usvi-on-line
Tipping Cleaning/housekeeping?
No, we didn't tip, since we used Caribbean Villas we assumed the 'cleaning fee' takes care of that! We cleaned up but did not start sheets or towels. This time we left a six-pack of Coronas and a half-full bottle of coconut rum in the 'fridge, hope the cleaning person/crew enjoyed it!
We usually tip in hotels where there is daily service.
We usually tip in hotels where there is daily service.
I've never tipped at a villa 
I never even thought of it
But now that you brought it up, I still don't think I would tip unless they were coming in during my stay. I think that the villa should be clean when I get there for the $$ I'm paying. If there was a cleaning person coming in mid-week, I would tip that person for his/her time.
Honestly, I'm not cheap. I tip well. I just don't think a tip is necessary for this. Oh boy, I hope I'm not wrong
XOXO
Bug
I never even thought of it But now that you brought it up, I still don't think I would tip unless they were coming in during my stay. I think that the villa should be clean when I get there for the $$ I'm paying. If there was a cleaning person coming in mid-week, I would tip that person for his/her time.
Honestly, I'm not cheap. I tip well. I just don't think a tip is necessary for this. Oh boy, I hope I'm not wrong
XOXO
Bug
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
I know what we used to pay our cleaners, they made more than I did and it is not such a crappy job, some people actually enjoy it. While I am sure that is not true in all cases, I just think that everyone tips everyone these days.Maryanne wrote:i don't think anyone's wrong to not tip. i just think of those people who have to do the crappy job of cleaning and think how happy they will be to get a few extra dollars.
I was in the restaurant business for over 20 years, I know all about tipping first hand, but I think people get out of hand with it sometimes. just my $.02.
this is an interesting topic to me. we rent a house in maine every year and have never left a tip for cleaning. we happen to know it's the owners who do it and we leave the place cleaner than when we got there most times. however, when we went to STJ the first time we left a tip for house cleaning and did so the next time as well.
Funny also I never rented a place where there was ANY sort of food left behind so it came as quite a surprise when we found this in STJ. 2 years ago at the Maine rental we forgot to clear one closet of canned goods. After 20 years of rentals they docked us $50 dollars from our security deposit for this. I was LIVID. However, we are between a rock and a hard place with this house. It is a GREAT location and one of only a few rentals now a days. We just won't give it up .. not yet anyway but I'm sure that day is coming!
Funny also I never rented a place where there was ANY sort of food left behind so it came as quite a surprise when we found this in STJ. 2 years ago at the Maine rental we forgot to clear one closet of canned goods. After 20 years of rentals they docked us $50 dollars from our security deposit for this. I was LIVID. However, we are between a rock and a hard place with this house. It is a GREAT location and one of only a few rentals now a days. We just won't give it up .. not yet anyway but I'm sure that day is coming!
I know it's not required, but I tend to tip -- I figure that if I'm blowing thousands of dollars on airfare, villa, groceries, booze, and meals, then an extra $20 won't kill me and it might make someone's day. Then again, I'm not exactly the world's best money manager! 
I did hear from the villa owner this year...he dropped a line to let me know that the cleaning person was surprised and delighted...she's young and a new mom, so the $20 was very welcome.
Anyway, just some pro-tipping input....I don't tip all the time, so I hope I'm not coming off as holier-than-thou!
I did hear from the villa owner this year...he dropped a line to let me know that the cleaning person was surprised and delighted...she's young and a new mom, so the $20 was very welcome.
Anyway, just some pro-tipping input....I don't tip all the time, so I hope I'm not coming off as holier-than-thou!
Don't you guys usually get a mid-stay cleaning?? We didn't on our last villa, even though we were there for ten days, and we really missed it. To be honest, we were a bit put-out that we had to change our own sheets and even had to wash them before we put them on the bed again since there was only one set of king sheets in the villa. I don't think we were being spoiled twits - it's services we have always been accustomed to having at the villas we have rented, big or small. A villa isn't a hotel but I don't think it should be totally self-service when it comes to upkeep, either. We also tidy up before we leave, run the dishwasher, take the garbage with us, etc., but we don't feel we should be expected to clean the floors and freshen things up while we are there so I guess we found out that a mid-stay cleaning is very important to us and we now confirm that we are going to get that.
Until our last stay with a VIVA property we had NEVER had someone come do a mid-week cleaning. (We had rented from CV repeatedly in the past).
I'm not sure if this is VIVA policy or if it varies from villa to villa.
From a management standpoint it's nice way to find out if the villa is being cared for properly during the stay, I guess. Although I don't think that is their prime reason for doing this. (or maybe it is?)
