How Much Should You Tip Hotel Cleaning in 2023
If you share the growing feeling that Airbnb isn’t worth the money these days, you’ll probably go back to booking hotels during your travels. Even if the cost is comparable to Airbnb, you also buy certain perks at the hotel, most notably cleaning services. But how do you express your gratitude to the people who keep your room clean and tidy? Do you keep up with the times, or do you accidentally offend workers who barely make more than the minimum wage? Here’s what you need to know about the best modern tips for hotel housekeeping.
How much to tip hotel maids?
As with most forms of tipping , it’s hard to find a hard and fast rule. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) suggests tipping maids between $1 and $5 a day. However, the same AHLA guidelines also suggest a 15-20% tip for your waiter in a restaurant, while most waiters claim that 20% is the standard and 15% is outdated, especially with inflation these days. . For this reason, I would be wrong by $5 a day out of this range for hotel maids.
Here are some other factors related to your stay to consider so you can tip appropriately.
- The number of residents. Usually more people mean more cleaning. Consider adding an additional tip of $1 per person on top of your base tip.
- Room size. As above, a bigger room with more amenities means more work for housekeepers.
- Your personal purity. Did you barely move your bedding, or did you get knocked down and trashed the place? Be honest about how you felt about a room that now has to be cleaned by someone else.
- Human connection. If you had a positive interaction with the maid as you entered or exited your room, consider tipping for friendly guest service.
Keep These Best Tipping Practices in Mind
Compared to other forms of tipping, it is very important for hotel maids to be visible. Don’t leave cash on your nightstand or under your pillow as it can get lost when you change bed linen. It is best to leave the cash in a marked envelope or on top of a note so that there is no mistake that this is for household needs. A quick thank you doesn’t hurt either.
One final note: Tips should be left daily and not in large amounts at the end of your stay, as hotel maids may have different day to day duties in the room.
The bottom line is that regardless of your budget, it’s important to consider a hotel maid tip. They provide the necessary services to keep your hotel room hygienic, not to mention add a touch of luxury to your stay. Your advice is of great value.