A new union contract in New York City will pay housekeepers over $100,000. That’s good news because you no longer need to feel obligated to tip.
The owners of nearly 250 hotels in the city reached agreement with the union, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, on an eight-year contract that would increase wages by more than 50 percent for workers, union officials said. The hotel owners will continue to pay the full cost of providing health-care benefits for 27,000 union members and their families.
The unusually generous terms were ratified by the board of the Hotel Association of New York City, which represents the hotel owners, and is scheduled for a vote Thursday by the members of the hotel workers’ union, who have a history of moving in lock step with their leaders.
New York City has banned Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms for short stays. And they’ve effectively banned new hotels. That’s limited the supply or rooms and taken many out of the market, which drives up the rates incumbent hotels can charge. That’s largely been at the behest of hotel worker unions. Owners of existing hotels are earning a lot more, and want to keep those profits flowing uninterrupted. They are now in a position to share economic rents created through lobbying efforts with workers.
That was the literal goal of the policies, even though it meant limiting visitors to New York City. 2025 visitor totals (65 million) were still below 2019 levels (66.6 million). Not only didn’t they return to trend they didn’t even catch up. It’s guests who lose (they pay higher room rates than they otherwise would) and the rest of the city (less economic activity from fewer visitors), but both hotel owners and workers win.
In 2025, 13 of the 15 New York City Council candidates backed by the union won their seats. They’ve gone 26 for 26 in the past, and their one of the heaviest spenders on city council races. By law, all New York City hotels must provide daily housekeeping unless a guest affirmatively declines, and it’s illegal to offer an incentive like points for a guest to decline. And generally, most hotels are barred from entering into housekeeping outsourcing arrangements.
Housekeepers in New York City cannot be considered low wage workers. Hilton’s CEO admitted he doesn’t tip housekeepers. The CEO of a major hotel ownership group admitted that the push for tipping is so they can pay lower wages.
By the way, the average visitor to New York from Germany has household income of $92,200. The average visitor from Spain has a household income of $88,500. From France it’s $80,300. And from Italy $80,000.
Lol, who the hell tips a housekeeper?
I stay in hotels regularly where I’m paying $300–$500 a night, and I don’t tip housekeeping — especially since I don’t even use daily service unless I’m staying longer than a typical Monday–Friday trip. At some point, this stops being about generosity and starts being about a broken pricing model.
I’m frankly exhausted with what tipping culture has become in this country. I worked my way through school as a bartender and waiter — back then, 10–15% was considered a solid tip. Today, you’re handed a screen defaulting to 20–25%, often with a prompt to add even more on top of that. That’s not organic generosity — that’s engineered pressure.
And I’m clearly not alone. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans now believe tipping has gotten out of control, and about 65% say they’re tired of it altogether.
Even more telling, 72% of people say they’re being asked to tip in more places than they were just five years ago — everything from coffee counters to self-checkout kiosks. [forbes.com], [qsrmagazine.com] [pewresearch.org]
Meanwhile, the economics have quietly shifted. The average restaurant tip today is already around 19%, up significantly from the 10–15% standard many of us grew up with.
Yet despite that increase, most people still feel like they’re being asked to subsidize wages directly — and roughly 3 in 5 Americans believe businesses are relying on tips instead of paying proper salaries. [pos.toasttab.com] [oysterlink.com]
That’s the real issue for me. I’m already paying premium prices — whether it’s a hotel room or a meal — and then I’m being asked to layer on another 20% to effectively fund payroll. At that point, just price it transparently and pay your staff appropriately. I would much rather see an all-in price than this constant expectation to evaluate and compensate labor on behalf of the business.
I’m still perfectly willing to tip 20% for genuinely good service — especially in sit-down restaurants where there’s real effort and interaction. But the current system has drifted far beyond that. In many cases, tipping no longer reflects service quality; it’s simply become an expected surcharge.
Until pricing and compensation are aligned more honestly, you’re going to keep seeing this pushback.
many hotels offer an envelop in the room suggesting a tip.
NYC hotels are pricing themselves out of the tourist business. Increasingly, only business travel on expense account is paying. I find myself staying farther away unless it’s January, when rates are less crazy.
