Who is this person and should I be tipping him?
#31
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,265
This is something that bothers me with the American culture too.
Last week, while staying at a Ritz-Carlton, I didn't tip the valet nor the bell man at arrival because I didn't have any cash on me.
When I explained to the valet I would tip him on departure, his answer was that mentioning his name on TripAdvisor would make up for not tipping now.
When the bell man left our suite without a tip, I heard him mumble 'Aw man, this is the Ritz-Carlton, not a Holiday Inn'...
Southern hospitality is what they call that apparently.
Last week, while staying at a Ritz-Carlton, I didn't tip the valet nor the bell man at arrival because I didn't have any cash on me.
When I explained to the valet I would tip him on departure, his answer was that mentioning his name on TripAdvisor would make up for not tipping now.
When the bell man left our suite without a tip, I heard him mumble 'Aw man, this is the Ritz-Carlton, not a Holiday Inn'...
Southern hospitality is what they call that apparently.
#32
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Belgium
Posts: 270
To be honest, most of the Ladies & Gentlemen were really friendly and did their work well! We had quite a nice stay all in all but these two experiences and the fact they blast the AC so hard you have to wear a thick sweater once you get out of your room, will make us stay at another hotel next time we’re in town.
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
To be honest, most of the Ladies & Gentlemen were really friendly and did their work well! We had quite a nice stay all in all but these two experiences and the fact they blast the AC so hard you have to wear a thick sweater once you get out of your room, will make us stay at another hotel next time we’re in town.
#34
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Belgium
Posts: 270
#35
#36
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
This is something that bothers me with the American culture too.
Last week, while staying at a Ritz-Carlton, I didn't tip the valet nor the bell man at arrival because I didn't have any cash on me.
When I explained to the valet I would tip him on departure, his answer was that mentioning his name on TripAdvisor would make up for not tipping now.
When the bell man left our suite without a tip, I heard him mumble 'Aw man, this is the Ritz-Carlton, not a Holiday Inn'...
Southern hospitality is what they call that apparently.
Last week, while staying at a Ritz-Carlton, I didn't tip the valet nor the bell man at arrival because I didn't have any cash on me.
When I explained to the valet I would tip him on departure, his answer was that mentioning his name on TripAdvisor would make up for not tipping now.
When the bell man left our suite without a tip, I heard him mumble 'Aw man, this is the Ritz-Carlton, not a Holiday Inn'...
Southern hospitality is what they call that apparently.
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,398
I have the impression that some major luxury hotels treat their staff very well and have little turnover, although in some of these local labor markets, it must be difficult to find English speaking people who want to work as housekeepers etc.
#38
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Belgium
Posts: 270
The counterintuitive part of that is I often assume, when paying for luxury resorts like FS, that the staff are properly compensated and that's part of the price increase over Holiday Inn. Especially when there is a surcharge for valet (above self-parking), or if parking is valet-only, I don't feel the need to tip a valet.
The problem is I mostly do not know the average parking prices in cities I've never been to and thus don't know if there's already an extra fee being charged for the valet parking.
So I always tip, even though it stings sometimes!