How much to tip?

[caimakale]

I feel really bad about my last trip. I didn't tip housekeeping and only tipped the bellhop a couple times. It's not that I am cheap, I just didn't think about it. I am usually a fairly generous tipper, it was plain ignorance on my part for not educating myself a little better.

I read with housekeeping it's good to tip $1 per person in the room for each day they clean. So with five of us, I should leave $5 each morning for housekeeping.

How about the bellhops? I am assuming it would be $1 for each bag taken to the room and then again when they pick them up. But what if I need to have them hold my luggage for several hours before checking in? One bellhop may help me unload the vehicle, and another will bring it up to my room later. Who do you tip then? Both?

What about extra towels, or a fridge, or something? $1 seems like very little for somebody to bring a fridge up but not for towels.

Any other advice for tips that I didn't cover? Anybody else I should be tipping other than restraunt service that I can't think of?

Again I don't want to appear cheap on my next trip (mid-May) because I am not...but I just need advice on what is customary for tips because I am not 100%.

TIA

 

[TSRE]

I woudn't feel too bad - tipping is a very individual thing. Not that you shouldn't tip, but then sometimes a tip is expected when the service is realy horrible. I think we have all forgotten that a tip is for a service performed well. Anyway, stepping off my soapbox now...

If you know your bags are going to be held for a really long time, I would tip the first guy a little (maybe $.50 per bag, rounded up), with a quick explanation, then if he happens to be the same one that brings them up to your room, you can give him more - or if its someone different, give him a tip also, without tipping twice.

I don't think there is anything you are missing. Don't forget the cabbie if you take a cab from the airport.

 

[Snow Brite]

Bellmen get tipped $1 per bag with a $5 minimum. You only tip the guy that delivers them to the room. He will share with the valet guys. You also only tip the guy that picks up your bags in the room, not the one that puts them in the car. If you CHOOSE to you can tip the valets as well, but this is additional and not expected. However people that work for tips are good at the long, pointed pause before leaving. Don't let them intimidate you into over tipping unless you feel it was warranted.

Housekeeping is $1 per person per day, but for 5 people, unless you are messy that is pretty generous. If the housekeeper is exceptional then a little extra and a comment card is ok, but often the same housekeeper will not clean the same room each day, so maybe not easy.

 

[JoeyRamone]

Here is a pretty detailed list...

http://www.passporter.com/articles/tipping.htm

 

[darph nader]

Never had bellhops. About $3.00 to $5.00 a day for housekeeping ,depending on the situation.imho.