There is more than 700 hotels in NYC. Most are non-union. Most housekeepers do not make anywhere near $100k, even in NYC. Most hotels in NYC fly under the radar of unions, as they’re too small.
Many Hotels have either ditched or are in the process of ditching or have eliminated daily maid service. Things like Laundry and other items have already been outsourced, and sent out of the building by many properties.
The whole purpose of Tipping is to ensure good service. There is no requirement there, and many do not. In many Asian cultures tipping is considered rude as they are paid well. In the NYC area…Well paid housekeepers are far more of the exception than the norm.
Cue the doom and gloom in NYC commenters. Meanwhile, NYC welcomed 65 million visitors last year, and ranked first in hotel occupancy in the top 25 markets. Even with international being impacted for reasons outside of the control of NYC, travel from UK/Italy/Mexico was still up YoY. The city is doing just fine and with the world cup this year is projecting over 66 million visitors for 2026.
If you have an extra $5-10 bucks after your hotel stay, leave it on the desk for hard working staff that, you know, have to live in a very expensive place. Guess what’s not a fun job? Making beds. If you don’t or if you forget, don’t sweat it.
As for “tipping culture is out of control” – who cares? Meanwhile, the restaurants in NYC that tried to move away from a tipping model in NYC (Danny Meyer’s places) brought tipping back, because that’s just the model and they couldn’t compete for staff without tips. Sorry if the free market is conflicting with anti-tipping ideals.
@Peter — Mhm. Gary knows this is just rage-bait for the blue city/state/NYC-haters and/or those who feel strongly about tipping (or not) and/or those who wanna punch-down on workers (and immigrants). It’s really got it all.
@Peter says
I think you may have conflated what I said or the point I was trying to make (didn’t even mention NYC). Yes, the tipping culture is out of control, when the clerk at the local convenience store flips around the payment screen before finalizing the sale and it asks me to tip him or her for ringing up my soda and chips or be shamed… Yes, that’s out of control and it makes you feel like a heel if you press the “no tip” button while the person in looking directly at you. That’s what I was talking about being out of touch and control. It is now “expected” instead of freely given for great service.
No tips. This culture is out of control
@Peter — Also, speaking of NYC, holy moly… it is scorching hot outside today. Like approaching mid-90s in mid-May? If this continues, the summer is gonna be brutal. Be safe, friends!
@1990
No one brought up politics, immigrants, or “blue states” except you. The thread was about housekeeping wages and tipping—maybe stick to that instead of trying to turn every topic into the same political diatribe. You are the problem with having constructive dialog in this country, you always take it right to the gutter no matter how innocuous the topic and it gets old real quick.
@Gary: ‘but both hotel owners and workers win.’
It depends on the price elasticity of demand for the requisite labor and same metric for rooms.
@D Fray — Don’t play dumb. Gary is commenting on the balance between capital, management, labor, and consumers. Regardless of my meta-commentary, politics is inherent in this and many conversations. You can engage or ignore, but you will not silence me (only Gary can on here). *wink*
@1990
Playing dumb? Please spare me, it has become very obvious as a relatively new subscriber, you are here to troll. Nothing more, noting less. Now I understand the vitriol you receive from many others here. Troll away troll
@D – sure, just decline to tip in that instance. I don’t think you need to always click 20% just because a prompt is offered to you.
Should someone, in the vast majority of circumstances, tip waiters 20% or more? Yes. It’s how they make money versus being on full salary. For me, that’s the only mostly mandatory ‘yes’. You can object in principle to the ‘culture’ while still understanding that tipping is literally how servers earn their pay.
Do you need to tip your coffee person? I think you should for espresso drinks or if it is a place you go to more than once a month, maybe not if someone is just pouring you some drip from a vat of coffee from a place that you do not frequent.
Do you need to tip housekeepers? Maybe not, but it’s invisible labor, and it’s hard work, so it’s a nice thing to do.
Do you tip a valet a few bucks when it’s your car? Probably! When it’s a rental car and because you live in NY you only get secondary insurance via your credit card? Probably? (Lots of QR codes seem to be at valet stands these days…)
Do you need to tip Hudson News or whatever? No.
