jschutz

Recently stayed at this property and was disappointed that this particular property is forcing 15% gratuities everywhere on the property - even if you are by yourself sitting in the lounge having a cocktail - or even up at the bar or out by the pool. The most disparaging part of this is that this allows your bill PLUS gratuity to be subject to sales tax. This is not good for employees, the hotel or the consumer. I spoke with another SPG F&B manager at a Los Angeles property and he was blown away by this news - agreeing with me that most guests will tip 20% (as I do) but will not adjust the tip after seeing that the tip will be taxed - adding insult to injury. And he had never heard of sales tax being charged to gratuities - however I looked it up and in California apparently if you have a mandatory gratuity then you are REQUIRED by the State to add the sales tax on top. SPG should talk to the GM in Napa and get this program curtailed.

Starwood Lurker

The frequent stay program for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide isn't going to have much spiff with the GM on this. It would be better for folks to write directly to the hotel management themselves expressing their disappointment.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

mahasamatman

I'm surprised mandatory gratuities are even legal. I was always told that even the "forced tip" in some restaurants is subject to adjustment - either up or down - by the customer.

BlissWorld

W South Beach also practices such behavior

jschutz

The Napa F&B manager did state that the guest can request the mandatory gratuity be removed - but that can be a time wasting hassle if you are sitting in a busy restaurant/bar and want to get on your way. The F&B manager kept insisting that mandatory gratuities are "required" when employee tips are pooled - which is absolutely incorrect. Perhaps if enough people just started asking for their tabs to be redone then they would change the system.

Rolling Stone

All the food and beverage at this hotel is leased out - both restaurants, the bar and I believe banquets as well. Combined with all the units being owned by individuals I don't know how much control management actually has at the property.

estnet

Weird - I ate in La Toque their nicest restaurant and there wasn't any mandatory gratuity.

jschutz

Right, I also ate at La Tocque which I know is independently owned - hence no mandatory gratuity. I do not think the bar and their lounge restaurant is independently owned - hence the forced gratuities.

Sam P. Goodman

When a tip is mandatory, it becomes a service charge in my mind. My favorite is when places institute these fees and try to spin it as a convenience for the customer.

Automatic tip = less incentive for server to provide outstanding service. I'm not saying this is true for all servers, but if you know you're automatically getting 15%...

dankyone

While I disapprove of mandatory/automatic gratuities, they often save me money. The automatic service charges are usually 18%, but I would normally tip 20% or more.

Whenever an automatic service charge is in place, I NEVER add an additional gratuity.

mahasamatman

Same here. And I make it a point to tell the waiter that their management is taking money away from them.

ttrltb

As someone who's had a fair share of time on both sides of the bar , I can tell you that I would

a) ask/demand that the "mandatory" tip be removed on every individual check, then either tip in cash or tip at least the same amount on my room account or credit card (I always start at 20% then let the server work up or down...and consider the tax transfer my F-U to mgmt.), then,
b), I'd be sure to tell mgmt. how the aggravation and BS discourages my desire to return, because it does! Seriously, in Napa? Maybe in a city with a very high volume of international visitors (i.e., MIA, NYC, SFO, etc.) who aren't accustomed to tipping, but Napa?! As a server, I'd be pissed at the lost tips and go find another job...

ac777

A lot of hotels in Asia/pacific add 10% service charge to their rates--another mandatory TIP. The word TIP means To Insure Promptness--so I should be able to judge if the service was prompt--should I not?

chontz

the missus and i just got back from a night at the westin napa, i was also surprised at the 15% mandatory gratuity. as a former server in college, i'd always take my chances to let the customer decide the tip...especially here in norcal where the standard is 20%. i left the server with an extra $10 cash though.

nice property. lots of (well-behaved) kids at the pool. also a small but tasty farmers market across the street on saturday mornings.