Tipping... how much?

[Kurls76]

Looking for a bit of guidance...

I've read through some trip reports on here and notes on other sites and I don't get a real sense on what the approriate tip is for various services. I do get you should tip as you would anywhere else in the world for good service, but I'm not sure how much is approriate. Is a few US dollars ok, or should it be closer to $5. Also is it ok to tip in USD or should it be in pesos? I don't want to be disrespectful as I know tipping is important so your help would be appreciated.

Can someone help me out with what would be appreciated by the receipient in the following areas:

Housekeeping @ AI resort
Bartender @ AI resort
**Is there anyone else we should be tipping in an AI resort?
Guide on a tour
Tour Driver - not a cabbie (ie from airport to resort or from resort to a activity)
Also if we were to take a cab (which we would probably only do in a pinch as it seems like there are plenty of other easily accesibly ways to travel) do you tip them too?

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom!

Cheers,
Katie

[Libby]

I don't have a lot of experience tipping at the resorts. But certainly, I've seen that tipping at resorts does result in better service. Giving the bartender a good tip might get you stronger drinks, better booze, prompt service, and offers to make more complicated drinks like mojitos and caipirinhas. Tipping housekeeping might result in a well-stocked mini-bar and prompt attention to special requests.

You may also want to tip the bellhop, and restaurant and drink servers. I'd say $1-5 per service is appropriate. If you think you'll be using the services of a specific person, say a bartender, quite a bit, then a nice tip ($5-20) when you first get there will get their attention and ensure good service the rest of the week.

We tip tour guides 10-15%.

You don't need to tip cab drivers. It's included in the cost of the trip. However, if you have a lot of luggage, you might want to tip a little for that. Most of my cab rides cost $18 pesos and I just round off to $20 pesos.

Tipping in US dollars is okay. It means a trip to the currency exchange and they lose a little in the transaction, but most others will also be tipping in USD. Recently, when the US dollar lost value, they weren't so crazy about USD, but it's doing better now.

Hope that helps a little. Will be interesting to get other opinions. Have a great trip!

[Kurls76]

Thanks for the great info Libby, that certainly helps out a lot!

I'm lovin this board - so friendly!

[LBelle]

Hi there. Here is a list of what we usually tip when staying at AI's:

Baggage to room (at hotel, on arrival): $5
Transfer bus to and from Airport: $5 each way

Maid: $3-$5/day
Bartender: $5/day for day and $5/day for night
Breakfast and lunch buffets: $1/Dinner buffets: $2
A La Cartes: $5

We will also usually tip a pool cleaner/grounds maintenance/beach cleaner here and there. They are hard workers and almost always overlooked from what we see. I gave a pool kid $10 last year after I watched him clean the pool every morning and he was just beyond thrilled!!!

Generally we budget in about $200 for tips. They make so little and are so appreciative of anything they get to top up their wages. But everybody differs on tipping. Just wanted to let you know how we do it.

Have a great trip!

[Kurls76]

I appreciate your thoughts, thanks for posting!

[DavidB]

LBelle hit it just about right on. The only thing I would add would be to do the tipping for the bartenders and maids on a daily basis. We use to just tip the maid at the end of the week but sometimes it would be a different maid on that day. Now we tip daily to avoid that.

[LBelle]

Oooops! Sorry. I guess I should have written that too, David. You're right! We always tip each day. I actually pre-make daily tip envelopes to leave in the room for the maid each morning and tip the bartenders with the 1st drink of the day and the 1st of the night. Also at each meal.

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by LBelle

I actually pre-make daily tip envelopes to leave in the room for the maid each morning

Now you sound like my wife.

[LBelle]

Originally Posted by DavidB

Now you sound like my wife.

So...she must be another wonderfully, cool and organized person too!!!!

[rodman]

Some places will have envelopes that the housekeeping crew will use for their tips....I won't call them maids, as many times, there are guys making up the rooms also... If you don't get a tip envelope, leave the cash on the pillow...they are instructed not to touch money elsewhere in the rooms, unless they are banditos and will steal you blind!(That would be bad for business, and cause a lot of problems)
The comments above about pricing is great, it's just too bad not enough people do it. We work in the hospitality industry here in the US, we get it. Many don't....

[Mofi]

And if their is any entertainment staff, that absolutely make your vacation one of the best ever, please tip them! They work the longest hours, and don't get paid all that much.

[Tony&Cheri]

Originally Posted by DavidB

Now you sound like my wife.

Haha. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as organized as Tammy!!

~Cheri

[LBelle]

Originally Posted by Tony&Cheri

Haha. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as organized as Tammy!!

~Cheri

That's because you haven't met me!!!!! I'm, how does everybody put it.........anal!!!

[Jobob]

While on the resort we nearly always tip in US$ unless we have peso change. Off the resort we pay with pesos.
Where we stay we have turndown service in the evening so it's $2 in the morning $1 in the evening. Breakfast and lunch waiters generally will get a buck or two depending upon the service. Dinner buffet we'll often have two waiters and so long as the dishes are removed and wine glasses kept full whoever waits on us gets $2 or $3. At the specialty restaurants we'll give $5 per waiter, again depending upon service. The headwaiter for the section will get $10 about every 5 or 6 days as he gives us excellent service. Same waiters the past 4 years so they know us and what we drink. And we look forward to chatting with them every evening. We don't have to go to the bar for our drinks so we give the drink waiters a few $ every couple nights. We've developed a real friendship with the resort piano player whom we've now known for 5 years and bring down lots of music for him. Last year he gave us a cd of him playing. The doorman gets $5 or $10 before we leave, depending what he's done for us and we make sure we give the Animacion Team $20 at the end of our stay to buy some beer.
As we don't drink much from the room fridge other than water we leave a buck or two in the fridge every few days. If there's room service of any kind it's a buck.

[Kurls76]

I appreicate everyone's help... I'll definitely be making daily envelopes before I go, nothing like being prepared!