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Tipping cleaning staff BSV #157634
03/26/2018 02:19 PM
03/26/2018 02:19 PM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 95
Pennsylvania
B
Beachnut82 Offline OP
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Beachnut82  Offline OP
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Pennsylvania
How much are people leaving for cleaning staff at Beachside Villas. IS $10/day fair?

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Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157636
03/26/2018 02:44 PM
03/26/2018 02:44 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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For us, It depends on how many bedrooms we are using and whether we leave a lot of dirty dishes, etc. We always leave at least $10 a day for one bedroom and we almost always do our own dishes and try to keep the place relatively picked up. Your mileage may vary.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157641
03/26/2018 03:39 PM
03/26/2018 03:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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RonDon  Offline
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Agree with Carol. Last visit we left $80 but that was for the extra she did for us beyond cleaning. So that equates to $10 per day plus another $10.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Carol_Hill] #157698
03/27/2018 07:50 AM
03/27/2018 07:50 AM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 95
Pennsylvania
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Beachnut82 Offline OP
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ok thanks We are also a one bedroom and are not messy folks. Do our own dishes too.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157710
03/27/2018 09:12 AM
03/27/2018 09:12 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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By the way, the maids do not do it themselves, but you can request that they send out clothes to be washed. I think it was around $15 for a large load, washed and folded. No delicate clothing, of course, but it sure was a nice service! Just ask your maid about it and she will take care of it for you.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157712
03/27/2018 09:27 AM
03/27/2018 09:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 357
SeaStar Offline
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SeaStar  Offline
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$10 a day for 1 bedroom, $20 for a 2 bedroom. We're pretty easy duty for our cleaning people.
I clean before the cleaning people arrive. smile

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157764
03/27/2018 07:15 PM
03/27/2018 07:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 753
VA
baycruisers Offline
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baycruisers  Offline
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$10/day for regular daily use (and we keep it picked up and do our own dishes) and we leave $20 the last day.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157788
03/27/2018 11:06 PM
03/27/2018 11:06 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
jazzgal Offline
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I consider myself a fairly good tipper when it comes to food. But $10 per day seems really high to me for maid service. Am I just behind the times?


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Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: jazzgal] #157793
03/28/2018 06:22 AM
03/28/2018 06:22 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,398
Peaceful Eastern North Carolin...
GaKaye Offline
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GaKaye  Offline
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Linda, I tip $5 per day, and also felt that $10 was high.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: jazzgal] #157799
03/28/2018 08:26 AM
03/28/2018 08:26 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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I really had no idea what other people tip at BSV, but I'm quite happy with paying $10 for what we get there. To me, there's a difference between what the maids at BSV do, versus the standard timeshare. They have a lot more space to clean, including the outside deck and stairs, which usually sees quite a bit of sand, and they usually mop the kitchen and the living room. It's funny you bring up tipping on meals, as if you compare the amount of work the maid does at BSV, versus 15% on a $100 restaurant meal, the maids are definitely underpaid, at $10. Just my opinion.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: GaKaye] #157808
03/28/2018 10:22 AM
03/28/2018 10:22 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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pat  Offline
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Originally Posted by GaKaye
Linda, I tip $5 per day, and also felt that $10 was high.


I’m inclined to agree with the five dollar amount. To me, ten dollars seems high but remember, Peeps, tipping is purely a personal and individual issue. Tips used to be given for personal service beyond the scope of the norm and were a gift, not a requirement. Quite honestly, when I see the annual December tipping guides every year I go a little crazy.

When we stay at our timeshare we don’t tip daily because the service provided to us is only the daily swapping of towels and removing the trash but when the ladies do the midweek cleaning including changing the bed linens, we leave them $15.00 to $20.00 depending on the state of our unit. We don’t leave dirty dishes and we tend to treat the condo in the same manner we would our home. Upon departure we leave the same amount or perhaps a bit more if the maids have gone out of their way to accommodate us.

With regard to our stays at BSV I think we left only $5.00 per day but again, we never leave dirty dishes and don’t do any cooking beyond morning coffee. But if the maids have provided any form of personal service beyond the normal scope of their jobs, the norms change a bit.

Personally speaking, I think the whole ‘tipping’ thing has gotten completely out of control in too many situations and I’ve never understood why a wait person would receive a larger tip for serving a filet mignon than a sliced sirloin steak or more for serving a mixed drink over a beer. But that’s a personal opinion and I’m not advocating for others to agree or disagree with me.


