By Hugo Martin

As a hotel housekeeper, Amelia Acosta hustles to make the beds, vacuum the floors, scrub the toilets and empty the wastebaskets in at least 15 guest rooms a day.

The smallest oversight — a soiled towel left on the bed — can be the difference between a reprimand from her boss and a generous tip from a guest.

"I'm personally dedicated to my work," she said in Spanish, wiping smudge marks from a bathroom mirror at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in downtown Los Angeles.