Is it nice to tip at a small mom and pop kind of store when the physical tip jar has been replaced by a virtual one because lots of folks don’t pay cash anymore? Sure, but it’s not necessary if you’re just buying a drink or whatever, it’s just an option. I’d be more inclined to do so if it’s one of those “round it up to the nearest dollar for the tip jar” versus 20%, although for small transactions it’s often the same difference (if I bought a drink and with tax it was $2.47 and someone gave me $0.53 cents as change, I might throw that in a physical tip jar, and 20% would be ~$0.49.
Is it nice to tip if you have the means to do so? Yep.
@1990 – is it hot today? Yes!
@Peter
Yes, I regularly do tip in most of the scenarios you mention above. My real point is now it has become a “expected” vs freely given. And I agree, if I pay with cash and there is a tip jar at a register I will drop the spare change in, Mom n Pop, agree, but not at a 7/11 or other chain gas station etc.
Cheers!
@Peter — Bah! Too hot to handle! (And, I’m with you on your tipping nuances.)
@D Fray — “Oh no, no, no, no, no. You done got me talkin’ politics. I didn’t wanna. Like I said, y’all, I’m just happy to be alive.” — Chris Mannix, as played by Walton Goggins, in The Hateful Eight (2015). Pardon my (lack of) manners. Welcome aboard, newbie!
I can’t afford to sleep in NY: day trips only, for me.
I’m not going to tip hotel housekeeping who earn in the top 10% of American wage earners.
Just like I’m not going to tip the airline pilot who earns 600,000 USD per year.
Why would anyone feel obligated to tip housekeeping? I never have and never will. The joke’s on those who a) tip for things like housekeeping and 2) take these jobs expecting to earn tips.
I’m mystified that people come to New York City for pleasure. It’s one of the most offensive and dangerous large cities on earth and there are so many much nicer and safer places to go for much less money. Perhaps the food in New York used to be good for North America, but it’s still extremely poor when compared to virtually everyplace else and declining at a steady rate. It’s shocking to realize much of tourism is based upon nothing but masochism.
@BigTee — Sleep where you can (even Jersey); you’re always welcome in NYC, even for day-trips!
@Mak — You couldn’t be more wrong. When was the last time you visited? 1975?
@ 1990 — Come on, NYC is still an outrageously overpriced dump, albeit a safer one than in 1975. The infrastructure is horrible and the scaffolding and trash everywhere is just offensive.
I agree with Gene’s comment 100%. Just say NO to out of control tipping culture. Tipping Fatigue is largely an American made problem.
Months ago I was having a restaurant lunch on the French island of St. Barts. I watched a fellow American sitting near me boast to the waiter that he added a tip because the waiter deserved it. When it came time for me to pay my bill, the same waiter asked me if I wanted to add a tip for the staff. I told him I follow local French customs where services fees are included by law known as “service compris”. He quickly realized he wasn’t dealing with a fool that was going to oblige him with his inappropriate request.
I remember when Uber was newish, there was no option to tip. I prefer someone charge me what they expect to be paid, & then transaction over. I heard a podcaster raise an interesting point: why do I give 20% to a server for a $200 meal, & 20% to a Denny’s server for a $20 meal — they don’t work 10 times harder carrying $200 food. I do tip housekeepers as a courtesy.
@Gene — Oh no… *clutches heart* …that’d be like saying SF is just the Tenderloin.
@OnePatriot77 — SBH… now THAT’s an approach! (Gustaf III Airport).
Always did little or nothing. If this is true will stick with Nothing
It should be noted that the 100 K amount is for the most senior staff, includes benefits including health insurance and that level gets phased in over the 8 year contract.
@Rick — Those are important details, context, and nuance. However, that doesn’t make for a flashy headline for Gary’s rage-bait targets who just want to vilify these workers. *sigh*
It’s kind of like the ads in the NYC Subway that promote becoming a transit police officer… *$105K salary and pension! (*starting $55K, 105K after 5.5 years, pension after 20 years…)
Gotta read the fine-print. Or… ignore that noise, and just let the hate flown!
