Tipping - resort staff

[Hei_Hei]

Hello everyone! We are currently staying at our home resort, Riviera, for the first time as DVC owners. Impressed by Riviera, but that’s for another thread. I remember reading previous posts about leaving tips for housekeeping. If you tip, how much do you typically leave for HK?? We are here for 6 nights if you use that to factor in tip amount. Just curious what your thoughts and generosity are for this topic.

Thanks.

 

[CarolMN]

Technically, housekeeping is not a tipped position. But we tip some, anyway. We stay in a 1 bedroom and leave $20 at the end of our week's stay. We used to tip for Trash & towel day, but no longer do that since someone is coming into the room every day to empty trash and minimum wages are increasing to $15/hr.

No right or wrong, here. You can do what feels right for you.

 

[disneynutz]

We only tip for exceptional service, not because it's expected or because others tip. Since DVC owners pay the housekeepers through our dues, we don't feel that it is necessary to tip them for doing their job. No one has ever tipped me for doing my job.

That being said, you can give money to anyone you want.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've been members for 22 years and haven't tipped housekeeping. We clean up after ourselves and try to make the villa as easy as possible to turn over to the next guests. Plus housekeeping isn't considered a tipped position like food and beverage servers, valet parking and bell services. Housekeeping is paid more than many other positions at Disney, plus they often get a starting bonus since they find it hard to find good housekeepers. I see other CMs who work as hard or harder, may be paid less and they never receive any tips from guests.

 

[Wakey]

We leave our units exceptionally tidy, beds stripped, towels in bath. Given my dues have risen heavily to pay this soon to be $15 an hour, I no longer tip. A housekeeper here in the UK will earn $11 so I see $15 as a decent wage.
When they earnt much less I used to tip. If one goes above or beyond I would tip, and I would tip if I left a mess, which we do not.

 

[Dtw002]

I’m surprised by all the non tipping. I tip $5 every bellman that helps me; ME driver; $5 for house keeping per day. The result is always an extra something in the room or extra level of service. I’m not sure saying you keep the room clean justifies not tipping; I think just about everyone puts away their stuff and does not leave a mess.

I figure if your staying in a $500-$700 per night room (1 bedroom) than you can probably swing $5 to the people cleaning the room. You know they work hard and could use the money.

 

[Boardwalkin]

It is up to each individual to decide whether to tip or not, but we always tip for trash and towel and on our final day. We usually leave $3-4 for t&t and $10 on the final day. It is not much but the people who take care of our room work hard and we like to show some appreciation. For those of you commenting about minimum wages being $15 need to do some more research. Minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 per hour which equates to less than 18k per year.

 

[bluecruiser]

For those of you commenting about minimum wages being $15 need to do some more research. Minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 per hour which equates to less than 18k per year.

"Walt Disney World has reached an agreement with a group of unions to raise its minimum wage pay to $15 an hour by 2021."

Source

 

[Boardwalkin]

Not 2021 yet and it is my understanding that housekeeping is outsourced. I could be wrong on both items but I am sure someone will correct me. Tip or don’t tip it is all up to you.

 

[clayfolks]

We always tip, too. Usually $10-20, depending on room size, for check out day and $5 for towel day. We frequently do split stays and are forever tipping bell services as we feel that to not have them handle our luggage is denying them their livelihood.

 

[Wakey]

It is up to each individual to decide whether to tip or not, but we always tip for trash and towel and on our final day. We usually leave $3-4 for t&t and $10 on the final day. It is not much but the people who take care of our room work hard and we like to show some appreciation. For those of you commenting about minimum wages being $15 need to do some more research. Minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 per hour which equates to less than 18k per year.

I did my research - suggest you read why the dues jumped so much, they clearly said it was because of this. If you read my post you will see I said soon to be $15, my post and Carol’s was totally correct based on the announcement. But in fact it was wrong because it looks like they brought the $15 forward for housekeepers, who they do employ direct.

The STARTING RATE is now $15 an hour, job advertised now:




Job ID: 743007BR
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States; Orlando, Florida, United States
Business: Walt Disney World Resort
Date posted: 01/25/2020
Job Summary:

For many of our Guests, staying at one of the world famous Walt Disney World Resort Hotels is a dream come true. Our Housekeeping Cast Members help bring those dreams to life by creating special memories and a home- away- from- home experience for each of our Guests every day.


Housekeeping Hosts and Hostesses receive a starting rate of $15.00/hour.


Link

https://parksjobs.disneycareers.com...ing-full-time-walt-disney-world/1678/15012223

$15 an hour starting rate makes them some of the best paid housekeepers anywhere.

