Is it proper to tip maids with other than money?

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Originally posted by: friedmush
Surf, the $14.60 not the average, it is the high end -- for Chicago unionized workers.


A quick search. Las Vegas pay for hotel housekeepers is %15 below the national average.
$17,000 a year for full time. Less than $9.00 an hour.
Thats lower than I thought.
I leave cash each day to make sure that the person who does the work gets the tip. I leave a little extra on check-out day. Some hotels provide envelopes for this purpose, although I don't think I've ever seen them in any Las Vegas casino/hotels. I usually leave it on the nightstand next to the bed, with a little note saying, "for the maid - thanks!" Also, on check-out day, I leave any unused coupons along with the cash tip. Whether or not they are ever used, I have no way of knowing.
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Originally posted by: BAGIANT
I didn't leave her any message. I called my host and told him what I thought occurred. He said they would now be on the lookout for her in the future in case anyone else made a claim. simple as that!


Either your host is an idiot or you think anyone who believes this story is.
No host would ever respond like that. They have the authority for comped and upgraded rooms but beyond that they have nothing to do with the rooms. A host would have connected you to head of housekeeping or security.

They will be on the lookout for her! GMAFB

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Originally posted by: arshaleign
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Originally posted by: BAGIANT
When we stay at our usual place, we don't have the room made up every day, so when I grab some new towels in the hallway, or when the maid comes into the room to empty the trash, I usually tip her right then and there. When we were there last trip, the regular maid assigned to our suite wasn't there most days so I was tipping her replacement regularly. On our last day there, I dropped a glass by the bathroom vanities. I picked up all the large pieces, but I was afraid there were some smaller pieces that I couldn't get to. Going downstairs, I met the maid that was assigned our suite and I asked her if she would go in and vacuum by the vanities. She asked me if any had gotten into the carpet and I told her no none got into the carpeting. I gave her permission to enter the room even though the Do Not Disturb sign was on the door. I told her to just vacuum and nothing else since we were probably leaving that day. We were scheduled to stay two more days but we knew we weren't going to extend the trip.

I happen to come back up to the room after about a half hour after forgetting something. I saw the maids cart outside the door and when I went into the room, she had done more than just vacuum. When we got home that night, I went to take my insulin injection and I noticed two syringes were missing. I know I hadn't counted wrong since the night before I used one syringe and three were left in the bag so I knew I would have enough syringes if we wound up staying the extra two days. Now I had never seen this maid before so she must have been new, but just looking at her face, you knew that she was on some kind of drugs.
So what kind of threatening message did you leave for her?


Give him time to make up something good!
I believe about 20% of his BS.

I have no idea who he reported it to, but he did say they would be on the lookout for any other complaints for hotel patrons. If she is a druggie, I'm sure she's stealing more than syringes especially if she's an addict. You'd think that they'd have some sort of drug testing.

And how would I leave her a "threatening" message? Get real!
In Vegas, the union-negotiated salary for a hotel maid is still $14.25 an hour. In contrast, the median wage for the same worker in Orlando is $8.84 an hour; in Phoenix, it's $9.25, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Wall Street Journal, 2009

Work 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year as a housekeeper in Vegas, that rate clocks out at $28,500 a year.

Assuming 16 rooms a day and $5 tip per room per day, that'd be an additional $20,000 a year. I doubt, however, they can average $5 per day per room.

Those tips can make a big difference in a housekeeper's life. I say always leave a cash tip, daily, and feel free to supplement it with anything else the housekeeper could easily use (aka not a coupon for discount bottle service at the Palamino).
I used to chambermaid when I was in high school and college. I lived on the Cape so it was either that or waitress. I liked having my nights free so chambermaid it was. I made minimum wage so tips really helped. It takes 20 minutes to half hour to clean a room. You do the whole room everyday just like a checkout. Most people would leave $5 at checkout. Some would leave nothing.

It's funny how the people who tipped also seemed to be the people who left the room in good condition. The people who would stiff you would be the ones who would gut their fish in the tub and leave all the muck for us to clean up. I threw up more times from the awful shit people would do and leave in their rooms. It was foul.

I tip $5 a day sometimes more if I feel we've made a mess. I figure I can tip $2 for someone to bring me a drink, I can tip more for someone who cleans my bathroom.

B
I usually leave $5 bucks a day so 4 days i would leave $20 bucks right in front of the TV stand.
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Originally posted by: jestes
Some hotels provide envelopes for this purpose, although I don't think I've ever seen them in any Las Vegas casino/hotels.

I recall seeing the envelopes at two hotels we've stayed at - the D and Aliante Station.

We also leave a tip every day to ensure that it goes to the person who actually cleaned the room.

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Originally posted by: rdwoodpecker
I tip daily, just not sure that you get the same maid everyday.

Just write a thanks note, draw a happy face and leave $5.

I would not do that job, cleanup after some one else. I typically lay all my towels on the edge of the tub so that they are not having to bend over to pick them up.


I think it is the hardest job in the hotel. Yes valet people may need to run out in the heat, and bell men may have to lift luggage, but I don't think it is nearly as hard as having to wipe out a bath tub or shower, and change sheets on beds almost every day, and pick up and tidy things. I'm sure maids come across disgusting situations including skid marks on the sheets, and urine and vomit all over the toilets.

They deserve the biggest tip yet most don't leave anything.
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