5 Tips for Tipping Your Hotel Housekeeper

In the 26–36 minutes allotted for cleaning a guest room, the hotel housekeeper attends to the bathroom, the bedroom, and any adjacent living room, patio, or balcony. The housekeeper is often the first employee to whom guests reach out when in need of assistance. However, unlike porters, valets, and concierges, travelers are often unsure whether it is appropriate to tip housekeepers, how to leave a tip, and what amount is appropriate. That’s why we’ve pulled together some general suggestions to make it easier for you.

1. $3-$5 per night is appropriate, but you should tip more if you leave the room particularly messy or the housekeeper has gone out of their way to bring you something special.
2. Leaving cash is appropriate. That might mean thinking ahead to be certain to have some cash on hand as so many of us have gone cashless.
3. Leave a tip each day as the housekeeping staff might change depending upon the day of the week and the time of day the room is cleaned.
4. Be sure to leave a note with the tip so the housekeeper knows the money is meant for them. Some hotels provide feedback cards for guests. That is the perfect place to acknowledge a job well done, as well as to leave the tip.
5. If you haven’t had the chance to leave a tip until the end of your stay, or you are uncomfortable leaving cash in the room, but you want to be sure all the housekeepers receive the appropriate tip, speak to the front desk or concierge at checkout. They should be happy to take an envelope with a tip that can be distributed to the housekeepers who serviced your room during your stay.

Cleaning is demanding work, even more so when doing it in someone else’s living space. We hope you will consider saying thank you with a note or a word of thanks and by consistently tipping your housekeeper for great service.