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: pat] #157817
03/28/2018 12:09 PM
03/28/2018 12:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,613
originally Long Island, NY/now...
irish1223 Offline
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I agree, Pat. Tipping has gotten out of control in some areas. We usually tip $5 per day for the two of us; $10 per day if we travel with another couple; a bit extra for any extra services we require. Tipping is indeed an individual issue. Restaurants are a different story, those wait staff (at least here in the States) make an extremely low salary and depend upon tips for most of their wage, though I do agree with the fact that service for a steak shouldn't be more than service for a hot dog. Other workers (housekeepers, maintenance workers, etc) usually get a more 'normal' salary and any tipping extra amount is at one's discretion. It has irked me over the past few years that most cruise ships now demand pre-paid set tips. (Yes, I realize you can have that taken off at the end if you're not satisfied with some of the services, but it should really be the other way around. I much prefer to individually tip those that have given me good service. If I have a great waiter, but a lousy housekeeper, I don't think they both deserve the same tip).

Robin


Robin & Ed

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. - Henry Miller

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157822
03/28/2018 12:32 PM
03/28/2018 12:32 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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RonDon  Offline
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We tip $5 per night when we stay at a chain hotel stateside. When at Grand Case Beach Club or Beachside Villas we tipped $10 per day. But when we stay at Divi we tip $10 once since they only come in on Wednesdays. I don't tip for the Saturday arrival for I feel they have to clean units anyway. Besides they don't do very good work. BSV was emaculate.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: RonDon] #157829
03/28/2018 02:19 PM
03/28/2018 02:19 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
jazzgal Offline
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Portland, OR
Originally Posted by RonDon
But when we stay at Divi we tip $10 once since they only come in on Wednesdays.


Huh? Since when? I've received daily service every time I've stayed at Divi with a midweek mopping and sheet change.


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Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157831
03/28/2018 03:00 PM
03/28/2018 03:00 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,313
Granville, MA
PreK176 Offline
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We also tip $5/day since we use reuse towels, make our bed, and wash our own dishes etc. When we asked others who were staying at BSV what they tip (so as to be inline) I was told it was none of my business. Glad it is discussed here. We will certainly consider the tip for our upcoming visit.


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Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: PreK176] #157832
03/28/2018 03:11 PM
03/28/2018 03:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Central Florida!
Surprised that was the response, as I see no problem with discussing it. Eric usually does our dishes. If he doesn't do it, we pay extra for the maid to do them, as we often have a LOT of dishes, as we often eat in two meals a day. I don't do dishes at home, sure as heck not going to do them on vacation!! We never make the bed there either. I am happy with what we tip, regardless of what anyone else does, as Pat said, it is an individual decision. Do whatever you feel is right.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: jazzgal] #157833
03/28/2018 03:15 PM
03/28/2018 03:15 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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RonDon  Offline
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Originally Posted by jazzgal
Originally Posted by RonDon
But when we stay at Divi we tip $10 once since they only come in on Wednesdays.


Huh? Since when? I've received daily service every time I've stayed at Divi with a midweek mopping and sheet change.



We have never received daily service. We always have had to ask for clean towels and the sheets are changed on Wednesdays. We were told that if we wanted full service there would be an additional charge.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: RonDon] #157835
03/28/2018 03:35 PM
03/28/2018 03:35 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
jazzgal Offline
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That really surprises me; do you own there? For me, the midweek sheet change isn't necessarily on Wednesday, depending upon their workload. Might be Tuesday or Thursday. But always fresh towels and garbage removal daily.


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Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: jazzgal] #157836
03/28/2018 03:38 PM
03/28/2018 03:38 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Which sort of makes my point, of a timeshare versus Beachside. There is actual CLEANING going on every day at BSV, not just fresh towels and garbage removal.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157843
03/28/2018 05:04 PM
03/28/2018 05:04 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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RonDon  Offline
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Jazzgal I sent you a PM

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Carol_Hill] #157847
03/28/2018 05:18 PM
03/28/2018 05:18 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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Brookfield, CT.
Carol,

In all honesty, and personally speaking, I don’t see the need for a thorough cleaning EVERY day. I don’t clean my house EVERY day and while you can’t eat off my floors, why would you want to?!

We just returned from two weeks in Antigua where the maids did make the beds daily and did the dishes along with thoroughly cleaning EVERY day including mopping all the floors, including the porch floor, daily. It was nice to have the beds done but everything else was superfluous IMHO, and a cleaning every other day would have been just as good as far as I was concerned. But here’s the kicker - we were told upon arrival NOT to tip the staff as their tips were covered in the very reasonable AMFs the owners paid. (We did tip them anyway, but it wasn’t expected at all.)