OP had a question, whether one tips or not is up to the individual, but there is certainly no obligation to tip, and housekeepers do start on $15 an hour, which clearly comes as a surprise to some. There is zero need to pass judgment on someone who decides to tip a non tipped position, or decides not to. What OP wanted was facts. I can tell you there will be people staying in the rooms who don’t earn $15 an hour who get no tips. Not leaving a tip in a non tipped position requires no ‘justification’ and following the wage increase which resulted in hefty dues increase last year, I know quite a few DVC owners who decided to then change their tipping position in this area.

As a separate issue why has the conversation gone onto tipping bell staff? The question was about housekeeping, which is a non tipped position. The answers would have been different if it had referred to bell staff which is a tipped position where they are on less money.

 

[Meriweather]

We tip. $1 per person on towel day.
$5-20 full service and end of stay depending on room size.

Also bell services and ME

 

[bobbiwoz]

We tip. $1 per person on towel day.
$5-20 full service and end of stay depending on room size.

Also bell services and ME

This is us, too!

 

[The Jackal]

Not 2021 yet and it is my understanding that housekeeping is outsourced. I could be wrong on both items but I am sure someone will correct me. Tip or don’t tip it is all up to you.

The 2019 dues went up significantly at most resorts due to the new wages. 2020 dues went up more than normal too to pay for the next step in wage increases.

 

[Dtw002]

To each his/her own. I’m not sure I agree that there are any/many people staying in dvc rooms ($350-$1200 a night) that make minimum wage. $15/hr=roughly $30k per year. That is a person barely scraping by in 2020.

 

[Wakey]

To each his/her own. I’m not sure I agree that there are any/many people staying in dvc rooms ($350-$1200 a night) that make minimum wage. $15/hr=roughly $30k per year. That is a person barely scraping by in 2020.

There is an argument that many people earn less, and do you tip all them? It is unskilled work, and not a bad salary for unskilled work, not denigrating it isn't easy work. For example, working in McDonalds can be hard work, they are not earning $15 an hour, but people are not tipping them.
If you want to tip good on you. I am happy when people tip, but what I am not is judgmental about those who do not- because there is no case that you have to tip, it is not a tipped position and the pay is pretty good now for the job (and hopefully some have learnt they are not on minimum wage as some thought so this thread was about giving information to OP). As I say, housekeepers in the average UK hotel earn $11 an hour, and is in fact almost exactly that in the USA overall so DVC (us) are overpaying. Go to many euro countries and they are on a lot less than that, with no tipping culture whatsoever (e.g.Spain). If it were a tipped position and they were earning minimum wage, dues would be less and I would be a tipping advocate.
Last thing I want to do is persuade people not to tip, I am very happy if they chose to do so, but we should not expect people to now tip housekeepers given the new salaries and dues increases. Personally I say I don't tip now but in reality may leave $5 as a gesture but don't feel obliged as I used to do when they used to earn a lot less.

 

[tidefan]

We never use Bell Services (with maybe the exception of Aulani). In fact, one of the things that does bug me about DVC is that they removed the luggage carts for guest use (with the exception of CCV/BRV). This especially bothers me at SSR/OKW. We drive every trip and when we stay at OKW or SSR, where you can park in front of your room, there is no need to drop off your luggage at either the Hospitality House or Carriage House (Kidani, with it's under unit parking is similar). I want to just unload right into my unit. I can handle my own luggage. Personally, I feel that the removal of the carts in the agreement with Bell Services was a bit of a money grab.

So, we bought a collapsable hand truck and use it to bring in our luggage when we stay. Takes a couple trips, but pretty easy.

Note to add... I am not against Bell Services for those that like the service and what it offers. My point is that not all of us like or need to use Bell Services, so it shouldn't be forced...

ETA: Vero Beach and HHI also have luggage carts available for guest use...

 

[Henwen88]

I tip: bell services (or anyone who handles my luggage - ME, the airline check-in desk at resort, etc); uber drivers (generally. Have not for one or two fantastically awful trips, but they are the exception); valets (although I rarely, if ever, use them at WDW); servers at restaurants/room service/bars/cabanas; spa... hmm, left anything out? We have not done any group or private tours, but I imagine they get tipped as well? I think I tipped the kids club (but we only used them once, and that was many years ago... cannot remember).

Don't tip housekeeping unless I make a mess above and beyond their normal duties (we typically keep room very clean, and try to minimize their work for turnover time). We had one trip when kiddo was younger and had a stomach virus and we were confined to the room for like 3 days... I think they got like sixty bucks between the cleaning of floor and changing of bedding/extra trash removal. Ugh, what a terrible trip!!! They went above and beyond, so I felt a tip was very necessary.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Interesting thread. We are at WDW now, just moved rooms yesterday and left a pretty nice tip ($50) not being aware of the wage increase. Now that I know I will rethink my tip at the end of this week when checking out of this room. So far we have tipped bell services four times, once upon arrival, when bags were delivered to original room, bags going into storage and again when delivered to new room. Due to the number of bags we tipped $20-$25 each time, it starts to add up.

 

[kirstenb1]

We always tip $20 at the end of the trip