@Terry – I think the comparison is probably better when comparing $100 v $200, but sure, fair point. How about food delivery – let’s say I order $25 worth of food versus $50. Is there really a difference in effort? Is the bag slightly heavier from carrying extra food? Do you really need to tip 20% on delivery versus, say, $5? Would your answer change if you ordered two 12 packs from the supermarket? 30 cans of beans? What should we tip our barbers?
Separate and apart from all of those hotel cleaners that are rolling in the dough (so many of them are filthy rich I am sure), folks like housekeepers that perform invisible labor are always going to get the short end of the stick, because you never have to actually interact with the housekeeper, let alone a screen asking you to tap 20%. Could you imagine if at checkout (whether in person or virtual) a hotel asked you if you’d like to leave a tip for housekeeping? Quelle horreur!
Is all of this “out of control” and a problem with our broader culture? Of course not. Isn’t this exactly in keeping with capitalism – are we really to fault a business for asking consumers for more money? It’s just that things cost more money than they used to, and folks would like to have more money in their pockets, not someone else’s.
And @D to your point – sure there’s an element of societal pressure versus tipping for good service rendered that feels wrong, although I’m not sure why we have to elevate this “optional” expenditure of money to something that’s more than it is. I think the problem with the “tip as reward for good service” idea is that, theoretically, I should then want to tip before the service is rendered so that I can actually get good service, no? Where is the line? If I “tip” a hostess $20 for a better table or to cut the line, is that ok? $20 to the valet to keep the car in the front? Should we give a waiter a $50 tip on a projected $200 bill up front to guarantee good service? Or should everyone that walks through the doors of a restaurant receive equal hospitality?
It’s all a fascinating moral quandry, but at the end of the day, it’s the little things in life, and if one can be generous, be generous. And if your spending comes with certain benefits… welcome to airline status programs?
Anyway, off to go take advantage of that delicious NYC food and excellent NYC culture that 65 million folks seem to come here for every year. Use your Resy and Opentable coupons folks. The town so nice they named it twice. Let’s Go Knicks!
Wouldn’t it have been worth mentioning that the $100,000 level won’t be reached until 2030?
NYC is a rat-infested, crime-infested, illegal criminal alien-infested, commie Mamdani-infested, corruption-infested, defund the police-infested, filthy dirty-infested Democrat hell hole. It’s an early taste of the apocalypse, courtesy of 1990 and his degenerate ilk.
Comparing individual income to household income is not straight forward. If the hotel worker is making $100k and the hotel worker’s spouse is making $60k, that is $160k of household income. But, whatever. I rarely stay at hotels and have never stayed in New York City.
@NYC is Truly DOA — LOL. (@Michael Mainello, you don’t have to pick new aliases…)
Personally, I’ve moved away from tipping to offering advice that is priceless
@ Sukwinder Dxiit — Here’s a good tip for your next server — “Don’t Pet a Burning Dog”.
@ NYC is Truly DOA — Well, I’m moving to Palm Beach where you don’t have to pay taxes.
@Gene — *only applies to the President and his cronies, unfortunately.
For real, though… Florida may not have state or local income taxes like NYC, but it does have high property taxes, unaffordable insurance premiums (if the providers haven’t left the state in-advance of hurricane season), and there are limited government services and hardly any safety net, so sure you’ll think you pay less, but you still pay about as much or more, yet you just happen to get less in a place like FL.
I don’t tip housekeeping period. But to say one shouldn’t because of a Union contract is silly. It’s because tipping culture is out of control. Though I worked my way through grad school as a bartender and though I vote blue, I’m sick of the idea I should subsidize where corporate America refuses to pay.
“If you have an extra $5-10 bucks after your hotel stay, leave it on the desk for hard working staff that, you know, have to live in a very expensive place.” They HAVE TO?
$100K is above the median household income of every US state (DC is more). Since I fail to value the good things about NYC over the bad, I’m never going to visit. But, hearing NYC hotel prices, I now understandable $10,000 a night call girls. $9,700 of that is for the hotel room.
Yes, idiots will continue tipping.
@This comes to mind — “Since I fail to value the good things…” Exactly what I’d expect from someone who calls CMH their ‘homeport.’ Oof. (No matter; you’re still always welcome to visit/stay in NYC, regardless.)
No.