What is your approach to tipping housekeeping when doing Starwood green choice? My thought is one night's worth ($2-4) or just a bit more than one night's worth since they just clean up at the end. Am I off? I keep the room clean so after 3 days it's not going to require 3 times as much effort from housekeeping but just the usual (my opinion of course though I'm a neat freak).

Despite my frequent Starwood stays, I haven't used green choice since I always have 1 night stays for work or longer stays when traveling with my family (when housekeeping is very much appreciated). Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

I tip each day of my stay, including on the day I leave. When I MAGC during my stay, and I interact with housekeeping for towels and water, I may leave a little more than usual as I leave. Particularly if I see a familiar face working that day.

 

Need to tip them more because your decision to use Green Choice cuts down the amount of work and therefore the number of hours that each Housekeeper is employed/paid for. You need to add extra to ensure they get a living wage. You may be saving the planet but you are condemning a generation of housekeepers to impoverishment. But if you don't tip more then as a side-effect they won't be able to afford to have electricity in their homes and thus you will be contributing even more to the saving of the planet.

 

I tip per night and I never refuse housekeeping. The thought of people losing their jobs so I could earn a few points or my company save a buck is terrible. The guy above who tips x2 on a one night stay is excessive.

 

I'll be the unpopular one. I consider a clean room as part of what I'm paying for and do not tip housekeeping ever unless I ask for a special service or make a huge mess (only once have I done this )

 

It's common not to tip housekeeping. One of the blogs did a poll not too long ago and while I can't remember the exact result it was close to 50/50. Of course the holier-than-thou brigade can start name-calling, safe in the anonymity of an internet forum (it's usually the way tipping threads go), but there's no need to think of yourself as "unpopular" because of your choice.

 

I think that's totally fair, and in a reasonable world that would be the case.* So not to pick on you or anything, but I just want to point out that hotel managers don't agree with you, and many housekeepers make not nearly enough to live on, let alone support kids.

Most of us can easily afford an extra $2-3 a day that really makes a difference in the lives of people who work insanely hard. Not that we should have to�as you say, we've already paid for a clean room. But, on balance, it probably makes much more of a difference to the housekeepers than the principle means to us.



*For the record, I despise American tipping culture. And even though ceasing to tip altogether might change it in the long run, it just inflicts too much pain in the short run on people I don't really want to hurt.

 

^^^^^

I hate how businesses hire employees and expect them to be paid by customers directly for their service as part of their wage. The incentives are screwed up. Some customers are not used to tipping as much as others. Some employees expect more, some less. Most of the times, expectations mismatch and everyone feels they didn't get something they deserved.

I have always tipped a hotel employee who has gone out the way when they didn't need to (as an example, our car driver in Phuket who realized that our flight was 1 hour before we had told him, and raced out to the airport). I have sincerely thanked everyone else who was just doing their job and helping us along the way.

I am sure some of us who have traveled to places where tipping isn't norm are pleasantly surprised when people who are paid well, do their job with excellence, with no expectation for a tip whatsoever. I am, everytime!

 

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This is so funny. The thought of tipping for not receiving a service is hilarious.

I understand the tipping culture in the minority of nations but most of the world would laugh at the concept of tipping for the lack of service.

 

Could you explain it to me then?

I find it hard to differentiate the reason for tipping. Is it a reward? Is it a bribe? Is it an act of charity?

 

Staying on topic I think we can all identify that not having your room cleaned for several days adds more work to the housekeeper who cleans your room at the end of your stay. If you are a tipper you can keep that in mind. Every hotel is different. Some housekeepers are paid by the hour and some are paid by the room. If they are paid by the hour I'm sure there is some sort of expectation that they finish a room in a certain amount of time. The hotel is probably aware that the MAGC guests' rooms will take extra time to clean when they leave the hotel.

If you feel that your room after 3 days is not that dirty I don't see why you would add on an extra tip.

 

If the room is serviced the tip of 3-5 Euros/Dollars (4-5 Star Hotel) is ready each day. Up to now I never declined the service but let them know if I don't need new bedware for the upcoming day.

Few month ago in Taiwan the tip was not taken even a notice in Chinese was written to thank her/him for the service... and a reply written on the paper: I am proud to serve you. Thank you!

 

I'm not so sure. The bed needs to be done only once, not every day. No daily bathroom scrubs or vacuuming either. Def less work in my book.

 

Do you tip a bartender a dollar every 20 minutes when you're in a bar and not drinking that evening?