My husband and I are looking into staying at an all-inclusive hotel just south of Cancun. I know that tips are included but I've seen a lot of posts here and on other sites that state that people tip. I'd like to tip, but I wonder what amounts are customary. What do you tip for housekeeping, meals, bartender, cocktail server, spa service, and anything else I can't seem to think of right now? Do you tip housekeeping at the end, or each day? Thank you!

At the bars I tip about $1 for drinks. I figure if I was at a bar that charged for drinks, I'd be paying a lot more just for the drink, not including tips, so $1 for a drink is cheap!
I tip the maids two or three dollars a day, reason being is that I don't know if the same people clean my room everyday, so if I were to leave it all at the end, it may go to someone who has only cleaned my room that last day.
Depending on service I might leave a couple dollars at the buffet restaurants, more at the speciality where you have 'real' wait staff.

Ditto for me, and there is a real difference in the service you get when you tip. Even a few dollars is a lot of money to most of the service people working in the resorts. $2 - 3 per say to the housekeeper (on the days we gave $3, we got amazing towel sculptures -- useless, but nice to look at), $2 or $3 at breakfast and lunch, $4 dinner in the buffets, $5 in the speciality restaurants; $2/day to the guy who lugged the 4 loungechairs through the sand.

Is it the general concensus that tipping should occur at All Inclusives? I was told it is included in the price, but it seems like a lot of people tip. Are these amounts that you suggest specifically for all inclusives? Thank you.

ttt

Any time we have to stay at an all inclusive, I tip as if I were at a regular resort - we use about the same guidelines as BarbaraF does, so I will not bother to list them again.

One thing very few people know is that the workers rarely - if ever - get anything above their (low) salary unless it comes in the form of tips.

are the tips listed per person being served/helped? like drink tipping $1 per drink? restaurant service $4/person or for the table? housekeeping $3/room or based on the number of people in the room? thanks!

My tip is:

DON'T STAY AT AN ALL INCLUSIVE

It is much more fun to fully experience a country and a culture when you travel. One of the best parts of travel is to experience new food, drink and restaurants.

Thanks for the info on tipping at an all-inclusive. I will tip happily - is there a way to get the word out that I HATE to be asked about TIMESHARES? I'd like a button that warns people not to ask me. I walked out of a shop in Puerto Vallarta last year where I was planning to buy some rather expensive art since the sales person started in on the time share thing. NEVER went back to the shop and NEVER WILL.

In ten trips I was almost fooled once but a direct firm Gracias, NO with a big smile on your face is all I've ever needed. You can try all the David Spade nos like Nunca and nyet as well! If they keep talking just keep walking and smiling. They do it everyday and are not personally rejected. Have FUN!