How Much Should You Tip At a Hotel?
Even the most seasoned traveler brimming with travel advice can get a bit sheepish when it comes to how to tip, and it only gets more complicated when you think about how many people you may have to tip while staying at a hotel.
Self-Service Hotels
Self-service hotels don’t often require or expect tipping. What exactly is a self-service hotel? They tend to be more modestly-priced hotels where you take your bags to your room, unpack, serve yourself coffee in the morning, and more. Since there’s very little staff, there’s very little tipping.
That being said, if you leave a large mess in your room, it’s nice to leave something for the housekeeper who cleans it up, usually $1-5 per night.
Luxury or Upscale Hotels
These hotels come with a lot more service and more staff to take care of everything you need. All that great service makes it easy to relax. Follow the tipping guide below to make it even easier since you won’t have to worry about tipping the right amount. If you get better service, feel free to tip the higher end, or even go over a little. The staff certainly won’t mind.
Courtesy Shuttle Driver:
$1-2 per person, or, if traveling with a group, $4-5 per party.
Valet & Parking Attendant:
Tip the valet who delivers your car $1-5. Tipping when they take your car to park it is optional.
Bellstaff & Porter:
$1-5 per bag is customary when they escort you to your room. If your bags are heavy or they help prep the room, than tip on the higher end of the scale.
Expect to tip the same if you call up bellstaff when leaving.
Doorstaff:
If they get you a taxi, then tip $1-2. If they help unload your luggage, then tip in proportion to how heavy the luggage is or how many bags there are.
Concierge:
General directions or recommendations don’t generally require a tip. If they make a reservation or get you tickets, then $5-10. If it’s a hard to get ticket or exclusive reservation, then $20-$30.
Housekeeping:
Generally, you should tip $1-5 per night on a daily basis. Leave the tip in an envelope or with a note so there’s no ambiguity.
Special Requests:
Don’t tip for fixing broken items or replacing missing items. But it you request extra blankets or similar requests, then tip $2 for the first item, and $1 per additional item.
Room Service:
Tips 15-20%, just like you would tip a waiter. Make sure to check the bill, since some hotels already add this amount as a room service charge.
(Numbers courtesy of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.)