Governator

You're right it is a contentious subject. To be honest I like when I go to Europe and the service is built into the price and I can buy a $3 glass of wine. If that were the case in America, I'd probably go out to eat a lot more often. However, when traveling in a poorer country, there's no denying that a tip to a worker helps them out financially and makes them happy. That tip may enable to buy a little something extra for their child. I have knowledge of just such situation, from my someone who grew up in a third world country and whose mother worked at a hotel.

mlgb

OP, you specifically asked about desk tipping. You didn't like the answer, but for further amplification..those working at a hotel desk and answering your question in English(?)have mostly likely gone to college or university with a degree in tourism (and English) and may in fact be management or aspire to be. Of course they are going to be polite when you offer a tip, but the tip jar is there for a reason...whether you like it or not, it isn't expected and YOU really don't know how it's interpreted by the recipient. Tips left in the room can be misinterpreted as money left behind by accident, and help will be reluctant to take it..another reason for a tip box at the counter. You can leave tips in an envelope with instructions for the management to distribute them..and I agree that leaving a positive comment on tripadvisor is a good way to honor an especially helpful hotel worker.

Tipping in a restaurant is different, especially an upscale one, where 10% is not uncommon. Tipping for baggage handling is also expected (which is why you have to keep your hand on your luggage until you've made sure that the person trying to grab it is not some random helpful local trying to get a tip)>.

Sorry you don't like the answers given here by several people who have traveled widely (and independently) in PERU and South America (multiple times) and may have had some more personal interactions with hotel staff and others in the tourism industry in that country. I think you're making some false assumptions about the social status of the hotel desk staff.

If you want to help especially poor Peruvians, try buying something that they're peddling without haggling, (even if you don't really NEED it); or donate to an NGO. If you haven't done that research ahead of time you can probably ask the helpful person at the desk what a good charity would be and there are also options to donate when you get home. If you take a tour with a local Peruvian outfit, you can also give a small tip to the driver as well as the tour guide, although some companies are very specific that tipping should not be done.

Tipping, remember, is to insure "prompt service" and in Peru you are going to find nearly all service friendly, polite and helpful, whether you've tipped or not. That is the cultural norm (in my experience) throughout much of Latin America)..leaving aside one pushy waiter in Buenos Aires, who must have had too many over-tipping American customers. He insisted that a tip was mandatory, despite service that was pretty bad, (in addition to the mandatory cover charge) and wouldn't let me leave until I had. Probably knew that I wouldn't make a scene (and I heard here on this forum from avrooster that he was out of line).

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