How To Tip A Hotel Maid

If you will be travelling for any reason, whether for business or pleasure, it's helpful to know how to tip a hotel maid. Maids are responsible for making your bed, changing out dirty towels, cleaning up messes, restocking toiletries, vacuuming, and taking out trash. And they do all of this for a relatively low salary. So exactly how do you tip a hotel maid?

To tip a hotel maid, you will need:

• Small bills
• A pen
• Envelope (recommended) or paper

1. Leave a tip daily because your maid may change from day-to-day. $3 to $5 per day is an appropriate tip for a hotel maid, unless you make an excessive mess. In that case you should leave a bit more. Leave the tip on your pillow with a note letting the maid know that the tip is meant for her. Many maids are not permitted to take money from a room that is still being occupied without this note.
2. If you request that your linens be changed out, leave an extra $1 to $2 each time. This is in addition to the $3 to $5 you would normally tip. You can also leave a bit more if your maid goes above and beyond for you.
   
3. Leave your tip in cash, not loose change. Nobody wants a bunch of change bogging down their pockets. This includes hotel maids.
4. If your maid has provided poor service, do not leave a tip. If you still feel compelled to leave a tip, simply reduce the amount.

New York Times guide to tipping