A Guide to Hotel Tipping

travel Tips How much should you tip the porter, concierge, maid and other workers responsible for your stay? With daily fees (parking, gym or the dreaded resort fee) seemingly increasing both in quantity and in amount, it may be hard during your hotel stay to shell out gratuities as well. But traveling is one of life’s luxuries, said the etiquette columnist Karen Cleveland, and it’s important to tip the staff who help make it happen. “My approach in life,” she said, “is if you can afford a service, you can afford the gratuity.

” Many hotel staff earn the minimum wage, Ms. Cleveland said, and tips can add meaningful income. “There’s no downside in being generous in tipping. ” Erika Richter, communications director for the American Society of Travel Advisors, recommends the practice, but notes that “tipping is very much a personal thing.

” Specific amounts should be adjusted depending on the service you receive and the location and type of property where you are staying, she said. Here are hotel-tipping suggestions from frequent travelers, Ms. Cleveland and the American Society of Travel Advisors. SHUTTLE DRIVER Taking the shuttle from the airport or from the hotel to downtown?

Five dollars per person for the driver should cover it. Add a few extra dollars for luggage. PORTER If you are storing bags with the hotel porters before or after your stay, tip a few dollars per bag when you leave them and when you retrieve them, to thank everyone who helped you. If the porter brings your luggage to your room, tip a couple of dollars per bag, or a bit more if they offered orientation information.

HOUSEKEEPER Pushing a heavy cart of cleaning and room supplies, lifting mattresses and bending over tubs and toilets is probably the most physically demanding job in the hotel. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average housekeeper makes $25,000 per year. Ms.

“Cleveland suggests leaving a tip of $5 a day, “the price of a fancy coffee.”