JamesEaston

If you don't order room service or use the bell staff no need for comments [inapt text edited by Moderator].

If you do order room service, do you tip the delivery person? If you use the bell staff to carry your luggage do you tip for that?

If yes to either or both, do you also tip the housekeeper each morning since all three jobs are identical in that the person is getting paid by the
hotel, yet doing a very personalized service directly for you so naturally if you tip any of the three you should tip all of the three.

For those who tip the room service person and/or the bell staff but don't tip their housekeeper, I suppose Marriott is correct in that non tipping of housekeepers is due to the lack of direct visual connection with the person doing such a deeply personal task directly for you.

CJKatl

Room Service: I always ask specifically how much of the tip/service charge goes to the server directly, then adjust to net 18-20%. I've sensed disappointment on occasion when the delivery person realizes they aren't going to get a tip on top of a tip. Other times, the delivery person has explained the service charge prior to my even asking.

Bellman: I sometimes use the bellman to deliver boxes that have been delivered to the hotel or store bags. When it's boxes, I tip $5 for up to two boxes, $10 for more. If there are more than six boxes, the tip goes up.

Maids: I do not tip.

Parking Valet: $3 in and $3 out.

The above is based upon what I can get reimbursed for, per our company's policy. Note that waitstaff, which would include room service delivery, is usually paid a much lower minimum wage ($2.13/hr in most states) and taxed based on tips as a minimum percentage of food sold. Bellman and Valets are also likely being paid the tip wage. That is not the case with housekeepers, who are not eligible to be paid that low wage. That's a big, important difference.

JamesEaston

That's just a guess. Besides the fact that only one country on the planet pays staff less if they may get a tip. In every other country on the planet, all are minimum wage workers and if you tip one, you need to tip all.

Say what?? USD$6 for 12 seconds of work. Okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

markzz2

If my room service bill includes a service charge I do not tip on top. The bill often has a Tray charge (what is that?) and a delivery charge, and a service charge, so I assume the service charge goes to the server. If it does not it should.

This tipping thing is really hard to grasp and for non US based travellers it is particularly confusing and embarrassing. In Japan and China for example timing is not expected, and in some cases is rude, and yet I constantly see Americans tipping Japanese bell staff and doormen, which then makes me feel embarrassed for doing "the right thing" by not tipping (as briefed by my company). In the US I get screamed at by waiters when I forget to tip, and now I am seemingly expected to tip everyone I see (and some I don't even see, like housekeeping staff). Apart from anything else I don't carry 100's of dollars in $1 bills!

Idea:

When you collect your key at a hotel, they could include a little guide to tipping

CJKatl

No. All are not minimum wage workers. Servers, valets and bellman receive tip minimum wage of $2.13/hr in most states. Housekeepers receive an actual wage. Those that receive tip minimum wage report tips, pay taxes on them, get audited if at least 13% of sales aren't declared as tips and sometimes get negative paychecks, as the wages do not cover the taxes on tips. These are very different pay structures. If your opinion is you want to tip housekeepers, by all means, do, but I'm not sure where you arrive at a blanket statement "if you tip one, you need to tip all." I've not tipped housekeepers for twelve years, and have yet to be arrested or have the sky fall on me, so apparently I don't need to tip housekeepers.

Outside the US, I follow local custom, but, again, I don't tip housekeepers. They are waged employees, as are waiters, etc., in many countries. I don't tip there, either, unless it is the local custom. Prior to travel, I research this.

Why stop at housekeepers? Shouldn't you tip desk clerks, telephone operators, maintenance workers and the garbageman who picks up the trash from the dumpster?

I worry more about the person handling my car when I'm not watching than the person who handles my food when I'm not watching, and I do care about the latter.

aaupgrade

At international hotels generally I do not tip, although there are exceptions to that rule depending on local customs. Below when staying at US hotels:

Room service: Tip 18-20% and room service fee is already added to bill, so no I don't tip.

Bell service: For luggage delivery yes, for most everything else, no. I definitely don't tip for ice delivery service at hotels like the JW Ihilani where they don't have ice machines and require ice to be delivered to the room. I did tip, and tipped very well following my ACL replacement surgery in Vail when they brought a lot of ice and helped me empty and refill the game ready machine.

Valet: rarely use it, but when I do, I tip. How much varies from $1-5.

Housekeeping: Yes, at hotels where I stay on a regular basis and also for excellent service at other hotels when staying for more than 1 night.

Spa: Yes, 15-20% if it is not already added to the bill.

Dining: Yes, usually 20%, sometimes less for mediocre service.

Concierge: Yes, when they have provided excellent service. For stays of 3-6 weeks, up to $50 at the end of the season. Shorter stays, $5-10 for service above and beyond.

Barista: Yes, a buck for a cup of coffee every day or two.

Ski Valet: Yes, a buck for pick-up and another for return.

Little tid bits I learned from staying at the Vail Marriott for 250+ days. Valets make the most money, and that's from tips. Senior housekeeping staff make an excellent wage ($30+/hr), and since I tipped housekeeping regularly there and became friends with the housekeeping staff, I discovered I was an exception as most guests do not tip. Now I have no idea what the seasonal housekeeping staff make; I would guess it is substantially lower than senior staff, but they do get free lift tickets, so for the moment they are living the dream.

jr1202sr

They also could pay their employees a livable wage and leave me out of it.

