A woman says a Marriott cleaning worker took $5 off her bedside table, assuming it was a tip.
In a video with over 313,000 views, TikToker Amanda Adams (@amandas.adventures) holds up a blue note that reads, “Thanks for the tip.”
“What are they talking about? I had left money on the side of my bed and they thought I left them a tip and just took it,” she says. “Is that not insane?”
She says that no more than $5 was taken.
“We’ve had the do not disturb sign on all week. It just got removed. And now they take money,” she says.
The caption reads, “Gurl, just ask Marriott to pay you more. That’s a crazy assumption.”
Do viewers agree with her?
While Adams thinks it was “crazy” for the worker to assume the cash was a tip, many viewers have differing perspectives.
“Girl, I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this… but leaving loose small amount of cash on the bedside table is kinda the universal sign of it being a tip,” one writes.
“What’s weird about it? That’s literally the way to leave tips for cleaning staff,” another says.
“Doesn’t matter if you approve or disapprove of tipping culture – leaving loose money on a table in a hotel is unanimously understood as a tip. It’s simply something you didn’t know about,” a third adds.
The American Society of Travel Advisors suggests that a $3 to $5 tip per day is customary for housekeeping, noting that tips are frequently placed on a dresser or bed.
However, others take Adams’s side.
“I disagree with the comments.. sorry, but it is customary to leave the tip on the top of the pillow or hand it directly to them. Any other money should never be touched..,” a viewer says.
“No decent reputable hotel allows their cleaning stuff to take any money from your room, it’s frustrating when you want to actually give a tip,” another writes.
The Marriott guest clarifies
In a follow-up video, Adams acknowledges that viewers were split on her interpretation of the situation.
She explains that the money was not by itself on the bedside table but mixed in with other contents that she dumped from a bag.
“In my eyes, it was clearly not a tip,” she says. “My bedside table was a mess. It wasn’t just money sitting there alone.”
Adams says she chose not to bring up her concerns to Marriott, since she “loves” the hotel. She decides not to share the name of the Marriott location.
“I think it was an honest mistake. At the end of the day, it was $4.50,” she says.
@amandas.adventures Gurl, just ask Marriott to pay you more
♬ original sound – Amanda Lynnthat’s a crazy assumption
The Daily Dot reached out to Adams and Marriot for further comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
