Tipping in Canada
Aug 17, 2010 | 7:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Tipping in Canada
I did a search for "Tipping in Canada" but only found US tipping threads.
We will be in Canada (Calgary / Rocky Mountains) soon and I am wondering if the tipping "rules" are the same as in the US.
How much in a restaurant, bar, how much for the hotel room cleaner?
Thanks in advance.
We will be in Canada (Calgary / Rocky Mountains) soon and I am wondering if the tipping "rules" are the same as in the US.
How much in a restaurant, bar, how much for the hotel room cleaner?
Thanks in advance.
Aug 17, 2010 | 8:12 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,755
I did a search for "Tipping in Canada" but only found US tipping threads.
We will be in Canada (Calgary / Rocky Mountains) soon and I am wondering if the tipping "rules" are the same as in the US.
How much in a restaurant, bar, how much for the hotel room cleaner?
Thanks in advance.
We will be in Canada (Calgary / Rocky Mountains) soon and I am wondering if the tipping "rules" are the same as in the US.
How much in a restaurant, bar, how much for the hotel room cleaner?
Thanks in advance.
Not sure about hotel room cleaners, I'm sure a lot of people don't tip at all and I'm sure other people do too.
Aug 17, 2010 | 8:46 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 642
I wouldn't be surprised if most of the places you go to in the Rockies have a "recommended tip" spelled out at the bottom of the bill as you're going to a tourist destination. I've noticed in Toronto that a lot of restaurants now helpfully point out that tipping is customary and that you should leave at least an X% tip. Some restaurants even conveniently do the math for you and give you a few options.
I agree with zkzkz, some people tip, some people don't so don't feel any pressure. Try to ignore the "helpful recommendations" and if you do tip, tip according to service - after all that is what its supposed to be for!
I agree with zkzkz, some people tip, some people don't so don't feel any pressure. Try to ignore the "helpful recommendations" and if you do tip, tip according to service - after all that is what its supposed to be for!
Aug 17, 2010 | 9:08 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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Basically the same though maybe not so extravagant as major US cities where the "expected" tip seems to be creeping upwards every year. 15% for food service, at the bar, or any other personalized service. In some provinces the sales tax works out to about 15% so tipping whatever the tax was is convenient. Not sure about BC.
Aug 17, 2010 | 9:13 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
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That sounds like the European system and doesn't sound right for Canada? In Europe it is acceptable to leave just a few euros on a 100 dinner. 10 euros would be a "good" tip. In Canada, shouldn't I leave at least $15 on a $100 dinner bill?
Aug 17, 2010 | 9:26 am
#6
Join Date: May 2005
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For hotels, I usually leave $1-2 per night for the cleaners, a bit more when the entire family of three stays in the room. At a recent stay at the YQB Hilton, the cleaner left a very nice thank you note after the first night.
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Aug 17, 2010 | 9:30 am
#7
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Aug 17, 2010 | 10:42 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
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But, back to the original Q - you can generally double the GST as an indication of how much to tip.
For hotel room tipping, that's all over the place. I usually leave $1-2/day rather than a lump sum at the end. Of course, the rule there is pretty loose and plenty of people don't leave a tip at all.
Aug 17, 2010 | 2:56 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,849
I'll admit I've never been one to tip the housekeeping staff, though I've recently begun thinking I should. On that note, how exactly do you tip the housekeeper? Where do you leave the money so that she knows it's for her and not just some money you left sitting around?
Aug 17, 2010 | 4:17 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
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I'll admit I've never been one to tip the housekeeping staff, though I've recently begun thinking I should. On that note, how exactly do you tip the housekeeper? Where do you leave the money so that she knows it's for her and not just some money you left sitting around?
Lastly, I leave it in a place I think the housekeeper will see when she enters the room. So, sometimes it's on the corner of my bed or sometimes it's on the counter of the bathroom. More often than not, on the bed.
Many housekeepers have actually written back.
Aug 17, 2010 | 5:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I usually leave 15% at restaurants and $1/night in hotels. I tend to leave it on the desk, usually with a thank you, like Braindrain does. I have left spare change on the desk and not had it taken, unless there is a note indicating its for the housekeeping staff.
In restaurants, I used to use the sales tax as my guideline.
In Alberta, you can triple the GST (5%), or in BC, round up on the HST (which is 12%) on the bill. I tip before taxes.
In restaurants, I used to use the sales tax as my guideline.
In Alberta, you can triple the GST (5%), or in BC, round up on the HST (which is 12%) on the bill. I tip before taxes.
Aug 17, 2010 | 8:11 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: YEG - No Particular Loyalty Anymore
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15-20% depending upon service in restaurants and bars.
I leave $5/night in hotels for housekeeping.
$5-10 for bell boys(girls) depending on how much luggage they haul. $20 if I think I'm going to need some future special favour during my stay.
$10-20 for hotel check-in people again if I think I may need future favours (more if I discern the chance for, or am given, a room upgrade)
$2-3 for car valets each time I take my car out.
Airport/rental shuttle people get $2-3 if they help with my bags.
$10 for good tour guides whether walking or on a bus.
I leave $5/night in hotels for housekeeping.
$5-10 for bell boys(girls) depending on how much luggage they haul. $20 if I think I'm going to need some future special favour during my stay.
$10-20 for hotel check-in people again if I think I may need future favours (more if I discern the chance for, or am given, a room upgrade)
$2-3 for car valets each time I take my car out.
Airport/rental shuttle people get $2-3 if they help with my bags.
$10 for good tour guides whether walking or on a bus.
Aug 17, 2010 | 11:07 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 1,573
I/We usually tip $1-5 for the maid depending on how much of a mess I/we make, if we ask for extra stuff (towels), etc. Normally there's a notepad & pen in the room so we'll leave the money on top of a written thank you message (along with any other requests) and leave it either on the desk or night table. We try to tip daily vs the end of the stay because who knows when maids have their vacation days. Tipping daily also occasionally yields us extra nominal freebies like chocolates, bottles of water, etc.
Aug 18, 2010 | 10:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,755
Fwiw my personal rule for restaurants for a meal with good service was 15% or $2 whichever was greater -- I always thought the waitresses in the cheap breakfast diners put more work in than the staff in the expensive restaurants and it never seemed fair that they got much less.