Tipping at checkin for better room
 

Next month we will be spending 19 nights in Italy in 6 different hotels, all Marriott and Hilton properties on points. DH is Platinum with Marriott, Diamond with Hilton. In the US we generally have to ask for upgrades but often get them, even when it's a free stay. Occasionally they have already upgraded us when we arrive.

Some TripAdvisor reviewers of the hotels we're using have commented that they got upgrades, some others who stayed in the same hotels have said that Italian hotels seem to disregard hotel status and they got nothing - sometimes not amenities like free internet they should get anyway and sometimes even when they were paying for the room. Some posters felt that larger rooms or upgrades depended on the mood of the desk clerk that day, how they felt about Americans, etc.

I read on another forum (Flyertalk?) that some people tip (bribe?) the registration desk person who checks them in, simultaneously asking for a "nice room." There was no information on whether this worked or how much to tip.

Has anyone tried this in Italy? With what results? If so, what would be a reasonable "tip"? We would hate to toss out a couple hundred bucks with no results or offer too little and insult the desk clerk. I was thinking maybe 20-30 EUR, depending on the length of the stay, but I have no idea what would actually be reasonable. I thought we might try it for the first 5 nights in Rome and if it worked, we'd try again at other hotels.

In Europe it's customary to view the room prior to accepting it. Perhaps this is not true of large chain hotels. Any time I thought the room was not acceptable I asked for a different room at the same rate. When you check in ask for the upgrade (ask if this is the best room at the rate you're paying). I would NOT have Euros in my hand when doing this. If you feel that you have been given a nicer/better room you can give the desk clerk who helped you an envelope and tell him/her that you appreciate his kindness. I've never tipped desk clerks for giving me better rooms and never felt the need to do so. Their job is to help guests.

Would you try to bribe someone at home in the USA? Well that's exactly what you are contemplating. I've traveled to Italy many dozens of times on business, and never heard of such a practice. This sort of patronising attitude, where some Americans seem to regard the rest of the world as some sort of inferior "banana republic" where they can get what they want by throwing their money around, is generally not well received in Europe. You may find a corrupt hotel employee, but most people would be shocked and embarrassed to be on the receiving end of this sort of crass behaviour.

I wouldn't dream of doing that.
People do not tip in Europe as they would in the US. I think they would be very offended if you offered them a bribe for a better room. I have never heard of anyone doing this.

If you are not happy with your room, if it is not the room you have booked, ask them for another room. But do not ask for a suite if you have booked a standard double.

Tipping may or may not get you an upgrade and how will you know if you don't see the first room offered. If I don't like a room I'll ask to see another. Tips are for services rendered beyond the usual so if the 2nd room offered is clearly an upgrade that would be the time to offer a modest tip if you feel so inclined. Before the fact is clearly a bribe and I think most self-respecting hotel employees would not be impressed.

polly, it would be a bit "off" to do what you suggest (well more than off), if you don't like the room ask for another, if you look at tripadvisor you can get an idea if a particular floor is unpleasant. If you want guidance on tipping then there are a bunch of thread on the subject on this site.

Horrible idea. If you like your room - great, if not ask for a different one.

(and if you did try this - whether the employee accepted the €€ or not - you'd be the butt of the entire staff's jokes behind your backs)

I would love to hear an Italian's point of view on this.

Generally, I feel that Americans tend to impose their own tipping culture in Europe. I'm European, and do not know anyone who would offer money at check-in for a better room.
Is this something that I should do when in New York, for instance?

I have never tipped for an upgrade and never would. I have asked politely many times and have often received an upgraded room for no charge or a minor charge ($5 to $10 a night).

This usually works the later you are checking in, the longer you are staying and the larger the hotel, as they have more room options. Being a member of the hotel's loyalty program can help even if you haven't reached the automatic upgrade level.

The best thing you can do is to be pleasant and friendly; you will receive pleasant and friendly service in return.

Ugh.

No, Tulips, I wouldn't do it in NY or probably anywhere else in the US, ever, with one possible exception. Las Vegas. LV was famous (infamous?) for the up front "tip" maybe 20 years ago, especially at cabaret-type shows where if you didn't slip $20 to the person who seated you, you likely would get a table at the back of the room. Also some people tipped the maitre d' in nicer restaurants to get a "better" table. Not sure about now because I have only been to Vegas once in the last half a dozen years or more and then only to see reserved seat shows.

Nor would I have thought of doing it in Italy except for several comments on an Italian tipping thread on Flyertalk. Obviously some frequent flyers are doing this, though they didn't give to much information on whether they achieved the desired results. I have always felt that doing this was a "bribe" (which I did refer to it as in my original post) but wasn't sure if it might be something I should consider in Italy, since remarks by some hotel guests indicate that they were treated quite well but others indicated that since they were staying on points, they were treated brusquely and given virtual coat closets and told that was all they could expect for a free stay. Considering how small European hotel rooms are in the first place, I'd like to avoid the coat closet.

Those comments about tipping for a better room were probably from Americans.

Even when booking with points, is there not a choice of rooms (ie more points, larger room?). If you are not happy with your room, ask if there is another room available. If the hotel is full, they will not upgrade you. If you ask politely, they may well do so, if there is a room available.

BTW, I did check the tipping threads here (though Italy only, not Europe as a whole) and since I did not find this particular issue addressed, I thought I'd ask. We do ask for another room if the one they assign us is not acceptable, but that doesn't always give results.

