10 Tips on Tipping from Travel Advisors
Brought to you by: The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)
Tipping is very much a personal thing. While this guideline will hopefully give you a framework, remember it’s very much up to you – and the service you received.
1. Leave the tip in an obvious location like the dresser or the bed.
2. The average suggested tip amount is $2-3 per day or up to $5 per day if you’re staying at a 4 or 5-star hotel.
3. The tip will vary depending on how many people are in your suite. If you have three or more travelers staying together, increase the tip by $1 per additional person.
4. Valet tipping averages between $3-5 and is presented after the valet retrieves your vehicle. This is customary for any hotel valet, even if parking is included.
5. Bellman should be tipped $1-$2 per bag. You can also tip $5 flat and plan to tip an additional $1 per bag if you’re traveling with a large group. Remember: if your Bellman provided an excellent orientation along the way you should consider tipping more, $2-$3.
6. If you’re staying somewhere that provides butler service, $25-$75 per day is customary depending on the level of luxury in your accommodations. We recommend providing the butler’s tip at the end of your stay in a sealed envelope.
7. Shuttle drive: Always tip $5, especially for short trips to and from the airport. Plan to tip more for longer trips and remember, this is per person. If you have bags, tipping an additional $2 is recommending, adding $1 per additional bag.
8. Concierge: Tipping a concierge is not expected but something savvy travelers always do. A standard $5 per request is customary for concierge tipping. But if the requests are complicated, plan to tip extra!
9. Doorman: If the doorman is just holding the door, a thank you is all you need. However, if the doorman is hailing a cab or helping with a bag $1-$2 per bag is standard. If the doorman is just hailing a cab we recommend $1-$2.
10. Front desk staff: Hopefully travelers will never have to do this because they book with a travel advisor who does all this for them! Untangling a gnarly room situation is not tip worthy, that’s just expected from anyone working the front desk in hospitality. If they re-configure you to be closer to your family or you get an unexpected upgrade, consider tipping with a nice online review.
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