How much to tip and how do you stack up as a tipper? What looked like the definitive advice crossed my desk (or shall we say computer) with an email from etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore, founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach and author of Poised for Success: Mastering The Four Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Professionals.
One question in particular I always had was where to leave the tip for hotel housekeeper who is working harder than ever these days having to make ever deeper and heavier mattresses. Tip from Whitmore ,
“When I travel, I leave $2-$3 a night. I place the money in an envelope on the bathroom counter marked, “Housekeeping – Thank You!”
Here are her recommendations on who to tip and how much when traveling:
Airports
Taxi drivers: 10 to 15 percent of the bill.
Car service: 20 percent of the bill. In some cases, the tip is included. If you’re not sure, ask.
Shuttle drivers: $1 per bag.
Skycaps: $1 to $2 per bag. (Note from Karen: I also try to always use the curbside checkin staff and tip them $2 per bag; if no one uses them they’ll go away like a lot of other services)
Hotels
Doorman: $1 to $2 per bag for moving your bags from the car to the bell cart. Tip $1 to $2 dollars for hailing a taxi for you.
Bellman: $1 to $2 per bag and $1 to $2 for every delivery to your room.
Concierge: $10 or more for special services such as securing you a hard-to-get reservation to a popular restaurant.
Housekeeper: Tip $2 to $3 per night, add an additional $1 to $2 for special requests. If you have the same housekeeper throughout your stay, place the money in an envelope labeled “Housekeeping” at the end of your trip and leave it in a location where it can be easily seen, such as on a pillow. If there are multiple housekeepers, tip each day.
Room service: 15 to 18 percent of the bill before taxes. Tipping is optional if a service charge is included in the bill.
Valet: $2 to $5 each time an attendant retrieves your car.
Spa service: 15 to 20 percent of the bill.
Restaurants
Coatroom attendant: $1 to $2 per item.
Maitre d’: $10 to $100 depending on the restaurant, occasion and level of service you expect. Present the tip before you sit down at your table.
Wine sommelier: Gratuity is optional but recommended for extremely attentive or helpful sommeliers. A tip of 5 to 10 percent of the wine charge is appropriate.
Restroom attendant: 50 cents to $1 for handing you a towel or if you use any products displayed on the sink.
Note that this is in the USA; be sure to check what the protocol is overseas. For instance, I was just in Iceland and assumed I should tip 5 or 10% for good service as in Spain, France, etc, but our hosts said “no tipping” since the locals don’t do it.
What do you think of these guidelines?
13 Responses
the reason one tips is the origin of the word TIPS…. if you do not know this anagram and how to use it, you show signs of an inferior social education…. I will enlighten you for a modest sum…..love from she who knows…..
Hi Karen,
Thank you for this very comprehensive list. I think every traveler should have a laminated copy inside their suitcase.
~Josie
PS: Miami has always intrigued me since the early 90s when I attended a conference there and stayed in South Beach. What a wonderfully happenin’ place! Sexy, cosmopolitan, and diverse.
Thank you. Time for a revisit and now you know where to look for the best things to see and do here!
Tips are an absolute minefield when you’re travelling. Especially in the US when people seem to expect it – I’ve sometimes wondered if someone was expecting something in situations where it wouldn’t have occurred to me to tip! So this is a useful guide – thanks.
Thanks for the useful post. It’s good advice to leave money for housekeeping each day, rather than the end of your stay, as I used to do. It’s more fair, and might give better service. And always good to be aware of tipping customs in the country you’re visiting.
Good advice about leaving the tip each day, thanks.
It doesn’t show up in your chart, but I think that people who have worked in service are likely to be better tippers too. I also wonder how many people tip hotel housekeepers. Have a feeling it’s not most.
That’s an interesting question about housekeepers. Love to read an article, an interview with hotel housekeepers.
So interesting to see the graph of who tips. I notice smokers are some of the better ones – wonder about that psychology? As an American tourist this helps me.
Who and what to tip always boggles the minds of a tourist because the customs and expectations vary from place to place.
We recently went to a Japanese restaurant in NYC and at the bottom of the menu, there was a note that said something like, “We pay our waitstaff a decent living wage and as is the custom in Japan, don’t think you should leave a tip.”
How refreshing!
Most of the time, I err or leaving generous tips when we appreciate help or service.
I recently wrote an article on tipping when traveling: http://www.nextavenue.org/new-rules-tipping-when-traveling/
Best, Irene
This is a great guide for USA – I’m sure things have necessarily adjusted upward in many cases from earlier recommendations. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, you wouldn’t be caught dead not leaving a tip. But, we do know that it’s not always customary and sometimes insulting depending upon where you are in the world. It’s always good to consult.
Excellent post! Nice to have all of the possibilities in one place. I think because we appreciate food and how hard restaurant folks work that we constantly over tip and I’m ok with that.
Someone just told me last night there’s a movement on in California to increase waiters’ wages and eliminate tips. Have you heard about that?