The Diamond amenity tip thread got me thinking about tipping the valets.

When valet parking was basically free several years ago, we would always tip $1 or 2 upon getting the car and again upon giving it back - even if we went in & out several times a day.

Now with most hotels, even those in the middle of nowhere, charging from $8-$14 per day for valet parking, well, it makes me think twice about the size of the tip.

For example, at the Grand Cypress we are charged $14 per day for valet parking. We almost always take the car out twice a day - so that's another $8 just in tips. We're paying $22 for parking.

While I don't want to begrudge anyone his means of earning a living - let's face it, shouldn't the hotel pay the valets a bit better now that they're charging for the parkinig? OTOH - I can see how the hotels used to build the price of parking into the room rate and to remain competitive have needed to take it out of the room rate and charge for it seperately.

So, what do you tip the valet when you're also paying for the service?

Mary

In downtown Cleveland, where I'll be the rest of the year, the valet costs about $22. I give them $1 each time I get the car, though I feel that is probably less than they normally get.

The only other parking option is at a garage down the block for $12, but they don't offer in/out.

I'll give a buck at dropoff and pickup.

When I travel with my children, I usually ask for assistance with luggage. I feel uncomfortable when I check in and I give the valet parking guy a tip, the doorman a tip for assistance with luggage, and then the bellman another tip for delivering the same luggage. Depending on the hotel, this can play out the same way on checkout. How do some of you handle this?

When valet is so expensive these days, I give $1 for each movement of the car.

Mary, at Grand Cypress, the self park is very convenient. You can walk from the self park area to a side entrence directly into the Ballrooms/ Conference Rooms floor and take the escalator up to the lobby. I dont see the need to use valet at that location.

I tip $1 each time I pick up the car.

Tummy, if you are at the Arcade, street parking is free on weekends and evenings too although the meters start charging around 7am. sometimes if I have an early morning flight or early morning meeting, I just park in the street and take it before the meters starts ticking.

Thanks for the tip! I never bothered to check when the meters are enforced. I never get up before 7am since I usually work late into the evenings.

Someone else is paying for it and they have not complained about the cost, so I'm going to stick with the valet. Our rates at the Hyatt are about $50 less / night than where the rest of my team is staying so it should be ok.

Thanks everyone. From your replies, it seems that we've been waaay overtipping. No wonder they're always so happy to see us .

Mary

If it is an option I normally self park. Even when I'm on the company dime I prefer to take care of the car myself, and I find valet parking to be a hassle.

When I do valet park I normally tip $2-3 when I pick the car up, and nothing when I drop it off. When I drop it off I often don't even know who is going to park it, so I'm not always even sure who I should tip.

I have just increased my tip to $2 upon pickup, still nothing at dropoff. I found myself lagging others with a $1 tip. I try to be neither high nor low.

Another twist is whether you tip at all if it takes them 20-30 minutes to get your car? I know it is probably not the valet's fault, but...

Also, does anybody have an opinion on my question above about how you tip 3 different people who might handle your luggage from curbside to room?

I'm probably not the best person to answer this since I usually only travel with a rollaboard and maybe a tote bag. But I think that most people would only tip the bellperson who delivers the bags to your room. However, if you have a very large amount of luggage then perhaps its good to tip the other "handlers" also.

PS - I have usually tipped the valet parkers $1 for retreival of the car (probably should increase it to $2).

I only tip the Bellman who comes to my room in that situation. I�m under the assumption that the bell staff gives some of their tips to the valets, or whoever is taking the bags out of the cars and loading the bell carts.

When I was in college and working as a waiter, the servers gave some of their tips to the bussers and bartenders. So I�ve assumed that Valets & Bellmen have a similar arrangement. I�m probably wrong on how this works, but if you tip every person you come in contact with when you first get to the hotel it would cost you $20 just to get to your room

If i'm dropping off bag(s) w/bellman, but will not be immediately going to the room, i tip the bellman when the bag(s) change hands.

These hands are something, ain't it. One time, I had 4 pairs of hands touching my one wheelie before I got to the reception. Unfortunately, I did not have any dollar bill in my wallet. Imagine the look I got from all of them.