Housekeeper's 5 Top Ways To Be A Much Better Hotel Guest

Hotel guests often try to get on the good side of hotel staff in hopes of upgrades or late checkouts, but most forget to acknowledge the hardworking housekeeping teams operating behind the scenes. Housekeepers are, after all, the reason why you return to a perfectly made-up bed and a pile of fresh towels in the bathroom at the end of the day. In an era when social media can make or break a hotel's reputation, cleanliness remains one of the most closely scrutinized aspects of the guest experience.

Housekeeping work is back-breaking — both literally and figuratively. The job involves making beds (often requiring heavy mattresses to be lifted), cleaning bathrooms, moving furniture, and pushing fully loaded linen carts. Over time, these repetitive tasks leave housekeepers especially vulnerable to a host of musculoskeletal injuries, a well-documented issue in the hospitality industry. 

Making a concerted effort to be a more considerate hotel guest may seem insignificant, but to housekeeping staff, even small gestures can make a meaningful difference during a particularly long shift. From online articles to Reddit forums, here's what housekeepers say guests can do to make their jobs a little easier.

If you've ever struggled to keep your own space in order, it's worth tipping your hat to hotel housekeepers. On average, they're expected to turn over a room in just 20 to 40 minutes, depending on factors like room size, hotel class, room quotas, and the type of cleaning required. A full checkout clean, for instance, typically takes longer than a daily refresh.

For many housekeeping staff, simple actions like gathering used towels together can make a huge difference to their workload. Having towels in a single pile makes them easier to collect and load into laundry bags. The same can be said for garbage: Properly disposing of trash is not only good manners, but it also saves time for a housekeeper. In rooms with multiple bins — often one in the main room and another in the bathroom – consolidating trash into one bag is a small but thoughtful gesture. 

On Reddit, a former housekeeper described towel pile and trash pickup as a "hard, thankless, low-paying job," adding that anything guests can do to reduce the workload is genuinely appreciated. As for where to leave used towels, another former housekeeper shared advice on r/AskReddit, noting, "Putting them in the tub is fine, but from my experience, piling them on the bathroom counter is better, because we'd have to lean down to pick them up otherwise." Bending down repeatedly to lift heavy, wet towels throughout a shift, they explained, can become painful.

There's nothing better than staying in your hotel room during your vacation — ordering room service and just chilling out can be part of the appeal. Still, that downtime is best enjoyed in a freshly cleaned space, which raises the question: What's the etiquette of having your room cleaned?

Housekeepers generally prefer an empty room while they work. Having a guest in the room not only slows them down but also creates an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. "We appreciate if the guest is not in the room because sometimes it gets awkward (but its just me and im not very good at small talks)," an ex-housekeeper shared on Reddit. Their work is a methodical process, and having someone in their way while they're stripping linen or airing out the room can disrupt their workflow.

If possible, use this time for a quick break in the hotel lobby or restaurant with your laptop or a book, so housekeeping staff can carry out their tasks without any additional obstacles (aka, you). If you really have to stay in your room for whatever reason, it's better to hang that Do Not Disturb sign and request housekeeping later, once you're ready. For quick one or two-night hotel stays, some guests may also choose to opt out of daily housekeeping altogether. This allows you more privacy and freedom to stay in your room for as long as you want — just remember to keep the room fairly tidy, so staff aren't left with extra work when you check out.

Your room doesn't magically clean itself. Housekeeping staff put in physically demanding work so you can return to a spotless space at the end of the day. Leaving a small tip is a simple but meaningful way to acknowledge that effort, and it's rarely unappreciated. While tipping practices vary, the general consensus is to leave between $1 and $5 per day, ideally tipping daily so the housekeeper assigned to your room actually receives it. Up the ante for luxury accommodations, where bespoke services are more common, by tipping between $10 and $20 a night. At all-inclusive resorts, check the property's tipping rule before your stay. While some discourage tipping, many are open to the gesture.

Tips should be left somewhere visible, such as on the nightstand or desk, and add a small note to let housekeeping know it's not just a misplaced bill. A former casino housekeeper on Reddit shared that if you can't afford a tip, "please just keep your room clean because that's such a treat for us!" As for tipping abroad, hospitality expert Steve Turk told Thrillist to stick to the U.S. dollar when vacationing in Latin America, Mexico, or the Caribbean, while euros or pounds are more appropriate in Europe

One of the most common booking mistakes travelers make is not doing enough research on a hotel's location, pricing, and policies. Thankfully, social media and platforms like Google Reviews and Tripadvisor have made it easier for the discerning traveler to vet accommodations in advance. While some reviews can be misleading or even downright fake, credible ones are often invaluable for gauging cleanliness and overall quality. While most guests mention front desk personnel or hotel managers by name in reviews, calling out your housekeeper — whose work largely happens out of sight — can give them a rewarding boost.

"I work at a resort in the US and even if we aren't mentioned by name, if a guest fills out a survey and mentions the cleanliness of a room, we get points that we can exchange for gift cards. They also type it up with your name and put in on a bulletin board," shared a Redditor. "Even if there isn't a specific system in place, you'll make them stand out as a more valuable employee and make them feel good," they added.

If you don't have time to write a public review, leaving a good word directly with hotel management is another option. Let them know you appreciated the housekeeping service during your stay, and mention your housekeeper's name if you can. Hopefully, it will give them a little incentive for their hard work.

Whether you value extra privacy or deem your room clean enough to not warrant attention, forgoing a daily clean-up, no matter how well-intentioned, can be counterproductive. The longer a room goes without routine upkeeps, the more rigorous and time-consuming the eventual cleaning can become once the Do Not Disturb sign comes down.

With more trash to remove, dirtier carpets to vacuum, and heavier dust and grime buildup to scrub away, housekeepers may find themselves rushing through their limited cleaning window. Daily room cleaning also allows staff to complete additional maintenance tasks during regular service, according to a former executive housekeeper on Reddit. "Room attendants are often given 'projects' during the daily service (baseboards, shower liners, grout work, behind the toilet etc) to perform during the service to reduce the time during departure," they noted.

There's also the impact on employment to consider. Since the pandemic, the hospitality sector has seen wage growth alongside slower hiring. Numbers crunched by Oysterlink using figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed a 29% annual increase in housekeeper wages since 2020, but this is countered by a glaring lack of hiring opportunities, estimated at only 1.6%. By opting for daily housekeeping, you're not only getting a clean room, but you're also essentially helping housekeepers stay employed.

To understand how guests can be more considerate toward housekeeping staff, we drew insights from the experts — from current and former housekeeping staff themselves. We reviewed hotel etiquette–focused discussions on Reddit, along with articles featuring the points of view of housekeepers by Fodor's Travel, Huffpost, The Points Guy, and Travel + Leisure, among other outlets.