I wonder if there is any discrete way to inquire about who cleans the rooms, replenishes towels, makes the bed etc. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking the inn keepers if they do it themselves and there has never been one of those empty envelopes with an advance "thank you" from the housekeeping staff. What do you think?

Susan,

Use your common sense. If most travelers used some of the tipping guidelines promoted here, there would be a huge demand for jobs driving taxis and cleaning hotel rooms.

Please don't be cowed into being a spendthrift.

Personally, I tip anyone who goes out of their way for Me when traveling or eating out. That's just MHO.

How odd.

I hope it's okay to come in on this thread for some tipping help also. We are travelling to the US from NZ next month and just wondering when you pay a restaurant bill or similar by credit card do you just tell them to add say 15% on to it as a tip or do you pay the tip in cash. It's a bit confusing for us non-tippers!!!

There is a line for the tip. You write in the amount, do the addition, and sign the receipt.

"when you pay a restaurant bill or similar by credit card do you just tell them to add say 15% on to it as a tip or do you pay the tip in cash"

If you decide to tip in cash when paying with credit card, be sure to put a slash through the tip line and bring the total down to the total line. I have worked with more than one server who has been fired for adding tips on to credit card receipts (needless to say the chances of this happening are slim, but I want to warn you nonetheless).

Wow, I find this sorts of makes the tipping molehill more of a mountain.
I have never tipped to the penny, always averaging up. It is amazing to me that people will calculate an 18% tip on a 19.85 lunch bill. Geez Louise, just give 'em 4 bucks if the service was good.
On the other hand, I often find myself tipping so much in the course of my first day of travel that I am without small bills the first morning at the hotel. Many big hotels have the same staff cleaning the same rooms at least 5 days of the week. I generally travel Tuesday-Thursday and it has been my experience that I generally have the same staff each day. Anyhoo... on that first day, IF I do not have change for a tip and the housekeeper shorts me on something, I WILL NOT tip at all. This is a pet peeve of mine. Services and amenities that I am paying for should not be withheld if I do not tip.
I generally tip 3.00-5.00 a day and I leave fun stuff when I am attending a convention that has a trade floor. I am not sure that they appreciate these things, but I always take things that are cool and leave them on the bed with a tip and a 'Thank you' written on the note pad.
It's amazing what things you get at a convention!

Oh, I forgot to say that my friend told me the other day that he never puts the amount on the bill. He always puts "20%" in the tip area and signs it.
This was something I have never heard of!

What about those people who hover around the sink area of public restrooms to hand you a towel? Are these legitimate service staff or are they squatters? Does anyone "tip" these people?

If the restroom is clean, I leave a small tip.

In some countries (Turkey, for instance) there is invariably a restroom attendant and everybody (including natives) leave a coin for him or her.

tipping housekeeping is a good thing to do. this is usually the only job a person has, it is NOT a 40 hour work week so in order to make enough money to get by, many chambermaids depend on tips.


I used to be a chamber maid on occasion when my friend's family motel was short on help at the end of the summer season at the shore. you can only work so many hours per day because the hotel room is the customers and they have to expect some privacy at the same time give service.

so you should remember your chambermaid. I usually leave at least $2 per night one person, $4 or $5 per night for more than one person.

i do adjust this based on the cleanliness of the room, you should only tip if the room is in good shape, if someone doesn't do their job, there is no need to tip.

With 4 star hotels $5/per person might be more appropriate. I also leave it per night incase staff changes

restaurants 15 to 20% of the bill, before tax. most cell phones have calculators in them now and do the math for you. 20% in resort areas and major cities. but again if the service is BAD, yes i'll leave 10%. i haven't had the nerve to leave zero!

also, if it is a buffet, leave less, 10% would be fine. you serve yourself afterall, serve staff mainly just bus tables. possibly bring drinks....

Not unless I take a mint or use any of their "supplies". Unless I'm at a nightclub or a fancy or super-crowded restaurant, no way. PET PEEVE!!!

In many nicer hotels, a doorman takes your bag from the taxi driver into the hotel for you. After you check in, a bellman (sometimes the same person)then takes the bag up to your room. I tip the bellman who delivers my luggage, but should also I tip the doorman who first helped with my bags?

I had dinner at Sushi Samba in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan last week and went to the bathroom... there was an employee who opened the bathroom door (unisex) and then when I went out he turned on the water, gave me soap and then a towel.
Not cheesy like many but sort of invasive. I gave him 1.00.
He did not seem like a 'bathroom attendant". He was more like a restaurant employee who got assigned bathroom duty.
Anyway, I thought it was a bit odd and uncomfortable.

He was in the bathroom while you used the stall??? Are you male or female? I would have tipped him to leave! How odd. Are you sure he wasn't some pervert off the street who snuck in?

I have never seen anything like it... it was a young guy, maybe early 20's.
I am female.
There were 3 or 4 unmarked doors. It was pretty dark down there, too.
So, I am a bit confused looking at these unmarked doors and he opens one for me.
It was a room with a toilet and trash can. That's it.
I did my thing and opened the door. That's when I noticed a long sink full of river rocks, in the hall. About the time I noticed it, he turned on the water and held out the soap to squirt in my hand.
Then he handed me a towel.
I think they have an attendant because of this odd bathroom situation.
He was certainly not someone off the street. He did not seem to enjoy what he was doing, maybe a little embarrassed. There was a small tip bowl, so I went to the side of the room and fished out some money. I would imagine that many women leave their bag at the table. Had I been with friends, I would have...

I have a question about tipping at B&Bs. Do you tip for services like helping with bags and serving meals where it's the owners performing the service?

For us Europeans the American way of billing is very confusing.Everything is always marked without the tax.Here in Belgium in the shops or restaurants you get the price you'll have to pay.The menu in the restaurants are the price service included.If you get an exceptional good service you can always add something more. In the States we usually leave about a dollar a day.Paul

I have a question for you on tipping. When we went to the Hard Rock Hotel last year we had guys taking our luggae out of our car and putting it on a luggage rack. Another fella finally delivered it to our room. Same for checking out. What would you tip each occasion?