -- don't sit on the blanket or the bedspread. They aren't washed very often.





You may take home the note pad, and any of the little bottles of shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, etc. if you think you'll use them. They are included in the price of the room. All bed and bath linens, and any other room furnishings, must stay with the hotel.
Love the question. Housekeepers like waiters/waitresses and hairdressers provide a service to you. If you spent $100 at a restaurant, how much would you tip your waiter/waitress? And that's only for about 2 hours of work on their part. A housekeeper's work is on display for you through the duration of your stay, meaning that you have many hours to see their virtues and mistakes. Tips are gratis for a job well done, so leave as much or as little as you believe they deserve, but leave something. Also I would recommend leaving a daily tip if you stay for multiple days because sometimes a different maid will get your room on different days.





Housekeepers not only appreciate money, but also items. I once had a business person (quite rudely) tell me that he couldn't afford to give tips. He was trying to add a tip onto his room for his housekeeper so that his company would reimburse him for it, but many hotels do not have this capability. In other words we couldn't add $10 to his bill for a tip. But he did have a bunch of promo Nascar mini-cars with his company logo on them. My housekeepers loved them!