How to Tip a Bellhop

By eHow Culture & Society Editor

Rate: (6 Ratings)

Tip whenever a bellhop provides a service, which might include carrying your luggage, showing you the room, opening blinds, showing you how to operate the air conditioner or putting large pieces of luggage on the luggage stand.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Keep small bills available for the purpose of tipping.
Step2
Let the bellhop carry your luggage, even if it is one small bag.
Step3
Tip the bellhop $5, in a first-rate hotel, plus $1 for each piece of luggage.
Step4
Give the bellhop $5 for opening the room and showing it, even if you have no luggage.
Step5
Make the exchange seamless. The money should be surreptitiously passed in a handshake or small, minor exchange.

Tips & Warnings

  • You don't have to call the bellhop when you check out, unless you want to. If you do, he or she will expect another tip. Tip $2 per bag or a $5 flat tip.
  • The word "tip," which originated in England, was originally an acronym for the phrase "to insure promptness."
  • Be sure to tip as services are provided; don't wait to put the bellhop's tips on your bill.

Comments

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valet4 said

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on 6/11/2008 the comment from psaxeman is wrong and should not have been posted. If you are staying at a hotel that provides a bellman service or any kind of service and you use this service than you should tip on what you feel the level of service that was provided. If you feel the level of service was poor, tip poorly. If you feel the level of service was outstanding tip that way. Tip what you can afford and remember be kind person because even if you can't afford to tip $100, mosttimes the nicest people are treated the best and are REMEMBERED!

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on 6/2/2008 They say the standard for tipping a bellman is 1-2 dollars a bag but dont forget that is solely for handling the bag. I work at a nice hotel and every guest that i help with luggage always gets so much more. Your bellman should be getting you oriented with the your guest room and the hotel, explaining hours of operation of every outlet, notifying you of dining options and the dress codes for those restaurants. If he does all this coupled with the dining reservations he'll probably make for you and fills your ice bucket, the tip should go up significantly. You should never tip less than $5 unless you have one bag and will not be present to recieve the whole service. GREAT SERVICE IS NOT CHEAP!! REMEMBER MOST BELLMAN ARE BEING PAID LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE!! THANKS FOR YOUR GENOUROSITY!!

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on 6/2/2008 If you work at a nice hotel, a bellman is doing much more than carrying your bags! the standard may be 1-2 dollars per bag, but dont forget about the hotel tour and orientation i gave on the way to the room. theres a good chance i made at least one nights dinner reservations after i made you aware of all your dining options and there hours of operation. To top it all off i should have oriented you with your room and filled the ice bucket. The only time anything less than $5 is appropriate is when you have one bag and i run it to the room without you being present. DONT FORGET!! MOST BELLMAN ARE BEING PAID LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE!! GREAT SERVICE IS NOT CHEAP!!

PSaxeman said

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on 6/17/2008 The comment submitted by “Bigtip” illustrates the mentality of a narcissist of low character. The issue I have with the comment is not the argument against tipping, but the suggestion that a hotel employee should “show some skin,” or provide the guest with a “free bottle of wine,” which presumably the employee would have to steal from the hotel in order for it to be free. Basically, as I interpret this comment, minimum wage workers are no better than prostitutes and thieves, and their existence is solely for the gratification of some elitist pig staying at a luxury hotel. If someone feels that not tipping is warranted because of the high price of the hotel room, this is their prerogative, but don’t leave disgusting comments of no informational value on websites that are meant to be instructional. Create your own blog if you feel the need to spew your unimportant opinions.

bigtip said

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on 1/28/2008 I'm sick of all this tipping. I can't believe I even have to look up online how much to tip. What has this world come to? Tip is no longer something you give for something extra, but an obligation. Don't give me all this work of figuring out how much to tip and when and where. Just raise your prices and pay your staff. I'm done with tipping. If the only reason you're nice to me is because of my money I don't need your niceness. If your job is to help, do it with a smile. If you can't do that, get another job. If I pay $200/night for a hotel I expect impeccable service not because I tip, but because I paid $200 to stay there. If you show me some skin or give me a bottle of wine for free I'll give you a tip, but not for simply doing your job.

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eHow Article:  How to Tip a Bellhop

eHow Culture & Society Editor

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