Tipping in hotels

Rogan Josh · May 5, 2003, 05:49

What do you normally do, tipping wise, when you stay in a hotel?

Take the breakfast waiters for example. Do you tip them on your last day directly or when checking out give something to the receptionist for them? How much do you give them? Or do you not tip at all?

What about the maids?

Chemical Ollie · May 5, 2003, 06:23

What I really hate about American hotels are the people in red uniform who are there just to say "Have a nice day" and expect me to tip them for it.

Hey, I (or my company) already payed 250 $ for this room, why should I pay more?

Skanky Burns · May 5, 2003, 06:59

Australia. No tipping.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 5, 2003, 07:52

I generally stay in "business" type hotels when working. As breakfasts are generally self-service, I don't tip. I only tip waiters in evening meals.

I don't tip maids. If I don't see them, it never occurs to me.

TCO · May 5, 2003, 09:00

Probably differs by country/culture. If you are going to make repeated stays there, it can be useful to tip heavily your first time.

Rufus T. Firefly · May 5, 2003, 09:10

If breakfast or dinner is a buffet, I don't tip, unless the waiter brings me something special (like a cocktail). then I leave a token tip of $1-2.

I tend to leave a tip for the maids at th end of the trip, usually $1/day.

alva · May 5, 2003, 09:15

Quote:

I don't tip maids. If I don't see them, it never occurs to me.

It's these people you should tip.. There the ones with the toughest job in the hotel and paid bottom dollar for it.
-
You call 2$ a token???!!!

loinburger · May 5, 2003, 09:25

I don't tip in hotels. 'Course, I always stay in cheap hotels, where there really isn't anybody to tip.

rah · May 5, 2003, 09:30

I'll tip the maids at the end of the stay. Around a couple of bucks a day. They are the ones that deserve/need it the most.

At buffet style meals, it depends on if anyone actually expends any energy on you. If someone really tries to assist, I'll leave a token tip, if not, nada.

Only very rarely tip the people at the front counter. Only exceptions if they were very busy taking lots of messages for me, trips to the lock boxes or getting a room upgraded for free. None of these happens often.

alva · May 5, 2003, 09:35

Quote:

Only exceptions if they were very busy taking lots of messages for me

Isn't that there job...?

Rogan Josh · May 5, 2003, 09:48

What about the concierge who takes your bags to the room etc?

rah · May 5, 2003, 09:49

Quote:

Originally posted by alva

Isn't that there job...?

No different then a waitress (just their job)
Maid (just their job)
In fact, everyone you tip, it's just their job.

RAH

rah · May 5, 2003, 09:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Rogan Josh
What about the concierge who takes your bags to the room etc?

Bag boys, a buck or two a bag.

Concierge, I only tip if he's actually useful. And then depends on what magic he could accomplish. I.e. dinner reservations, transportation reservations, special event tickets, vice fulfillment, etc. Anywhere between 5 bucks and 50 bucks.

RAH

DanS · May 5, 2003, 09:57

I tend to leave a tip for the maids at th end of the trip, usually $1/day.

That's the generally accepted amount.

If served for dinner, etc., I tip normally. Room service about 1/2 the normal amount.

Ming · May 5, 2003, 10:02

As it should come to no surprise, I agree with rah

At the end of a stay... a buck or two a day for the maid.
It might be more if I had asked for special service... or if the room was trashed. (rah, I left a ton of money for the maids that had to clean up the suite for the Wedding reception after party we threw for you)

Bag Boys... a buck or two a bag when they bring them up to my room, and again if I call and have them brought down when I leave.

Room Service... minimum 10%

Concierge... like rah says, it depends if I've asked them to do anything for me, and is based on the level of what I've asked and how well they deliver.

Self Serve Breakfast... 10% if they serve me drinks or perform some REAL service for me... otherwise, nothing.

The Front Desk... Never seen a reason to give them a dime... But, if they were ever to perform some service for me, I would leave an envelope with some money it addressed by name to the staff member that helped me.

Door man... a buck or two if I have them hail me a cab.

However... If I don't get the level of service I deserve, any of the above don't get anything... like if the doorman ignores me for a long time when I'm trying to get a cab

Rogan Josh · May 5, 2003, 10:25

Quote:

Originally posted by rah
...vice fulfillment, etc. ...

I won't ask!

So how do you tip? It is easy for the maids because you can just leave it in the room. Also for the waiters. But what about the bag boys? Do you just hand it to them when they leave? I never seem to have any small change.

Ming · May 5, 2003, 10:34

If I'm going to a hotel, I always make sure I have some small change handy... I like to be prepared.

And I don't know about you, but whenever they bring my bags up to the room, they will usually stand there until you give them something or dismiss them.

TCO · May 5, 2003, 10:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Rogan Josh

I won't ask!

So how do you tip? It is easy for the maids because you can just leave it in the room. Also for the waiters. But what about the bag boys? Do you just hand it to them when they leave? I never seem to have any small change.

You can take their name and pay them later. If you actually want to do so...

Rogan Josh · May 5, 2003, 10:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming
And I don't know about you, but whenever they bring my bags up to the room, they will usually stand there until you give them something or dismiss them.

Hmm... we must go to different hotels. I find I have to act pretty sharpish if I want to tip them before they run off.

Zopperoni · May 5, 2003, 10:47

I usually leave a fiver under the pillow (I don't want the minibar boy to nick it) on the day of departure, plus whatever I find under the bed on day 1 (you'd be surprised how much change there is under the bed

)

alva · May 5, 2003, 10:51

Are you dutch by any chance???

Cyrion · May 5, 2003, 10:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming
At the end of a stay... a buck or two a day for the maid.
It might be more if I had asked for special service...

rah · May 5, 2003, 10:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Rogan Josh

I won't ask!

And I won't tell

But the very best pride themselves into being able to provide ANYTHING.

and sometimes I feel like testing them.

It is a service provided. And I always appreciate quality service.

RAH
And like Ming, I always make sure I have plenty of smaller bills on "travel" days, since there are SO MANY people that need to be tipped. Of course the most important is the curb side check in guy at the airport. I always verify that they put the right stickers on, but it's so easy for them to switch it if you piss them off.

Sava · May 5, 2003, 11:02

I give them a card that says "Vote Soci4lism j00 w0n't n33d tips!"

rah · May 5, 2003, 11:12

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava
I give them a card that says "Vote Soci4lism j00 w0n't n33d tips!"

As your baggage wings it way to a desolate location.

Sava · May 5, 2003, 11:14

I always wondered if that was the cause

I don't do that BTW, I tip well

rah · May 5, 2003, 11:19

I figured that but I couldn't pass it up.

RAH
Nice to see that you're a WSCR listener.

Sava · May 5, 2003, 11:29

Don't make me call up... "YEAH THIS JAG BAG IS FOR RAH, THIS DUMMY ON THESE ONLINE FORUMS I POST AT... RAH, YOU MODDING, EGYPTIAN GOD WANNABE... YOU'RE A JAG BAG!"

I'll do it to.

rah · May 5, 2003, 11:34

Well, since barely a handful of people in Illinois would connect me with that nic, not a problem

But if I heard that driving home from work, I might drive off the road from laughing so hard.

Have you ever jagged anyone? I have not. But not from lack of desire.

Sava · May 5, 2003, 11:35