Originally Posted by JanePond
I think amounts vary as to the hotel and as to what's being done. My plan is to 'make amends' for all the past times! I tip a pound or two (easy with the coins) for luggage toting and getting a cab. At The Stafford the porter has to go down the street and hail a cab on St James and then ride it back up to the cul de sac where the hotel is located. It's not as if he just turns on a cab light or raises his hand. I also tip extra to the bar staff who tend to me very well, also not much. The other part of this is that it's a small hotel and I have somewhat of a personal relationship with the staff; they remember my likes and dislikes and what I drink. I think that merits a bit extra every so often.
Jane in PHL
In a case where the hotel staff knows me very well and I am treated rather specially, I tend to eschew monetary gifts for more personalised ones for key members of staff which are distinctive of my home town -- like bottles of Ice Wine, native indian prints, smoked salmon...... and for others, like the bellmen, I often go to the best pastry shop around and buy a huge cake to give to them......
However, there are times when I give a larger gratuity --- since the service charge is included already in most London hotel rates, the amounts are less. In New York, the amounts tend to be more.
At 5* hotels in NYC, I tend to give the bellman $20 and the doorman $10. If I know the Concierge very well, I tend to give gifts (s/he is not the only one who knows preferences of people!!!) and $20-$50 gratuity depending on what s/he had to do for me. In exceptional cases, I have left $100 to $150; like securing 4 tickets to the Producers (for a friend of mine) at the last minute when Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane were starring or other such feats......
In Asia, very different where in most cases tipping is shunned and at times even frowned upon.