Confused about tipping
 

We just purchased from Travelzoo vouchers for 4 days at a hotel located in Texas, if that matters. The voucher states "Please tip on the full value of the experience" and the promotional value is given along with the discounted price we actually paid. Whenever I stay at a hotel, I always tip the bellman, the restaurant server(s), the doorman if used, the concierge if used, and I leave a tip for the maid. To whom, where and when do we pay this "tip on the full value of the experience"? and how much is standard? Thanks for educating me!

I imagine that's standard verbiage and applies more to restaurant discounts where they want you to tip the server on the non-discount price of the meal. Groupons all say the same thing.

Yeah - that is boiler plate text. Would say the same thing if it was a hotel, a restaurant, a spa experience -just tip like you normally do.

To further clarify, if you get two meals worth $15 each, but use a coupon to get one of those meals free, you are expected to tip based on the $30 that was the worth of the food you received, not the $15 that you actually paid out of pocket. In other words, you don't tip on what you paid, but "on the full value of the experience."

I understand the restaurant coupon tipping issue. This hotel does not have a restaurant and I think the breakfast is a buffet without traditional servers. It really sounds like they expect a tip on the entire valued amount of our stay because they talk about their hard-working employees, etc., etc., and repeat that we should tip on the valued amount, not the discounted rate we have.

I suppose I sound terribly naive but I experienced years ago a very unpleasant encounter with a restaurant waiter who thought he didn't receive his "fair share." I just don't want a repeat of that scene.

"<i> It really sounds like they expect a tip on the entire valued amount of our stay because they talk about their hard-working employees, etc., etc., and repeat that we should tip on the valued amount, not the discounted rate we have.</i>"

That was <i>boiler plate</i> text. They would include the same on any type of package. I assume you normally tip housekeeping staff - right? Just tip the same per day that you would at any hotel of the same quality.

"It really sounds like they expect a tip on the entire valued amount of our stay because they talk about their hard-working employees, etc., etc., and repeat that we should tip on the valued amount, not the discounted rate we have."

crckwc1on, please reread what the others have written. The language you're seeing on your Travelzoo voucher is a template/boilerplate/form letter that they put on ALL coupons, They do not expect you to tip the breakfast waiters based on on the value of your hotel stay!

" I experienced years ago a very unpleasant encounter with a restaurant waiter who thought he didn't receive his "fair share. I just don't want a repeat of that scene."
That's a different situation. Just because you get a "free breakfast" doesn't mean the waiter of that free breakfast should be stiffed. I don't know if you tipped at all or just not what the waiter thought was enough. Perhaps he was out of line, perhaps you were, but that has nothing to do with the voucher you have now.

Thanks to all. I normally tip restaurant servers 18-20% and maids $5-10/day depending on type of hotel. Anything else I should know?

<<<and maids $5-10/day depending on type of hotel>>>

Yes, you should know that that's a very generous tip!

crckwc1, if everyone were as generous as you I would be a chambermaid. :-)

For buffets I normally tip 10%, for regular meals where they deliver your food, etc. I tip 18-20%.

We routinely tip 20% for good food service and we routinely tip $5.00 per day for maid service so you are hardly alone. And we tip based on the quality of service we feel we received and NOT on what anyone else SAYS or what we "think" the person being tipped is paid and all those other rationalizations currently in use.

No one said $5 wasn't appropriate. That is typically what I tip. But the OP said $5 to <B>$10</B>" which is pretty darn generous IMO.

Wow. That is a big tip for a hotel maid, in my opinion.