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?

We took our holiday in Egypt last year and we had the same cleaner every day. He was very grateful for what my husband left for him. He came to ask him if he would write a note saying it was given to him so as he was covered if management questioned it.

@CautiousLurker01how about you check your assumptions? I asked a question and at no point did I state my culture, race or financial status.

@Zov another one who would take your years salary. Dont do it often but I have done it on occasion and would do so again if there was something I needed.

Do you ever participate in book swaps on holiday or use a library or does the thought of another person having touched something offend you too greatly to do that?

In poor countries the hotel staff may be OK as they have work but they will have plenty of friends and family who may not be as fortunate.

Dont be so ridiculous. Have you seriously never stayed in a hotel where they have shampoo and body wash attached to the shower walls, they get refilled after guests leave and are there for all to use. Iv stayed in plenty of 4* hotels that do this. Most people dont have an issue with using shared toiletries, theres no contamination, its not food.

Every time you use a bathroom in a public place, you'll be washing your hands with soap from a dispenser that has been used by tens of people that day. A half used bottle of Original Source Lemon & Tea Tree seems positively sterile by comparison.

It still is. Visited last year and was asked if we had any children’s medicine as its so hard to get hold of there. We left whatever we didn’t need/could replenish.

I used to be a holiday rep and we loved it when people left us stuff!! Got to try all sorts of fancy toiletries we’d never have been able to afford ourselves.

I leave a tip and a note to say thanks typically 1-2 Euro a night.

Many of you do not seem to understand the value of this stuff to staff in poor countries. It is currency. I have seen what goes into boxes to be sent to Sri Lanka - what many of you would consider the biggest load of tat! Eg a hanging Santa. An old scratching post. Anything that can be sold literally.

First foreign holiday was very cheap and cheerful, a lovely older couple knocked as they were leaving and asked if I wanted their left over toiletries.. I was a student and was delighted with the Clarins and clinique products, small amount left but was a real treat. On more recent holidays with kids there has always been a fb page for the hotel where people leave a note of what's being left...great idea. There is so much waste, anything where the product inside is untouched is fine by me..never actually thought of leaving childrens clothes etc. Would be a great idea for resorts to have bins to leave this sort of thing. Anything I don't wear on hols usually goes to charity shop at home, but would be easier to just leave there.

Yep...Both hotels we went to recently have a fb page and people post up what they've left for others to use... usually lots of swim aids and float vests and often half empty packs of swim nappies...it's useful and a good idea. Often you need these items for such a short amount of time, why wouldn't you pass them on

I used to work in a posh UK hotel. Anything left would go to lost property, but most of it would never be claimed. We would have a staff sale for charity every year to clear out the oldest things- everyone was fine about the half used toiletries! A whistles dress was my best find, my friend got GHD’s. All the practical clothes went to the homeless. It’s amazing what rich people leave behind and don’t miss.

Are we talking about a holiday in a country which is considerably poorer than yours?

My DD works part time as a room attendant in a fancy hotel that lots of wealthy Americans stay in. She loves it when they leave stuff which they often do, it’s taken to staff room and shared out. Toiletries mainly get thrown out unless someone wants them but she comes home with bottles of whiskey, fancy chocolates, stationery etc. Plus tips are gratefully received (£34 today alone! Pays for her petrol)

I’ve left stuff in Spain, France and Lanzarote and I’ve seen the maids be happy with it, the one time I didn’t was last year in an expensive hotel in Lanzarote I put my suncream in the bin in the lobby and saw the maid empty the bin and actually take the suncream for herself while I was waiting for a taxi to the airport So I started doing it again when I went away earlier this year
in Florida Disney it seems to be a “pass along” so I left stuff by the vending and ice machine which got taken so fast!

Not things no.

but I always leave a tip with a note thanking them for giving me a week off cleaning and doing a good job so they can treat themselves to their own products of choice if they want or just for general everyday use.

I leave a tip in an envelope on the side, with Thank You written on it.

Some years ago we were trying to give a monetary tip to our cleaner in a quite upmarket hotel. She was very reluctant - and very very frightened - to take it and we found out the reason was that she thought we were spies for the management. We were obviously appalled at this and very happy that we could eventually persuade her that we were no such thing. Made me so sad. We had used that hotel ( “family run”) a few times and though it was well run we instinctively had never liked the owners. Never returned.

Yes, when we visited Cuba on honeymoon our tour guide said leaving things for staff was really appreciated as it was so hard to get hold of brands (at the time, not sure if things have changed now, it was 20 years ago!).
Hotel staff were given baseball caps and fashion items by lots of the Canadian guests and loved it. I left my perfume and all our remaining toiletries.

Once on a package holiday the UK Reps asked the guests to leave any unwanted toiletries with them! 😂

I think it depends where you are. We do a lot of staying in self-catering resorts in Europe / US and we often have left over food / toiletries (you'd think half a jar of coffee, for instance, would be appreciated by a maid on minimum wage).
However, I suspect that these resorts have very strict rules about staff going off site with anything they didn't bring in themselves - to protect against theft.

When I went to Cuba and also Mexico I recall it being bf mentioned that some of the chambermaids would love to be left either a cash tip or unwanted toiletries. Cuba in particular was also keen on products that were deemed American. I recall my husband being followed about because he was wearing a Metallica baseball cap and someone wanted it. I also recall in Mexico going on a coach trip to the chitchiniza and we stopped off at a family house where they were selling fruit drinks and handmade items. They relied on the tourists passing by and had a deal with coach drivers to stop. They lived too far from the hotels to get work in them. But the people who did work in the hotels were still from very poor families.

We had exactly the same on honeymoon in Cuba. Early 2000s.

I worked as a chambermaid in a five star UK hotel when I was younger. I used to love it when guests left any bits and bobs like used toiletries. I was very happy and grateful to take them home at the end of a shift.

I've had experience of working in and running a 4* B+B in the UK. I can tell you now that nobody ever turned their nose up at nice or useful things left behind. We were near an airport, so I suppose a lot of stuff was left to keep the luggage weight down. Clothes, perfumes and toiletries. If you leave it you give staff the choice whether to bin or take. Why would you dispose of things yourself when you have people going in to clean who will get rid of rubbish anyway?
I've also worked in the holiday lets business. If the cleaners are good you don't save them much work by doing a thorough clean yourself. We always cleaned everything properly, regardless of how things looked. Take the kitchen for example, we couldn't know if the customers had wiped the work surfaces with a cloth they'd used on the floor, so we'd clean them regardless. If the cleaners aren't good they will be happy to do as little as possible of course, and probably wipe glasses with bath towels. 😏