The difference is you carry your own bags, Get your own food, pretty hard to clean your room without a vacuum, chemicals, etc.

nachosdelux

I presume they are referring to the valet parking attendant, not the doorman.

If the valet only takes 6 seconds, then he is driving way too fast.

BTW I tip the valet in and out also, $3-5 each time.

iztok

Room service: Recently I've seen (and being pointed out by person delivering food) that it is already included. In which case I do not add tip on top of it. Otherwise I do my standard multiplying the digits above single digit (i.e 1x.xx would be +$2, 2x.xx would be +$4 ...).

Bellman: $1 per bag. I only use this service when traveling with my family, usually toddler has several and it ends up in $5-10 range.

Valet: $2-5 depending.

GoPhils

I usually don't order room service but did last week at the Ren Westchester and was reminded why I typically don't.

22% service charge (and the book actually pointed out that 15% goes to the staff and 7% goes to "offset costs") plus a $4 "in-room dining charge." Bill came out to be $50 for a grilled cheese and a turkey club. Good lord.

MSPeconomist

First of all, I try to follow local customs on tipping which, BTW, do NOT imply that it is the norm to tip housekeepers in the USA for ordinary service despite what Marriott would now like us to believe.

In Asia, as a general rule I do not tip.

I also do not tip, except for something extraordinary, in properties that impose a fixed 10-15% service charge on the room rate or entire bill.

Similarly, I normally don't add a tip in restaurants that impose a fixed service charge in the USA, either for everyone or for larger groups. Even in cases where I otherwise would have tipped more, when they go to the fixed rate, they don't benefit on the upside from me. In Europe, I follow the local custom, from no additional tip in restaurants to rounding up to 10% in some southern European locations.

In the USA, most room service bills include a delivery fee (flat amount) and a service charge (18-20%), so I do not tip beyond this unless something truly special was involved.

I was taught to tip valet parkers only when the car is returned. In most places and in decent weather, $2 seems enough unless the car has been washed, had windows cleaned, or has obviously been preheated or precooled for me. I tip more in bad weather and in certain locations but local valet parkers seem pleasantly surprised to even get a dollar.

Housekeeping? Despite Marriott statements, it's not a social norm to tip. I tip for special or personal service, such as delivery of forgotten toiletry items, and I would tip if I made a big mess, but cleaning rooms--especially between guests on one night stays--is done to benefit the hotel (so that the health authorities allow it to continue to operate) and is not a personal service to the guest.

I rarely use bell staff--I can manage wheeled bags and doing it myself is faster--but when I do, I usually tip at least $5 or the local equivalent. My employer will only reimburse $1 for a bag, which I consider to be embarrassingly low in most locations, and I'm not willing to "cheat" on this, so I avoid using the service when possible.

I generally ignore self-serving guides that always seem to overestimate when making claims about what the standards are for tips. Some of these are laughable, including a lot of information in travel books that suggest far greater tips for foreign tourists than civilized/sophisticated/educated locals would do.

CJKatl

Why yes, I did. Thank you for clarifying what I meant. At least one of us can put what's in my brain into words!

And I always tip when leaving the car, so that when they're busy, the attendants know I'm the guy that will tip. This wound up being a big help at a certain hotel in New Orleans, where people were waiting but the attendant said something like, "Oh, yes, you called ahead. Your car is on its way." I had not called ahead.

And the reason I tip the bellman more than most is he/she has had to find my heavy boxes and, often, lift them into a trunk or put them in a conference room.

Marriott really dropped the ball on this. They could have announced their "family members" the housekeepers deserved a living wage, increased their pay and quietly slipped an increase into the rate. Instead, they had Maria Shriver point out they don't pay their employees well and are passing the plate to their customers, trying to shame them into making up for Marriott's deficiency.

CPRich

I can't remember the last time a Service Charge wasn't already included in the RS bill - it's creeping up to 20% or more just about everywhere these days. Plus a "delivery charge". So no, I don't add more.

The valet can take the keys from you, park the car, and return to get the next customer, and the reverse, in 12 seconds total? Is Usain Bolt parking your Bugatti?

OU812

Room Service - I don't tip. They are already imposing 22% service charge + $4 delivery fee.

Bell Staff - usually only use them when I am traveling with family. If they are bringing bags from car up to our room, I will tip them usually $1 per bag or so.

Housekeeping - typically don't tip unless they have done something above and beyond, or I am traveling with family and the family has left the room or bathroom extremely messy.

Valet Parking - usually $2 - $3 out, depending on how long it takes to get the car. If I have called downed 10 minutes prior and I still have to wait 15 minutes when I get down stairs and they are not particularly busy, just slow, the tip will go down to $1.

Regards,

RIP...

Sousaphil

Bell staff: I don't utilize them often, but when they do deliver bags to my room, I tip about $3 per bag. If it takes longer than 45 minutes, I give $2 flat. Frankly, I don't like using bell staff because if I'm going to my room, I want to change or shower or rest immediately.

Valet Parking: I tip $2-3 only on the out.