When we check into a hotel, the hotel usually provides room service, which includes daily room cleaning, but we may not necessarily come face to face with the cleaning staff. Therefore, most people tend to ignore or give less tip to the cleaning staff, leading to disrespectful behavior. In response to this, experts have provided detailed explanations.
According to a report by the Huffington Post, American etiquette expert Juliet Mitchell said, “When I first started traveling and staying in hotels, I didn’t know that tipping the room service staff was customary. For many people, this is indeed a disrespectful behavior due to ignorance.”
The New York Times reported in 2017 that less than a third of hotel guests in the U.S. leave tips for room service staff. Even if they do tip, they may not be aware that tipping is expected daily during their stay. This is crucial.
Several etiquette experts have discussed why tipping is crucial for room service staff.
Jodi R.R. Smith, the General Manager of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting in the U.S., stated, “You may occasionally see hotel room service staff in the hallway, but you rarely see how hard they work.”
She mentioned that rooms need cleaning, carpets need vacuuming, sheets need changing, beds need making, towels need replacing, bathrooms need wiping down, and trash cans need emptying. All of these tasks must be completed without disturbing guests or their belongings, within a short timeframe, usually on a regular schedule.
This job is also more dangerous than one may imagine. The union Unite Here, representing over 100,000 hotel workers in North America, stated that due to the physical demands and tight timeframes of room service work, the injury rate among these workers is the highest in the industry. They also face additional risks of sexual harassment and assault because they often work alone in strangers’ rooms.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many hotels have strengthened their cleaning protocols, meaning that room service staff now have to handle more disinfection tasks. Coupled with the resurgence in travel demand and labor shortages, room service staff are required to take on more work. Yet, they remain the lowest-paid category of employees in the hotel industry. In such a scenario, tips become one of their primary sources of income.
Smith pointed out that room service is a round-the-clock job, requiring multiple teams to collaborate to ensure each room is clean and tidy. The cleaner who services your room upon check-in may not be the same one who cleans it upon check-out.
If you wait until the end of your stay to leave a tip altogether, or if you tip all upfront upon arrival, there’s a risk of under-tipping.
For instance, if you stay for 7 days, one cleaner may clean for 5 days, and another for 2 days. If you only leave the tip on the last day for the full 7 days, the second cleaner would receive all those tips, which is unfair to the first cleaner.
Even if you opt out of room cleaning service during your stay, you should still leave a tip on the day of checkout, as the cleaning staff will come to clean the room after you leave and disinfect it before the next guest arrives.
As for how much tip to leave, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s tipping guide, guests should leave $1 to $5 per day. However, considering the ongoing pandemic, Unite Here recommends leaving at least $5.
Diane Gottsman, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, said, “Be generous with your tips. While there’s no minimum tip standard, if there’s ever a time to be generous and respectful, it’s now.”
She added, “A tip of $5 to $10 per day is greatly appreciated, and the specific amount depends on the hotel you’re staying in. The more upscale the hotel, the more you should tip, based on the overall price.”
Smith mentioned that the tip amount depends on factors such as location, length of stay, number of people in each room, and additional requests. Generally, $3 to $5 per person per day is customary. In high-rent areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the tipping standard at five-star hotels is $5 to $10 per person per day.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association advises putting the money in an envelope and including a note saying it’s a tip for the room service staff. Smith suggests placing the tip on the bed near the pillow.
However, showing courtesy to room service staff goes beyond just tipping.
Gottsman said, “Respect the people who clean your room. Dispose of trash in the bins, not on the floor. Check if the hotel has any specific requests, like placing towels in a certain spot.”
She also suggested that since room service staff are limited, you can ask the front desk staff if they can provide items such as bathrobes.
Etiquette expert and author of “Everyday Etiquette,” Patricia Rossi, emphasized that expressing consideration for hotel staff through tipping and politeness is mutually beneficial when it comes to receiving service and spreading positivity in challenging times.
She stated, “It conveys appreciation, gratitude, and respect; it uplifts both your and their spirits.”