It was nice to have someone come in mid week to tidy up but honestly it wasn't necessary.
I just think it's super funny that we all do the major tidy up before we leave the villa.
For me STJ just feels like home and I try to take very good care of the places I stay in -- as if it was my home. In fact I'm pretty much a slob at home so I actually take BETTER care of the villas I stay in!
I'm not sure if this is VIVA policy or if it varies from villa to villa.
From a management standpoint it's nice way to find out if the villa is being cared for properly during the stay, I guess. Although I don't think that is their prime reason for doing this. (or maybe it is?)
It was nice to have someone come in mid week to tidy up but honestly it wasn't necessary.
I just think it's super funny that we all do the major tidy up before we leave the villa.
For me STJ just feels like home and I try to take very good care of the places I stay in -- as if it was my home. In fact I'm pretty much a slob at home so I actually take BETTER care of the villas I stay in!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
we always leave unopened snacks & things and unused booze behind- that's sort of a tip.
we also leave any change that has accumulated (we always put change away at the end of the day at home so we never use our change on vaca either) and some single bills if we have them handy.
i don't think i have to tip if i'm renting a house. there's no daily maid service, i clean up after myself and keep things tidy (counters are clean, dishes are done, quick sweep and put everything back where it was, etc). the cleaning-between-renters-fee is part of the weekly rental cost as far as i'm concerned. if the owners didn't clean between rentals their place would be dirty and they wouldn't make any money.
we also leave any change that has accumulated (we always put change away at the end of the day at home so we never use our change on vaca either) and some single bills if we have them handy.
i don't think i have to tip if i'm renting a house. there's no daily maid service, i clean up after myself and keep things tidy (counters are clean, dishes are done, quick sweep and put everything back where it was, etc). the cleaning-between-renters-fee is part of the weekly rental cost as far as i'm concerned. if the owners didn't clean between rentals their place would be dirty and they wouldn't make any money.
Yep, we all tidy up. I'm always concerned about bugs once the fans and a/c are off so I have to wipe down the counters, make sure that even the dry foods we are leavbing are in baggies, etc.
We haven't rented from CV for a long time, but, if I remember correctly, we did get a mid-stay from them up at Cinnamon Ridge - I remember the housekeeper recommending Dr. Clayton to one of our travelers as he had a painful swimmer's ear thing going on. Maybe if varies villa to villa.
I really love returning to the villa after that mid-stay cleaning and finding it all clean, fresh sheets, fresh towels, bathrooms sparkling, etc., just the way it was when we arrived.
We haven't rented from CV for a long time, but, if I remember correctly, we did get a mid-stay from them up at Cinnamon Ridge - I remember the housekeeper recommending Dr. Clayton to one of our travelers as he had a painful swimmer's ear thing going on. Maybe if varies villa to villa.
I really love returning to the villa after that mid-stay cleaning and finding it all clean, fresh sheets, fresh towels, bathrooms sparkling, etc., just the way it was when we arrived.
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California Girl
I can't remember if a "cleaning fee" was actually spelled out in our villa rental contract, but I'm sure something was figured in, somewhere, for cleaning.
I feel that if I take out the trash, do up any dishes we used, & clean out the fridge, I've pretty much done my share. Unless we've tracked in an unusual amount of sand or something, I don't sweep the floors. I also don't strip the beds and start the laundry - I paid for that service somewhere in my contract. If I feel an affinity for the cleaning people for some reason, or if I've left the villa in a particular mess (which we don't), I might leave a tip, but I don't think it should be expected. I left a tip the first time only because I thought it was "something you do", but I've learned from threads like this that it's not expected.
Like those "tip" jars on the counter at Baskin Robbins or other fast food type places... what's that all about? You are being paid your minimum wage (or whatever it is) to do your job. Have you done something out of the ordinary to make my experience any better? Did you give me better than usual customer service? No? Then why should I tip you for DOING YOUR JOB?
I feel that if I take out the trash, do up any dishes we used, & clean out the fridge, I've pretty much done my share. Unless we've tracked in an unusual amount of sand or something, I don't sweep the floors. I also don't strip the beds and start the laundry - I paid for that service somewhere in my contract. If I feel an affinity for the cleaning people for some reason, or if I've left the villa in a particular mess (which we don't), I might leave a tip, but I don't think it should be expected. I left a tip the first time only because I thought it was "something you do", but I've learned from threads like this that it's not expected.
Like those "tip" jars on the counter at Baskin Robbins or other fast food type places... what's that all about? You are being paid your minimum wage (or whatever it is) to do your job. Have you done something out of the ordinary to make my experience any better? Did you give me better than usual customer service? No? Then why should I tip you for DOING YOUR JOB?
