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?

This is good advice.

No I would never just ' leave it '

If I were to leave something, in the hope it might be useful, I would leave a note if I hadn't been able to speak to someone.

I live in a MENA country. Can confirm that toiletries & san pro will be gratefully appreciated by resort staff.

One thing that goes down really well is kids' clothes (I give all our hand-me-downs to either my housekeeper or my baowab, depending on whose kids they'll fit). If you're on a once a year holiday in a hot, developing country, & have swimsuits or beach shoes or other holiday clothes that won't be of use to you next year, definitely leave them - the maid's dc/little dsibs will be very happy to get them. Same for any toys you don't want to cart home.

It's always a good idea to leave a note saying something like 'please take any of this stuff I've left in room 138' or whatever - resort staff often get checked on the way out to guard against theft, & could be accused if they can't show proof that things were left for them. This also applies if leaving a cash tip.

Another one here who always leaves a daily tip ( clearly marked so there is no confusion) when I am staying somewhere where the room is serviced daily. The problem with leaving a tip at the end of your stay is that you don’t know what someone’s shifts are like, so you could end up tipping someone who has only done one shift the money for a weeks worth of service.

As someone who was on the bones of her arse when I lived abroad, anything like was so appreciated I cant tell you

Indeed. White, colonial privilege [masquerading as Lady Bountiful] at play.

I’m embarrassed by this thread.

This really depends on the situation. I worked a few Eurocamp seasons as a late teen and anything left was very gratefully received. Customers would leave food and toiletries as well as tips and in high season you could manage without touching your wages 😆 I also worked on cruise ships and if you're a bit off the beaten track getting brands you're familiar with can be expensive, and if you don't manage to go ashore in the right place you're limited to the ships shop. I had one z list celeb leave me a load of barely used Estée Lauder skincare which was very welcome.

When I did low paid service jobs any freebie was a good freebie! I can't imagine feeling patronised by having the option to take free stuff. I leave all sorts of things in hotel rooms (clean and usable of course, rubbish goes in the bin) and if any staff can make use of it they're welcome.

God almighty can we not even pass along usable but unneeded stuff? I'm a middle aged woman and I love getting little bonuses that others don't need.

If the packages are unopened, leave them out rather than putting them in the trash, but also leave a note because otherwise it may be assumed that you left them by accident and they may end up in lost and found (and then probably trashed after a time because no one has claimed them). IME, many hotels will automatically throw out left toiletries or food, but it's variable.

When we were in Florida last year I left unopened food and drinks with a note saying for anyone who wanted it to help themselves. I wasn't going to be taking it home so would be leaving it in the room anyway. I think I might have left some toiletries as well as I couldn't be bothered to pack them (we were both ill and it was as much as I could do to pack what we needed).

the housekeepers want to have as clear run as possible to just change the bed, clean the room and not waste time clearing up unnecessary crap

You're overthinking this.

No, take it with you or bin it.

I think it depends where you are staying. If in the UK or an similar country, put them outside. The maid won't want them.

In a poorer country, absolutely leave them in the room.

In certain countries yes, along with a note and a cash tip. When we left Mexico after backpacking for a year, I left a few things* including a couple of dresses that the maid had admired. She came to find me in the restaurant (in the hotel) where we were having lunch before heading to the airport to say thank-you.

*Needed to make space for the 5 foot wooden skeleton I'd HAD to purchase!

They are paid but not very well. I've never thought to leave a tip before but it's something I may consider. It's quite often an unpleasant task.

When we used to have a cleaner in the toilets in Northampton city centre I often used to put money in the bowl, those toilets were immaculate. It's showing appreciation to someone, something I think we have forgotten how to do

I don't see any harm in leaving them in the room if you don't want them, they can bin them or take them, you'll never know!!

No, that's so rude. They'll just chuck it so you're giving them more work to do.
I hate waste so I always bring any unused toiletries home again.

I’ve just returned from a self-catering holiday on an island with one quite expensive food shop (everything has to be shipped via two ships). When the cleaner arrived I asked him if he would like me to throw away the unused dried pasta, coffee, tea, nearly full cordial etc. He said he lived on pasta and it would all find a good home with him!

I've never heard of anyone doing this.

I have left a massive unopened bottle of water with reception before as I couldn't take it on the flight home and thought it could be used by the hotel.

Me and a load of the girls (well, other middle aged women but we call ourselves "the girls") regularly take bits - serums, creams, hair stuff, makeup etc - in to work that we've tried and don't like and swap them 😃

I don't get the weirdness about what op is suggesting on this thread, but i would check just in case it would get anyone in to trouble

Well, that makes total sense, though.

I always leave my change, it normally around 5-7 euros. If I have taken and read a book I will also leave that. I leave my toiletries but that's because I don't pack them, I always buy locally when I get there

The point I think that the poster is making is that guests don't think twice about using 'second hand' toiletries provided by the hotel (in the refilled bottles). so, by the same logic why would cleaning staff mind using guests half-used toiletries.

It’s never occurred to you to tip your hotel room cleaner?