How to give an appropriate tip in America?

Tucked under an ash tray used to be good, as it clearly wasn't just lying about. Of course, ash trays are getting scarce, but something similar perhaps.

My dad taught me to leave a folded note that said "for the housekeeper" on the outside. The tip $ goes inside the note.

The little notepads and pens you find in most hotel rooms are handy for that

That should work. Thanks.

I've left tips for the maids for forty or fifty years. And once, a small water color painting. I've never done it so they might somehow treat me better, cripes, what calculating assholes people are.

You leave it for after you have left. This is normal.

Or maybe not, new generation.

I always leave $2 every night with a thank you note because the maid may change from one day to the next.
I have visited Cuba several times, and was told not to leave $2/nite, because the average wage in Cuba is $20/month. I leave some coins worth about .25c/nite.

Nice day. I visited an old thread I started, six pages long, and a loon had zeroed me throughout. So it goes. Certainly no one from Venice. That wasn't recent, I'd seen it before.

Now I see this one. Whatever.

As others have said, in an envelope or with a slip of paper folded around it saying some like "to hskping, thank you" then placed on the dresser, maybe weighted down by something. Like I said before, if I'm staying a few nights, I don't want housekeeping coming in my room, so I leave a larger tip when I leave. If I did want service in between, separate tip then.

I just was last week traveling and at the hotel there, the maids left an envelope - preprinted with a message and the houskeeper's name. I don't know if the hotel supplied them or the housekeepers themselves, but it was kind of nice to know where to put the money.

Yes, I've seen that before too. It's a nice idea, plus it is a reminder, or letting people who don't know, to tip the housekeeper.

Ask for what you want, it increases your chance of getting it.

No, i was serious. It had just never occurred to me.

Funny story.
When in college I had a roommate, Sonya. She told me when she was 16 or so she got a job at a local motel. This was in Daytona. She said at the time she was pretty innocent about the ways of the world.

She was cleaning a room of someone who had left, and found a bunch of what she thought were candies, all wrapped in indivdual wrappers. She remembers thinking at the time Trojans was a funny name for a candy.

She brought them home, and put them in a little bowl on the kitchen table, for everyone to share.

I usually leave it on the desk on top the hotel memo pad or on top a piece of paper where I write thank you...so there is no confusion it is meant for them.

I always leave it at the end of my stay...never thought of leaving it earlier as an incentive for better service.

It works like a charm. My dad's tipping habits have paid off very well for us over the years.

When we've had to use moving companies, he/I give each of the movers half of their total tip (tell them it's coffee money) and say the balance will be available at the completion of a good move. The move is invariably super-clean AND fast - they want that final tip soooon. That's particularly good when you're using a moving company that bases part of its final bill on time taken to move.

My wife and I are going on an organized group tour next month to the three islands of Hawaii. When and how should we tip our Tour Director?

Tour Director? Nothing!! If it's a tour guide then yes....I'd calculate 2 bucks per hour if it's an all day event - $5.00/hour if it's only a few hours.

$4 - $5 per day/per passenger is the standard for tour directors on American-based tours

the tour director has so many responsibilities, before and during the tour, including being on call 24 hours a day in case of emergency

best to do this yourselves, not as part of a larger group of tippers as that seems to drive the total to the tour director down

some companies put suggested tipping amounts right in the tour package - some indicate if it's permitted/not allowed

while most books/sites recommend the tip at the end, it's another place where my dad has often provided a portion, 25 - 30% of the total, upfront. i.e. on a 10 day trip, the total for 2 would be $80 - $100 to the tour director. $25 (from a couple) at the end of the first day in anticipation of all the work they'll have to do is a good move. that way, if there's rescheduling required, or whatever, your odds of getting an upgrade when possible are improved

Thank you. Makes it easier to figure out our budget for the trip.

A "housekeeper" thought me this. I left a five on the desk and returned to a note telling me that if it was a tip I should make it clear as such.

I always tip them generously. At least five a night. After the second tip I get special attention and nice notes back. I like that.