How much should I tip housekeeping in the UK?
Posted on 22nd August 2022
Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments Blog! #HarrogateLifestyleBlog
If you would like to leave a tip for our staff, this would be very much appreciated. Adding a tip is a great way to show your appreciation for the customer experience and housekeeper’s services.
If you choose to book a stay at Harrogate Lifestyle Luxury Serviced Apartments in Harrogate town centre, you can enjoy all the comforts of home, yet during your stay you may not see all of our team on site and wonder how or who to tip?
"Like many hotel establishments in the UK, while you’re not required to tip, it is a kind gesture", says Jessica - Director of Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments. “Even a kind thank you note is so welcomed by our team." She says. “The service industry rely on tips to supplement their income so if you’re questioning how much to tip housekeeping, give what you can, if you can."
Remember that Covid 19 has cost hotels, restaurants, and other brick and mortar businesses to introduce new cleaning and sanitation policies, which means that hoteliers are putting in extra effort to ensure your health and safety.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed hotel stays, and it has significantly altered tipping etiquette in many situations, including in hospitality.
Housekeepers have been hit doubly hard: Not only have they had their hours and tips reduced due to fewer people traveling, but they now have increased cleaning and sanitizing protocols. Because tips don’t usually have to be provided, cleaners appreciate feeling acknowledged by guests for their hard work.
You usually aren’t in the room when they come to provide their service, so there’s no face-to-face transaction where a tip may be offered. We have therefore have added a £10 per room tip as an optional extra for you to add to your booking at the time of making your reservation through our website.
Cash is still king when it comes to tips. If you would prefer to leave a tip at the end of your stay, please leave cash in an envelope or with a note indicating it’s for "Harrogate Lifestyle Staff". The housekeeper who cleans the apartment on departure may not be the same who cleaned the apartment on arrival, so our team would like to be sure this goes to the right person.
If you prefer not to leave cash in the apartment, you can leave a tip with our reception team during office hours and ask them to give it to the cleaners, or whomever you felt this should go to. A helpful front desk is one of the top signs a hotel has good customer service.
Considering the extra work the housekeeping staff is doing to keep you safe and healthy, you might want to tip more generously than you might otherwise. And keep in mind that although you may see housekeeping less in the day-to-day operations—cleanings may be limited to minimize possible COVID-19 exposure— your apartment is getting cleaned whether you see a housekeeper or not, so please feel free to show your gratitude with a nice tip.
Can't afford to tip?
If you had a wonderful experience and the place was sparkling clean, a thank-you note or a good online review is always appreciated.
All of our team work extremely hard to do all we can to ensure you have a truly lovely stay every time you visit Harrogate. We read every review!
Another great way to show your appreciation is to make your next reservation with us direct by booking online through our website, so we can avoid large commission charges from sites like Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb etc. Every little helps for us as we are a small limited company with a small team, so thank you.
Thank you.
Tagged as: Should I tip housekeeping?
Share this post:
