Do you leave things in hotel room after departure for the maids to take if they want them?

[helpmepleasewiththis]

I am due to leave for home after a weeks holiday and remember that my DM always used to do this. Things like unused shampoo, sanitary products etc. is this still a thing or would they find it insulting?

Most people leave them outside the room for other guests to take, they will go quickly, people who have just arrived or have ran out will take them. Quite often the cleaners just throw everything left in the room in the bin if they don’t want it.

When I was a hotel cleaner, I binned anything not obviously valuable/left by mistake left by departed guests.

I would assume they don’t want them, so no.

It's so offensive to even think that cleaning staff would want your toiletries and sanitary products I don't even know where to start.

Just a tip. I can’t imagine that they’d want people’s used toiletries.

I think it depends partly on where you are and partly on whether I have checked luggage.

Staying on a group holiday in Montenegro not long after the war our guide mentioned that anything left would be really appreciated so we did and bought a couple of bits to specifically leave.

If I've travelled with hand luggage then bought things I will leave the rest of the bottle. or if I've bought too many souvenirs and can't fit stuff in my hold luggage.

Either way I just put them together on the side of the sink and staff can choose to either take them or bin them.

I've never seen anyone leave stuff outside their door. I would presume staff would move it when cleaning rooms and either keep it or bin it as well.

It’s a bit weird, yes, unless there’s a dripfeed coming about how the hotel is in a developing country and the staff are poorly-paid and likely to be living in poverty.

I wouldn’t want other people’s part used products.

Interesting. I don't think i would think about doing it in a wealthy/western country as i expect maids would just bin half used toiletries. But I would in a country where service staff are more likely to not earn a living wage.

We stayed in Morocco a few years ago and when the porter chap came to take our cases down he saw we had left a bottle of shampoo in the bathroom and pointed it out. We explained it had leaked on the way over so we didn't want to pack it again. He politely asked if he could have it and seemed absolutely delighted with it. I felt very humbled and have deliberately left stuff since in similar places.

Come to think of it we were also asked in Morocco and Tunisia if we could please leave behind any children's clothes/shoes that were too small and would be thrown away. They were especially keen on things like the all-body UV suits and crocs, not sure if they are hard to get hold of or prohibitively expensive. Unfortunately we didn't have anything to leave as I'm not in the habit of packing undersized clothes but if I went again I'd try to squeeze in a few bits as it seemed to mean a lot to them and they were so lovely and polite when asking.

No tip or unused sanitary/toiletry products required. They're paid for doing their job.

I think all those who think it is offensive to think cleaning staff can afford their own toiletries don't understand the reality of the lives of many staff in exotic AI resorts.

Well, It ultimately depends in which part of the world as in some places those items are expensive and/or hard to get hold of, but anywhere remotely developed when good shampoo and sanpro is widely available then you’re right, they’re not going to want half used cast-offs.

To add to my post above, I gather this was the "normal" thing to do in Cuba too. Though dont know if that is still the case and I've never been!

I’d find it insulting to be referred to as a maid and for someone to think I needed their unused sanitary products. I’d also imagine some hotels have policies in place against staff taking anything left behind.

My mum does this.

I think that’s completely patronising and rude.

I know that in some parts of the developing world, domestic maids are happy to take unwanted toiletries etc (these are countries where maids are likely to be living in extreme poverty, without reliable access to electricity and clean water), so chamber maids in hotels in these countries woukd probably be the same (although I think they'd far prefer a cash tip).

But in Europe, America etc...no, I don't think they'd want leftover toiletries, and I'd be surprised if other guests would either.

I wouldn’t leave anything part-used. But I will always leave soft drinks, unopened chocolate/biscuits etc that I have brought but not used or opened. I also leave whatever change I have in local currency equivalent to a few £GBP if I’ve stayed 2 or 3 nights, and more if I’ve stayed for a week.

Yes, but do you work in a resort in a country where you don't normally use sanitary pads and just use rags because you can't afford or get hold of anything else.

I left some unopened tins of food when I left my last AirBnB, be case I couldn't take them home and it seemed a shame to have them go to waste, but tbh I did suspect I was just leaving the host/cleaner a job to do in throwing them away.

I'd be amazed if anyone wanted partially used toiletries.

I tend to leave them together on a desk near the bin or something, so they can decide.

I worked as a chambermaid in this country and LOVED it when I got left stuff! It was really exciting.

Shampoo costs a fortune these days and they will be on minimum wage! Two bottles of shampoo could be an hour's work.

I don't leave toiletries because I only pack what I need, I do leave a bit of money though, in a place that makes it obvious its deliberate. If I have a pen I'll leave a note.

I left some dresses, unworn, tags still on as I knew I'd never where them in UK. Hmmm hello heatwave!

It wasn't meant to be patronising, just thought they might get some use - or get binned...

"Partially used toiletries" is a weird thing to say. Posh hotels often just have a normal sized shampoo etc - they are refilled and not new each time, and no one complains!

Sounds incredibly wasteful as they probably just throw it away