Exclusive Feature: As hotels think of ways to become more tech-savvy and 'modernized,' a few of the respected hospitality traditions have fallen to the wayside, like tipping;
Sure, your bellman likely gets tipped for organizing guests' bags and getting them to the right room, and the valet almost always is handed a tip for bringing the car around, but what about the people responsible for the guest rooms?
Hotel room attendants often go unnoticed, but their work is often the hardest of all: cleaning up after guests. From prepping guest rooms to changing sheets, restocking bathroom amenities, and handling trash, these attendants are often the ones who miss out on the tipping due to lack of knowledge from guests. What the guest doesn't know they can't do, right?
Marriott International aims to change that, and arm guests with the information and tools needed to right the wrong tipping ratio.
The hotel brand recently partnered with A Woman's Nation The Envelope Please™ initiative, which is designed to encourage and enable hotel guests to express their gratitude by leaving tips and notes of thanks for hotel room attendants in designated envelopes.
Founded by Maria Shriver, the AWN aims to empower individuals to recognize the impact they have on other women - many of whom are hotel room attendants the majority of whom are breadwinners in their families " by offering tips to help them succeed when poverty becomes an issue.
“The Envelope Please was born from having conversations with women I’ve met who have taken care of my room during hotel stays. Their stories of hard work and perseverance inspired and informed me. They told me that room attendants, who are often the primary breadwinner for their families, are often forgotten when it comes to tipping, unlike other front-of-house employees, since most travelers don't see them face-to-face. I hope this gratitude initiative will make these women feel seen and validated,” said Shriver.
To help support the initiative, Marriott is place signature envelopes in at participating Marriott-managed hotels in the U.S. and Canada, making it easy for guests to leave tips for room attendants. Marriott has invited its franchise hotels to participate in this initiative, and plans to extend this worldwide at some point.
Your hotel can also get into the giving spirit by partnering with AWN, or simply leaving envelops in plain sight for hotel guests to see. You might even go an extra step and supply a "tipping guide" in the room.
One of the most commonly used reasons for not tipping is due to customer confusion on conversion rates and how much to leave on a daily basis. The American Hotel and Lodging Association suggests that hotel guests leave $1 to $5 per night, depending on the hotel class.
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Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.
Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com
