I wish people would stop tipping the bartenders, maids, etc, at these all-inclusives which are expensive as it is! Once people start tipping they workers will expect everyone to. And don't use the excuse-"she gets paid so litte and needs it for her kids". This is where the hotel employer should step in and pay their employees adequately, since they make HUGE profits from charging thousands of $$$, and most are foreign owned large chains. I beleive it is mostly Americans that are doing this tipping as their dollar is so high compared to the Canadians and Europeans.

If you can afford to vacation in expensive all-inclusives, you can certainly afford to give a bit extra to the maid, bartender, bellhops, etc. They DO get paid very little money, and YES they DO need it to support their families. If/when YOU arrange for the hotels to share their "huge profits" with their employees, well then we can readdress the issue. TIP THE HELP!!!

Why should I have to "tip" the bartender everytime I want a drink (which is not that often), yes I do tip the maid and the bellman. I understand it's only us Americans that do it, the Europeans certainly don't I've been told by the staff at one resort. This is certainly a sore point and I'm glad I'm not the only one who aks this question..

if we take reality checks argument to its conclusion if I can afford AI I should just give all the money I would spend on my holiday to those less well off than myself! If you look at what an AI hotel charges and what you would pay if it was room only you will find that we are already more than paying for the service. <BR>Yes its a disgrace that they get paid so little but its not my fault. One reason why they get paid so little is that employees know that their clients will pay their wages anyway. This is also true in the States. Waiting staff are much better paid in the UK( and I DO know what I'm talking about as I have worked behind a bar and the bar trade is in my family) STOP TIPPING and then employers will have to do something. BY continuing to tip you are not helping the wait staff, only their employers.

I'm am surprised having a restaurant background that Fiona still does not support tipping. And in a circuitous way, yes it is your (the customers) fault that the wages remain so low. Because you choose to go to an A-I resort and spend your money there. And the ownership chooses not to pay their help decently. Perpetuates the cycle.<BR><BR>Personally I do not go to overly expensive hotels or all-inclusive resorts. I spend a LOT of time in Mexico and patronize lovely, smaller, family-run hotels and local businesses. And yes I freely and gladly tip waiters, bartenders, taxi drivers, at the launderia, and room maids.

You go to MEXICO!!! I don't know how you go to a place where most people are living below the poverty line! You are just supporting their government who are perpetuating this.

Just a thought: No one tips me and I make nearly poverty level wages with six years of college education. I also have a family to support. However, I do believe that if someone truely gives excellent service and you WISH to tip them, then you should. Don't tip just because you feel you have to. You don't. That's why it's called a TIP!! All inclusives are just that. Usually right on the paperwork it will indicate if gratuities are included. Again, just my thoughts on the subject.

shirley<BR>I agree. Tip if you WISH! We cannot cure all the worlds ills and holidays are a precious escape from stress.I read far too many people agonising what to tip on holiday and wonder just how much it affects their holiday. <BR>

Lets face it there are a lot of reasons here to tip or not to tip but the best reason is that if you are staying at a AI all week or more and you tip reasonably and you are pleasant to the bartender I can guarantee you might not have to wait too long for your next drink and he even may make it special. If you don't tip and have an attitude I would bet you will be last on his list in a busy bar and you can bet he will just splash it together. So the question is do you want to wait for your drinks with low quality or do you want a fresh one before the one your currently have is done. Wake up people !

who said anything about those not tipping having an attitiude? I am always pleasant to wait staff.<BR>do you only tip for selfish reasons? I have found in my experience that the people who tip are the ones with the attitude ie they expect the bartender to jump at will.( I hasten to add I don't mean all tippers, just that the people with attitude happen to be "good" tippers.)<BR>to reality check<BR>it is precisely because I experience in the bar trade in the UK that I do not support the feeling that people MUST tip. As I've already said, bar staff are paid at a much higherlevel compared with the US and customers are not put under the same pressure to make up wages. Remember I'm speaking as someone who worked behind a bar , on a basic salary.

Asking Rhoda~ Why shouldn't we go to Mexico? I don't understand what your point is. Should no one ever travel in a 3rd world country, in your opinion? What do you think it is the government is perpetuating? Living below the poverty line?

Lillian<BR>It was a bit of sarcasm! I was replying to Reality Check and throwing his/her argument back at him/her. as a matter of fact I think we should travel to third world countries. But if you look at Reality Checks theories you would never go as you would spend your time feeling guilty about the poverty.At the moment I am thinking about going to PDC but maybe I shouldn't as most hotels seem to be AI (using Reality Checks thoughts)

Whoa Rhoda! NEVER did I say I spend my time feeling guilty about the poverty, or in any way imply that. And yes I do choose not to frequent A-I high-end resorts because I would rather put my tourist dollar more directly into the hands of local ownership, not mega- or internationally owned corporations. And yes I feel it is appropriate to tip the people who are helpful to me on my vacation. I am female. And FYI there are plenty of small hotels to choose from in Playa that are not corporate owned A-I resorts.

serious Question reality check<BR>please recommend GOOD non AI hotels in PDC. I'm not looking for 5 star but am wanting a little luxury!

'Luxury' is not what you will find in small, Mexican family-owned hotels that are positive for the local economy. I only joined this discussion because I think tipping your service staff is appropriate and important. Go to your PDC A-I, have a luxury vacation, don't tip the staff. Obviously you can't or won't hear what I'm trying to say. Personally I travel in a more moderate, less invasive and disruptive style. To each his/her own.

Reality check<BR>AKA amn''t I wonderful! If you were an icecream you'd ------------ yourself.

Lets see if I get this straight. The wait staff here in the state typically make around $2.15 an hour. The rest depends on their tips. You go to a very expensive elegant restaurant and your bill is well over $100. You know for a fact that the owner made some money off your meal. Do you honestly think that owner is going to take care of that waiter if you don't? Please, this is the reason you need to tip in the states and the reason you need to tip in Mexico. If you really don't see any reason for tipping-stick to staying at Motel 6 and eating at McDonalds

WAH WAH WAH what a bunch of whiners! What is a couple of bucks to you when you are on vacation?!You are still being waited on whether it is all inclusive or not, so if you have good service, tip! If you have rotten service, don't! You probably have enough change in your couch or drawers to tip for your entire vacation. Get over it.

Wah wah wah<BR>you just don't get it do you!!! By tipping the poorly paid staff YOU are keeping them from getting decent wages! The owners know that there are always mugs like you. Restaurants, hotels and hairdressers are notoriously badly paid and isn't it strange that these are the people we tip most of all? People in these occupations in the UK DO NOT get paid $2.15 an hour. There is not the same tipping mentality there. If everyone in the States stopped this tipping mentality the employers would be forced to put up their pay.Still, I don't suppose you will understand this. There have been posts like this in the past where people have tried to explain. When you go to Mexico do you stop and hand out money in the street to poor people?do you go into restaurants in the states and hand out your loose change to poorly paid staff? Where does it stop?

Hey Graham, please explain to all of us useful tippers, exactly what is the tipping mentality in the UK. Having traveled to Mexico many times and having befriended several waiters, the one big complaint is that the Europeans are not only cheap but very rude and would really prefer not to wait on them.