Hotel Etiquette: Timely Tips for a Smooth Stay

Although the store racks may have you ready to believe you’ll wake up tomorrow to pumpkin season, summer travel is still underway. Many families will be squeezing in one more trip for extra fun in the sun before the school bells ring. Indeed, travel is at an all-time high, although flight delays, tipping, and hotel dilemmas make it less favorable if you haven’t prepped accordingly. Knowing what to expect, and understanding some things are outside of your control, will keep you in good spirits throughout your journey. There are many things hotel staff would like for you to know, but are too polite to say to you in person. Here are a few hotel etiquette reminders as we wrap up these warm days and shift our focus to all things autumn.

Hotel Etiquette: Timely Tips for a Smooth Stay

Curbside Courtesy

You have finally made it to your hotel after a long day of flight changes and shuttles and you are greeted by a smiling hotel employee at the curb. They meet you at your rental car door and offer to help you with your luggage. They take the luggage up to the front desk and walk back out front. Does this courtesy, between hotel arrival and bellman, warrant a tip? Yes. If you allow someone to assist you with your luggage, even if it is several different people, you tip each “handler.” The person at the curb is probably, but not positively, on the valet team and definitely appreciative of your kind gesture.

Don’t Forget to Tip the Valet

Speaking of valets, a commonly asked question is when to tip the valet. Do you tip when you leave your car at the front entrance of the hotel, or when you pick it up to go out and about? Most often, you tip when you are picking up your car, unless you are requesting a special service such as leaving the car upfront while you check in and change, if you intend to leave again very quickly. Tip anywhere from 2 to 5 dollars at a moderately priced hotel, and more, if you are staying at a high-end, upscale hotel.

Use The Employee’s Name

People working in the service industry are often overlooked. Just as we appreciate someone showing respect by calling us by our name, “Hello Ms. Gottsman, welcome to XXX,” when you interact with a hotel representative, from the front desk to the concierge, they all have nametags and are appreciative when you use them. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of our own name, and using someone else’s name in a greeting is the ultimate compliment. “Good morning, Mary. Thank you for helping me with directions.”

Leave a Note

Hotel housekeepers are one of the most forgotten hotel workers when it comes to gratuity. According to an article in Nerd Wallet, leave your tip (daily) on the dresser or by the bathroom sink to avoid the tip getting lost in the bedsheets when the housekeeper makes the bed. Your housekeeper would like to encourage you to leave a note to ensure there is no doubt the gratuity is left for them. The standard tip is 2 to 5 dollars a day, more if there are several occupants or you have a particularly large or messy room. If you are asking for extra amenities, such as several more mini bottles of that fancy designer shampoo, your housekeeper wants to do their part and would appreciate your kindness, as well.

Speak Up Right Away

I recently stayed in a lovely hotel. I was getting ready for bed when my cell phone charger exploded in the electric socket. There was a loud noise, a pop, some flames and then a black burn on the electrical socket. I immediately called downstairs to let the front desk know what happened. They thanked me profusely for letting them know immediately instead of waiting until the end of my stay. When something goes wrong, or isn’t right in your room, the hotel manager would like to make it right, right away rather than waiting until you are checking out and then leaving a poor review.

Use the Trash Receptacle

Why does it seem so difficult to carry your snack papers, foil wrappers, and used airline tags to the trashcan? For some reason, since the receptacle isn’t our own, we are less careful when it comes to what we put inside. Half filled soda cans, sticky pastry without wrapping, and receipts and tags that don’t quite make it to the trash container, are all extra work for the hotel staff. Not all waste containers have liners (why, I don’t know!) and someone is watching how you treat personal property, even if it’s not your own. This also goes for towels, lamps, and hotel appliances. Remember, there is someone on the other end of your mess cleaning up after you.

Please Let Someone Know You Are Pleased

If you catch an employee staff doing something great, or going above and beyond, don’t keep it to yourself. Let the general manager know, complete the survey card, or post it on social media for the world to see. If something needs attention, a private survey is also a good way to make an impact and allow the hotel to correct the problem. Guest feedback is essential when it comes to recognizing those who work hard and deserve praise.

For more information about working with Diane, America’s “Go to” social and professional (manners) skills authority, please visit The Protocol School of Texas. 

For more Hotel Etiquette, you may also like The Business of Excellent Hotel Customer Service: The Stephen F. Austin Hotel. See what Diane is up to by following her on Instagram and Facebook. Find etiquette inspiration on her Pinterest account and keep up with her latest tweets. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, refer to her posts on Inc. and HuffPost.