To Tip Or Not To Tip

Aloha Kakou:

Today a guest came to the front desk with an envelope. She said that she couldn't remember her housekeepers name but she wanted to be sure that the housekeeper received her tip. Now I don't talk to the housekeepers about tips every day, but I am pretty sure that most guests do not leave a gratuity. So I did a little research.

It seems that, among those with a preference to tip, there are two schools of thought. Some folks like to leave the tip at the end of their stay. Some prefer to leave a tip every day, since their room may be serviced by someone different each time.

In any case, should you be inclined to tip your housekeeper, the best way to go about it is to leave the money in an envelope with a note expressing your thanks. Leave the envelope in a conspicuous place. Don't leave the tip loose on the dresser. Housekeepers are generally pretty honest and are wary about taking money that is just left out in the open. Think about it - what if you had left $20 on your nightstand and the housekeeper thought maybe it was a generous tip? The best advice is not to even put the housekeeper or yourself in that position.

How much should you tip? Most suggestions are that you should tip $3 to $5 per day, and more if you've made a particularly big mess.

Remember, this advice is only for those who feel they want to tip the housekeeper. You will most likely receive the same service whether you tip or not. But, if you feel the need, those housekeepers do have a very difficult job and a little tip will go a long way. The entire discussion regarding the appropriateness of tipping housekeepers and, in fact, the reasons and need to tip for any service at all is way too big a can of worms to open here, but if you have any thoughts on the matter, I'd like to hear them.