Originally Posted by
JamesEaston
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.
I also disagree with this comparison and I don't see how they (the base services) are personalized, particularly *very* personalized.
My tipping habits vary depending on the length of stay, if I'm by myself, with family, business colleagues, leading my team, accompanying the boss, ... but I typically leave $5 each day for housekeeping, $2 each for valet in and out. I don't use room service but tip a buck or two if items such as towels, glasses, silverware are delivered to the room and I slip a doorman a dollar if I'm with my spouse on vacation at a luxury hotel. After a week of luxury I returned the next day to my office and as I was entering the building a colleague held the door for me. I instinctively reached for my pocket but luckily realized what I was doing before I gave him a buck :-)
I like bell service. The attendants are typically friendly and good at small talk, I pick up intel from them and find out what's going on at the property, good places to eat, local traffic patterns... Plus I dislike lugging my bags down the hall, to the elevator all the way to my room. And even more I dislike leaving the room just to park the car or return the luggage cart. It disrupts the flow of the entrance. One should go smoothly from taxi/car to front desk to room without u-turns. Bell service gets $5-10 depending on luggage.
Being friendly to the staff can go a long way towards having an outstanding stay.