MSN - The tip doesn't have to be big - $1 to $5, says the American Hotel and Lodging Association. But fewer than a third of hotel guests leave any money for the housekeepers.
But why are housekeepers often forgotten? A common explanation is that they are out of sight and, therefore, out of mind - that travelers are likely to tip only employees they directly interact with. But another cause may be a simple lack of awareness.
"As a general rule, people just don't know they're supposed to tip," said Shane C. Blum, an associate professor of hospitality and retail management at Texas Tech University. The setting, he said, compounds the problem. "Obviously, when you're with a group of people, like at a restaurant, there's social pressure to tip. In a hotel room, you're usually by yourself and there's not that social pressure."
But even when guests are nudged to leave tips for the housekeepers, it doesn't always work.