Working as a housekeeper at a hotel is a disgusting, thankless job.
Cleaners aren't paid well, but they're expected to contend with our dirty towels, garbage cans full of personal products, and bed sheets stained by bodily fluids and dead skin – and that's just the rooms of well-behaved guests. A friend of mine who used to work at a resort in British Columbia tells me that it wasn't shocking for her to find poop stains on washcloths, used condoms on the carpet next to a bed, or room service food stomped into a rug. If anyone deserves a tip, the people who pick up after us while we're traveling do.
I can't say how many people bother to leave a few bucks on their hotel room dresser for their housekeeper. I'm ashamed to say that I never used to think of it until I saw my wife do it. Now, I refuse to checkout without leaving some cash for the cleaning crew as a thank-you for everything they do. Last night, while on assignment in Tampa, I found the envelope pictured above. It's the first time I've run across anything like it. What a classy way to remind a hotel guest of how hard housekeepers work to make a guest's stay a pleasant one. If you can afford it, try to remember to tip them before you clear out.
What might only be a few bucks to you could make the day of someone busting their ass to make the room we just stayed in look its best.
Image via Seamus Bellamy