I just can’t imagine the rooms needing that kind of cleaning effort but for the sake of the staff, I’m still happy to see them having jobs to do.


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Carol_Hill] #157848
03/28/2018 05:22 PM
03/28/2018 05:22 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,278
Maryland/DC Metro
BeachKitten Offline
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Originally Posted by Carol_Hill
Which sort of makes my point, of a timeshare versus Beachside. There is actual CLEANING going on every day at BSV, not just fresh towels and garbage removal.


Actually, at Towers our Penthouse has DAILY cleaning. So it's not always a TS vs BSV thing. It depends upon the floor you are on there. wink


"It is good to do nothing all day, and then to rest" wink
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157858
03/28/2018 08:48 PM
03/28/2018 08:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,141
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
islandgem Offline
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When staying in private condos, I usually tip $50 a week. My stays usually are a few weeks at a time so tipping by the week makes more sense to me. If I am not happy with the service offered, the tip is reduced accordingly. Tips should always be your personal choice and you should never be forced to tip a certain amount just because your friend or someone else chooses to do so. Remember it is your vacation and should be designed to your specifications!




Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157870
03/29/2018 08:02 AM
03/29/2018 08:02 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 389
East Haven, CT
Wingman Offline
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East Haven, CT
Greetings all, just thought I'd tell you my experience here at BSV. Just arrived 2 days ago to a greeting by all the staff that was worthy of a king. This is my 21st year in a row, with the exception in 2000 after Lenny. I usually get the same villa with very few exceptions. We're usually here with a great group of friends. I enjoy cooking for everyone and over the years have brought several personal items to cook with while I'm down here. The kitchens are pretty well stocked though. I'm also a diver and usually leave some of my diving equipment here. Coming down here now, I wasn't sure what to expect, so I took many of the cooking items down here thinking there's no way these things would be in the villa after Irma went through. When we got into the villa, there was my diving equipment, and low and behold, there's all my cooking things on the kitchen counter. A little while later I saw Smarthie, usually who takes care of us, she told me she took all the things out of the villa and home with her to be safe. I'm still shock a bit over this on how thoughtful and caring. So as some have said, places vary from place to place as well as services. I'm not going to say how much of a tip she's going to get at the end of our trip, but I will say, or ask, what is that kind of service worth.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: pat] #157873
03/29/2018 08:38 AM
03/29/2018 08:38 AM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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RonDon  Offline
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Originally Posted by pat
Carol,

In all honesty, and personally speaking, I don’t see the need for a thorough cleaning EVERY day. I don’t clean my house EVERY day and while you can’t eat off my floors, why would you want to?!

We just returned from two weeks in Antigua where the maids did make the beds daily and did the dishes along with thoroughly cleaning EVERY day including mopping all the floors, including the porch floor, daily. It was nice to have the beds done but everything else was superfluous IMHO, and a cleaning every other day would have been just as good as far as I was concerned. But here’s the kicker - we were told upon arrival NOT to tip the staff as their tips were covered in the very reasonable AMFs the owners paid. (We did tip them anyway, but it wasn’t expected at all.)

I just can’t imagine the rooms needing that kind of cleaning effort but for the sake of the staff, I’m still happy to see them having jobs to do.


I too never thought about the need for "full" cleaning until I stayed at BSV. I like to walk around condo barefoot. At Divi I always had to wash feet before bed because bottoms were black. At BSV feet were still clean which leads me to believe Divi uses dirty water to mop the floors.

Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Beachnut82] #157877
03/29/2018 08:50 AM
03/29/2018 08:50 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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I agree. There can never be too much cleaning, for me.


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Wingman] #157878
03/29/2018 08:51 AM
03/29/2018 08:51 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,478
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Central Florida!
Wingman--lovely story and not surprising at all! clapping


Carol Hill
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Wingman] #157879
03/29/2018 08:55 AM
03/29/2018 08:55 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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I love this response and as a long-timer at our home resort I can only agree with what Wingman has said here.

There is something very special about that kind of a welcoming greeting upon arrival along with the hugs and good wishes upon departure and even more-so, about that kind of caring on the part of the staff. There’s no way to put a price tag on that kind of treatment which, IMHO, goes well beyond the normal understanding of the word service. Im sure the fact you’re so very well treated by the staff st BSV is part of a a well-deserved reciprocal relationship.


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Tipping cleaning staff BSV [Re: Wingman] #157939
03/30/2018 08:21 AM
03/30/2018 08:21 AM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,408
Yonkers, NY
fabila Offline
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Priceless Mike. Please give the staff another hug from us. Enjoy and hope to see you not long after your return.


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