I do know that in many European countries it is expected that tourists (Americans?) tip more than the locals. One experience that particularly sticks in my mind is some years ago in Old Town Rhodes when DH and I stopped for ice cream one night at an outdoor cafe; when we gave the waiter the money for the bill, he never returned with change (and we never saw him again), thereby giving himself about a 25% tip, considerably more than we would have left. I assume he figured this was okay to do with Americans.

We are polite and friendly and make every effort not to be "ugly Americans", to avoid seeming patronizing, and I think we are generally successful. But that seems to work better in some countries, in some parts of the US, than in others.

Cathinjoetown, your experience with upgrades is the opposite of mine. At least in the US, we find we are more likely to get an upgrade for a shorter stay (I figure because they have more nights/chances to sell the more expensive room) and if we arrive earlier in the day when there are more rooms not yet assigned/sold.

Polly,

You may be right about shorter stays, the upgrades for longer stays stick in my mind because I used to have 5-7 days on business trips to London and Paris and had great luck with hotels in both cities.

But for certain I had memorable upgrades on late check-ins because fairly often only suites or "superior" rooms, etc. were left.

Well, a friend of mine is the owner of a 5 stars hotel in Forte de' Marmi, but she spends time at the reception and if you do not know her personally you would never guess she is different from the other reception ladies as she actually owns the place. She once told me the story of a rich Russian customer that tried to bribe her into giving a discount....

Polly this is a bad idea. Really bad.
As for the waiter not returning with your change, that has happened to me here (Canada) and in the States as well on more than one occasion. I just ask them if they forgot to bring my change and would do the same in Europe. It should be up to you to leave a tip or not no matter where you may be.

I have had really good luck in Europe with being given upgrades, but they weren't in chain hotels and I didn't ask for them. I don't like chain hotels personally and really do not want to stay in them in Europe, but I understand others wanting to if you have points etc. I think you should just expect the experience in them (the European versions of Marriott etc) may not be the same as in the U.S. I would do as others here have suggested and ask politely if there is another room if you find yours totally unacceptable. (keep your money in your wallet)

We usually save our hotel points for European cities (and NYC, SF) as long as the chain hotels aren't in totally impossible locations - resorts out of town, for instance - because they buy you more expensive rooms. Also, it's less likely you'll end up on an ancient mattress, something that becomes more important when you get to be our age; we paid a couple hundred dollars a night in a very basic hotel in Bruges a few years ago and paid another price in back pain for three days. We've had good luck with free rooms in Marriotts and Hiltons in London many times, also in Paris, Brussels, etc. once each, but because of the very mixed reviews I've read on the hotels we're using, I'm somewhat less optimistic. Another reason we use chains more as we get older is that an occasional medical medical event can force you to cancel a trip at the last minute; it's much easier to cancel chains - and you don't lose a deposit. We used to prefer smaller, local places when we were younger and more resilient.

I can see how you might be more likely to get an upgrade when checking in later if the hotel is not full - or sometimes if it is. In one case, using points for the Marriott in Cairo, we got a spectacular upgrade on the cusp of the high season after flying back from Luxor very late one night. They sold all their cheaper rooms and put us in the suite where the US Secretary of State had stayed the week before, complete with a huge living room, a dining room with a table suitable for board meetings, a full kitchen, two baths, 4 balconies overlooking the Nile. We took photos and then used only the very large bedroom the next 3 days.

We're not expecting something like Cairo again in this lifetime. Would just like to not to be able to measure the room with a 10 ft. tape measure I carry in my purse - and open the door without having it hit the bed - as in one room in NYC in a "boutique" hotel at 48th and 7th Av. But even if it's a hotel you've stayed in before and think you know pretty well, there's always a not-so-great room you can wind up in.

>>>Considering how small European hotel rooms are in the first place, I'd like to avoid the coat closet.<<<

I don't find most of the big chain hotels to be much different than in the states. If you have status (and it appears your DH does) you should be given a room on the club level where you have access to extra amenities.

Polly, like you, we travel using Hilton and Marriott points and usually have good rooms, a/c, and a good night's sleep, not to mention the fact that it makes the trip less expensive all the way around.

We are using hilton points in italy, this spring and are hoping for a nice room too.

We do not tip.I agree with the fact that I think it is a Vegas type of thing. One time, DH tipped a bell hop at the Atlantis in the Bahamas for my 40th birthday and for 400 extra dollars (that was one hundred per night), we were given 20th floor ocean front suite. It was really spectacular, and must have been some big time gamblers room, but he had this bellhops name from someone else prior to the trip for the extra tip upgrade. And the Atlantis is basically Vegas on a beach.
We gave a marriott front desk man an extra 20 after checking in and was given a room, because he was extra helpful and comped us free parking in lieu of the breakfast that was not offered to us as platinum members, plus some spa discounts and such. We both thought he went out of his way to set us up for a nice trip and so DH went back and gave him 20. We did not ask for anything, but he was very kind to us. We did have a nice room assigned to us too and it was a holiday week.

Going to Europe, I assume we will get a decent room, but I don't expect we will tip ahead of time. I agree that overtipping is an american thing and may be taken as pushy and obnoxious and will probably get you not much more than a laugh behind your back, but who knows. I say smile and if the room is a box, ask for something else. As Platinum and diamond, you should be alright in getting a decent room.