Guide to tipping at hotels

The season of summer vacations is not too far away, and one thing that's useful to know is how much to tip at a hotel. Each trip is a kind of luxury, which is why it's important to adequately award the people who try to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. If you can afford to stay at a hotel, you should be able to show some gratitude. The tip depends on the service, the location and the type of accommodation. Tipping also depends on the country you're in. Here's some useful advice about tipping various types of employees in hotels in Europe:

Driver

There are two options, using a shuttle bus or renting a car with a driver. For shuttles, in Europe it's 5 euro per person, with an extra euro or two for the luggage. For a personal driver, especially if you are the sole user of the car, the tip should certainly be higher.

Bellboy / Porter

When leaving the hotel, your luggage will be stored in special rooms supervised by bellboys or porters. A couple euro per bag is adequate. On the other hand, if the luggage is brought to your room and if you are provided with information about the location, you can always spare some extra cash.

Hotel maid

Most people don't understand how difficult this job is, unless they've worked at a hotel themselves. It's fair to say that not even all hotel employees are aware of how hard it is to do the job of a hotel maid. Pushing heavy carts from one end of the hall to another, turning over mattresses, scrubbing bathroom floors, bathtubs and toilet bowls is no doubt the most physically demanding hotel job. You don't have to clean your room every day, and there's always the DND (do not disturb) sign, but when a hotel maid cleans your room, it's up to you to award the effort. In this case, the tip should be at least 4 to 5 euro. It's not a lot, as a cup of coffee or a glass of juice in any city in Europe costs the same. Always leave the tip in a visible spot (the bed or the nightstand) with a note indicating that it is meant for the maid, as tips are unfortunately sometimes stolen by the room service team. This position is mostly invisible to guests, which is why it is under-appreciated.

Concierge

Regardless of the fact that all information is now available online, this position is still very important at renowned hotels. What the internet can't provide you with is a place in the best restaurants, whereas the concierge always has the necessary contacts. He or she can get you tickets to important games even when you've learned that they're sold out. It's all in knowing the location. Their tip depends exclusively on how much time they spent on you and the information they provided. If all you learned was how much time it takes to travel from point A to point B or if you were only given a map, there's no need to tip.

Reception employee

When a reception worker helps you get a better room than the one you reserved, otherwise known as “an upgrade”, make sure to leave positive feedback on the website or send an email. They can also provide you with useful information and complete numerous tasks for you. Is it not fair, then, to award them too?

hotels

tips

tipping at hotels

bellboy

porter

driver

hotel maid

reception employee