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At the hotel
Before you arrive at a nicer hotel or resort, inquire as to whether gratuities are included in the price of the room. Some hotels are now charging a daily fee that covers all tipping for hotel services. If there is not a daily fee, these rates are appropriate:
Valet or parking attendant - $1-3 is appropriate for parking or returning the car. It is not necessary to tip for parking, but always for returning the car.
Doorman - If he hails you a cab, $1-2. If he helps you with your bags in or out of the car, $0.50-1 a bag. Use $1-2 per bag if he carries them all the way to the room. If he just opens the door, nothing. If he is exceptionally helpful with directions or restaurant recommendations, same as concierge.
Bellman - When he helps you with your bags, tip $1-2 per bag. Give him the tip when he shows you your room. If he just carries the bags to the front desk and then disappears, save it for the person who carries the bags to your room. Upon checkout, tip a bellman who helps with your bags. Tip more for additional services.
Concierge - $5-10 for help with hard-to-get dinner reservations or theater tickets. Tipping is optional for just plain advice. Tipping can be done at the end of the trip or at the time of service, just keep is straight so that you are fair.
Room Service - If gratuity is included, add nothing or $1. Otherwise add 15-20% to the total charge.
Delivery of special items - If you request extra pillows or an iron, tip $1 per item received, minimum $2.
Maid service - $1-5 per day typically, up to $10 per day depending upon how much mess you make. Tip daily because there might be a different maid each day. Leave the tip on your pillow. Err on the side of being generous, and tip on the last day also.
Swimming pool or gym attendant - Nothing, unless you require special services such as extra seating or inflating pool toys; then it is $2-5. If you want the same deck chairs every day, then tip $2-3 per chair beginning the first day.
Hotel maintenance staff - Nothing to replace a light bulb, fix the air conditioning, etc.
Tipping at a Bed and Breakfast (B&B)
Many, if not most B&Bs have a no-tipping policy in the US and Canada. In other countries it varies. It never hurts to tip, but it is definitely not expected, and many B&Bs specifically ask that you do not. Most are family owned and the price they charge covers everything.
The safest bet is to inquire at the specific Bed and Breakfast where you plan to stay before you arrive.
If there is hired housekeeping staff, then tip the same as at a hotel.
Tour guides
Check ahead. If the tip is not already included, give 10-15% of the tour price. No less than $1-2 for a half-day tour, $3-4 for a full-day tour, and $5-10 for a week-long tour. This is a per-person rate. Tip private tour guides more. If the bus driver is particularly helpful with bags, then tip $1-2 per bag.
Boat trip - If the trip is over 3 hours, tip $10-$75 depending upon the cost of the excursion and the quality of service.
Outdoor guides (fly fishing, horseback riding, river rafting, etc.) - 15% of the cost of the service. Some companies have a no-tipping policy. Check when you book the trip.
Private Yacht Charter - Tip the crew 10-20% of the charter fee based upon the quality of service. Hand the gratuity to the Captain for distribution to the crew.
Cruise ships
Many cruise ships have a no-tipping policy. Find out in advance. If you are supposed to tip, find out if it is done at the end of the trip or at the time of service. Oftentimes, at the end of the cruise you are provided envelopes with suggested tip amounts. If you are supposed to tip, budget about $20 per day.
Waiter - $3 per day per person.
Cabin steward - $3 per day per person.
Bus boy - $1.5 per day per person.
maitre d' - Not necessary unless special services provided.
Bar steward - Usually, 15% is automatically added to bill.
Restaurants or bars
If you get awful service, talk to the manager. The manager cannot correct the situation if he doesn't know about it. Skipping the tip will not accomplish anything, and the next poor customer who gets that server will get the same service you did.
If you are buying the meal and someone offers to get the tip, tell them they can buy next time, and you pay the whole thing. This prevents any uneasiness about them seeing the amount of the bill or worrying that they will be stingy on the tip.
Restaurants report a percentage (around 12%) of the gross sales for food and beverage to the IRS for their staff. This means that if you have a $200 food bill and $200 wine bill, the restaurant will report 12% of $400 or $48 as income to the server. In other words, the server has to pay tax on it whether you tip it or not. If the restaurants do not report it accurately, the restaurant and the wait staff get audited by the IRS.
Please don't get hung up on the 12%. It is just a reasonable example. I recommend tipping 10-15% on the alcohol and 15-20% on the food. 10% on the wine is perfectly acceptable. Whether to tip 10 or 15 percent would depend in large part on how helpful the server was in choosing the wine and serving it.
Food server - 15-20%.
Counter service - 15-20%.
Cocktail server - 15-20%. For free drinks in Vegas, tip $1-2 per round.
Bartender - 15-20% or $1 per drink. If at the bar before a meal, settle up with the bartender before you go to your table.
Wine steward - 10% of wine bill.
If a bar has a cover charge, you do not tip on it.
Busboys - Nothing, unless he did something extra special like cleaning up a huge mess. Then give him $1-2.
Maitre d' - Nothing, unless he gets you a special table or the restaurant is full and you had no reservation. Then give $5-10 or more.
Coat check - $1
Restroom attendant - $1
Separate checks - If you want separate checks, ask the server to go ahead and add 18% gratuity to each check.
Musician in lounge - $1-5
Musician that visits table - $2-3 if you make a special request. Optional if he just stops by and plays.
Takeout - If you get good service, in other words, the waiter gets and packages the food, then tip $1-2 or up to 10%.
Drive through - Nothing.
Self-service restaurant or buffet - Nothing unless there is some service. Tip 10% if the server delivers all or part of your meal or keeps your drinks refilled.
When breakfast is included in the price of the hotel room - Estimate the value of the meal by looking at a menu. If there is no breakfast menu, consider the quality of the hotel and the price of an evening meal, then make your best estimate. Your tip should be 15-20% of your estimate.
Teppanyaki chef - 15-20% of the total bill. The gratuity will be split among the wait staff and the chef. |
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Tipping
Most major hotels include a service charge of 10%. Waiters, room service boys, housekeepers, porters, and doormen all expect to be tipped. You won't go wrong if you tip your room waiter Rs. 10 per night. Bellboys and bell captains should be paid Rs. 5 per bag. For room service, tip Rs. 10-Rs. 20. Tip the concierge about Rs. 5 if he gets you a taxi. Railroad porters should be paid Rs. 5-Rs. 10 per bag, depending on the weight. Set the rate before you let him take your bags. Taxi drivers don't expect tips unless they go through a great deal of trouble to get to your destination; but if you hire a car with a driver, tip him about Rs. 50-Rs. 100 per day, depending on the distance traveled. If you hire a local guide, tip him or her Rs. 40 for four hours, Rs. 80 for a full day.
Tipping etiquette in Mumbai's taxis can be somewhat confusing for the tourist. Some drivers demand a tip quite openly, while others are content with the metered or negotiated fare. A 10% tip is generally acceptable. |
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