Originally Posted by shmj
This is not a scientific question needed logic thought; when you go to China, you have to respect or follow local customaries, such as usually no tipping, but in some good hotels adopted western management system, you have to pay tipps to bell boys who did service to you by your request, it's a fact also is accepted as a rule.[/B]
To start with - welcome to FT
Moving on. Mindful of local custom - do most/all Chinese tip when staying at the two hotels in question?
Secondly what do you mean by 'western management system'? I've seen bell boys at 5* hotels in New Zealand refuse tips. Do New Zealand hotels not have a 'western management system'? Do you mean 'American' rather than 'western'? What's the difference?
Originally Posted by shmj
I think I need offer more details then Peter N-H would not misunderstand. Actually I did check in for my friend in that 2 situations, I should be thought as a guest for that hotels. In garden hotel, I asked the receiption girl where to find someone to help to take the heavy bag, I was told to book a bell boy, then the following was like what I said before. If a guest doesn't need to pay tips then no reason the receiption girl asked the guest to book a bell boy.
It all depends on the usage of the language really. If the specific phrase was
book a bell boy - fair enough that payment is due. Presumably according to a detailed tarriff that's on display. If the phrase was
ask a bell boy then that's a different situation. Something tells me that's there's translation along the way to your English post. Or is it just a crap hotel where there are not enough bell boys and they have to be booked rather than summoned at will?
Originally Posted by shmj
I wonder how Peter N-H claimed he knew much about Chinese good hotels, if anybody checks on internet or tour guide book, it's easily to get introduction about (Okura) Garden hotel (usually we call Garden Hotel or 花园饭店) http://www.gardenhotelshanghai.com and Jinjiang Tower Hotel http://english.ctrip.com/supermarket...ate=2006-07-25, they are both 5-star hotels located in glitterring Huaihuai Road commercial center, any foreigner travellers who knew Shanghai well should know the 2 famous hotels very well. Some countries leaders, stars and other famous persons stayed there once. Garden hotel is run by Janpense, not Chinese.
The
famous is what tells me there's a translation en route to your English post.
Overall - the simple rule is that there's no need to tip in China. Anywhere. If there are establishments that don't conform to Chinese normality then it's very much up to them to spell out the situation - and to spell out the situation to
all guests - not just the foreign ones. Do the hotels you refer to do this?