Originally Posted by mikeef
All,
We recently stayed at the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando. One afternoon, we were heading to a local restaurant and asked the bellman to call us a cab. He waved over a town car (There appears to be a fleet in front of the hotel.). We told him we just wanted a cab, and he seriously tried to dissuade us, saying, "We can call you a cab, but that could take 15 or 20 minutes," and assured us that the $25 that the town car charged was no more than a couple of dollars more than a cab would cost. Since we didn't know exactly where the restaurant was (and he did), we agreed. On the way back, we had the restaurant call us a cab. The fare was just over half of what the hotel charged.
Question: Are the bellmen getting kickbacks from the car drivers? What is the relationship between the town cars and the hotel, anyway?
Mike
As a former bellman while in college, I am fairly confident that yes they are receiving kickbacks. One way or the other bellman/concierges get getbacks for many of the services they recommend. In my case this included town cars, limos, calling specific cabs for long runs (airport, etc.), tours, tour buses, rental cars, etc.