Inside a Marriott Tip Envelope. There’s more to the story…

Last week, I did a quick inside peek into an American Airlines First Class Continental Breakfast Box. The post was so popular, I wanted to move forward with the next in the “Inside” series, this time taking a look at the new Marriott “The Envelope Please” tip envelope.

I found the envelope on the desk in my room, at the Chicago Marriott O’Hare.

Taking a closer look, you can see the wording on the front, implying that I should leave a tip for my housekeeper.

Here are my thoughts:

Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge tipper in hotel rooms – it’s not because I don’t appreciate the service, but rather I’ve never seen it done as a usual practice – whether it be with family, friends, etc. I guess I always considered everything included in the room rate, although, similarly, I do tip at a restaurant, even though I know there is some sort of service fee built into the meal check itself.

I certainly do appreciate the level of service housekeepers provide, especially at nice hotels. Perhaps this envelope will get me thinking about tipping my housekeeper in the future, but what I don’t like about this new move is that it almost puts tipping to the forefront of your mind, and makes it a little “pushy” that your housekeeper needs a tip. Think about your service in a restaurant – if my waiter gave me an envelope specifically designed for a tip, I think I would personally be offended, and actually tip less because of the nature of how it was displayed.

So, up until now this was a standard review of a recent hotel change….but here’s where things get interesting. After a day not in the room, I return later on in the day to find that housekeeping had been in the room to clean, which is normal. However, interestingly, the tip card was moved on the desk. Originally, I found it behind the desk lamp when I checked-in. Now, I found it more prominently placed well in front of the lamp, and now well within my view. I hadn’t stored anything else on the desk to warrant the card being moved, so I found this new placement to be rather interesting, and amusing. Was the housekeeper who cleaned my room trying to provoke a tip by making me more aware of the envelope? Interesting.

It’s an interesting concept for sure, but I’m not sure it is the best marketing move…and for me, while I think I’ll think again next time I’m staying in a hotel about tipping, I don’t appreciate the fact that it’s made obvious that I should tip my housekeeper.

What do you think about Marriott’s new “The Envelope Please?”