posted 03-11-2004 03:56               

My gut feeling is that 80% of the folks don’t tip – no statistics or articles to back it up – just a guess.

Do you leave a tip when you stay at a Hilton hotel?

Do you leave a tip for someone who does their job correctly?

Does the resort leave envelopes with the cleaning crew’s name on it so if you leave a tip it goes to the right person?

Do you consider the 6 cans of Coors beer you left behind part of the tip?

Did you spend 30 minutes tidying up the condo before you left as kind of a tip – less work for the cleaning crew?

If when you checked in there were light bulbs burned out – do you take the inconvenience of calling the front desk to get light bulbs as a reason not to leave a tip, or reduce the tip?

That funky smell in the room – is the cleaning crew responsible for it and do you reduce or eliminate the tip because of it?

You traded into the resort via II or RCI and will never be back – we really aren’t owners at this resort do we tip?

Ok to you were very happy with your vacation – everything was 5-star quality and you want to tip, how much? What is it based on?

You already paid a $50 cleaning fee which is either included in your maintenance fee or a separate fee is the tip based on the $50?

I don’t know how much time it takes to clean a 2BR condo top to bottom, say 1 hour for a crew of 1 or 2.

I’d be interested in various opinions.

posted 03-11-2004 08:12               

quote:

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Originally posted by annetteterry:
Secondly, is it okay to leave leftover unopened food in the unit when you check out?

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The unopened food question is one that continually confounds me, too. My wife and I are of different minds on this and it has become a habitual question at the end of every stay. She thinks that we should leave unopened food behind (perishable or not) as the cleaning crew might want it. I think that the cleaning crew probably isn't allowed to take anything home, that this actually creates more work for the cleaning crew than if we just throw things away, and that even if resort management said that it was okay they'd have to carry things with from unit to unit until everything was cleaned making this somewhat impractical.
Of course neither of us have ever asked resort management what their policy is.

I'd be interested in knowing if anybody has information about policies at resort concerning this type of thing.

posted 03-11-2004 08:42               

If i left six cans of beer behind, I would go back for it...even if it was Coors LOL.

Sandcrab

posted 03-11-2004 08:43               

There is no reason why t/s resort employees should be tipped any less than others.

posted 03-11-2004 14:04               

We have never been told that they can't accept leftover food. We have been asked, at our last stay, that any leftover alcoholic beverages be brought down to the office at check-out time. I don't know if that was because of liability issues, or because the desk folks just like to drink!

The desk crew did a happy dance when we brought down 2/3 of an iced bottle of Bombay Sapphire! Killed DH to have to leave it, but I told him to think of how happy he made that lady (she literally kissed the bottle when we gave it to her...)

posted 03-11-2004 14:31               

My boyfriend and now DH pointed out that whoever cleaned one day may not be the same as the one who cleaned the next and taught me to leave the money each morning ( if we require something out of housekeeping we also leave a note ).

I feel this has made our stays in hotels AND timeshares better.

I guess we are rarities as many timeshares we have stayed at have daily service ( trash/towels ) or at the very minimum a mid week in which case we will leave $10.

The one and only timeshare that had no services and a list of pre-check out requirements we left nothing.

posted 03-11-2004 14:45               

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Originally posted by Cat:
2/3 of an iced bottle of Bombay Sapphire!

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Oh my goodness Cat! You just brought back some very good memories of some very good people! Although I maintain that Gin drinkers are barbarians some are worth knowing.

posted 03-11-2004 15:58               

I will normaly leave paper goods behind and throw out any open dairy products. I have left fire wood and duraflame logs behind.
In a standard TS I leave about $10 for the week. This past month I left $20 at the MP NV Mexico because we had daily twice aday service and they did a good job.

posted 03-11-2004 17:53               

I wish I had been the maids cleaning that day! What a bundle of goods.

posted 03-12-2004 05:57               

I don't drink. The barbarian is my husband. LOL!

posted 03-12-2004 07:49               

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Originally posted by Cat:
…The barbarian is my husband.

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That's what most wives say!

posted 03-12-2004 11:41               

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Originally posted by lawren2:
As a business traveler for many years I had always left a $3/day tip in hotels, however I always left it at the end of my stay.

My boyfriend and now DH pointed out that whoever cleaned one day may not be the same as the one who cleaned the next and taught me to leave the money each morning ( if we require something out of housekeeping we also leave a note )...

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I don't mena to start a new thread, but what are people's thoughts about the best time to give a tip? I guess the traditional time is at the end (of a stay, meal, etc.). Now there is the thought above that maybe it should be done daily, so that whomever does the work gets it.
The first time I went to Vegas with my mother in law, at a buffet she gave the tip to the server at the beginning of the meal (either when he/she took the drink orders, or brought them over). Traditionally you reward (tip) a serviceperson after they'd done the service (theoretically giving you the option to tip less if the service was sub-standard). However, I can also see the logic of tipping at the beginning, so you give the server an incentive to provide good service for you, and not think you might stiff them..
What are people's thoughts about this?