Originally Posted by
JohnRain
Disclaimer: I'm European so some of you might roll their eyes when reading this.
I'm currently at a five star resort in Orange County and I'd like to find out more about when/how much to tip in specific situations.
For example, the Valet is 40$ per day, which I find really steep compared to some similar hotels in the US I've been to. I would usually give the valet five bucks but in this case I just can't justify the additional expense. Am I correct here?
My (Virtuoso) package includes Full American Breakfast and there is no buffet, which means that everything is à la carte. For two people that amounts to $150, with 11$ tax. When applying the classic double tax rule, I would have to tip 22 bucks. Would you do that? I mean in Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter, if breakfast is included I rarely get presented with a check, which means no tip. What is the rule here?
Thanks for your advice.
You should tip your valet and $5 is fine, but not to tip (IMO) wouldn't be very nice considering the amount of running the valet has to do and he isn't setting the rate. Is there no self parking? As for breakfast, I would tip 18% minimum if there is no service charge shown on the breakfast bill which would cover the tip. Five star hotels are expensive and gratuities are part of the cost and the staff shouldn't be punished for the hotel's pricing.