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Original poster

Tipping in America

280 replies

User74893677 · 25/02/2025 00:07

I’m going to New York and Boston at Easter with my children. The flights were a gift but I’m paying for our hotels and obviously food, activities etc.

Ive read that we should tip at least $5 per night for housekeeping. And similar if the hotel looks after our bags before/after check in/out. And generally for pretty much everything - helping take our bags to our room, provide local information etc.

Ive worked out that we will easily spend more than $100 just on tips for the hotel staff alone - for services it’s not customary to tip for here in Europe.

AIBU to consider not tipping for these things? We are travelling on a budget and $100 (or more) is a lot of cash!

I know we will have to tip in restaurants but we’re not planning to eat out much - it’ll be warm so the plan is to buy picnic/take out food for at least two meals a day to keep costs down (also I have the least foodie children in the world and they’re very happy with picnics and take out burritos etc!).

I anticipate people saying that if we can’t afford to tip, we can’t afford America 🫣

OP posts:
DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 25/02/2025 00:21

I hate tipping as a concept - certainly when it's expected/assumed as opposed to a gesture that the client/customer specifically wants to give unbidden for exemplary service.

Before the inevitable accusations of being a tightwad, I'm happy to pay the full cost - which will naturally be considerably higher if required tip income is incorporated into it - but I'm a big fan of being given an actual price for obtaining goods and/or services and not being considered rude if I don't realise that the quoted price was actually a ruse and that the required price was considerably more.

Just like Tesco will happily sell me a tin of beans for the price on the shelf and don't expect me to add a single penny more, as their pricing was already accurate and properly calculated to include all of their costs and desired profits.

However, needlessly awkward and clunky as the system in the US is, that is their culture and their expectation, so I really don't think you can reasonably choose to go there and then just avoid doing it.

It's definitely something that would put me off going to the USA on holiday, in favour of a country that can give accurate prices for goods and services.

But if you DO choose to go there, I really think it's a case of 'when in Rome'.

TappyGilmore · 25/02/2025 00:19

I didn’t tip housekeeping in a hotel, I never really saw anyone from housekeeping so it didn’t even occur to me. Still had perfectly good service. That was four different hotels over a two week stay.

Then when we went on a cruise I tipped housekeeping there because it was completely different, the staff member in charge of our area introduced herself and was present and helpful every day, even offering services as well as responding to our requests.

Original poster
User74893677 · 25/02/2025 00:19

I have to go to sleep but I’m hoping for helpful comments to wake up to!

I understand that wages are low in America.

I do tip here in restaurants. No tip for bad service (this is rare though). 10% if everything is fine. More if someone has been really friendly and helpful. But I only eat out about once a month so it’s not a major expense. I’m expecting to tip 15-20% in any sit down cafes/restaurants we go to.

OP posts:
Original poster
User74893677 · 25/02/2025 00:14

Reugny · 25/02/2025 00:10

You need to tip.

Unfortunately in the US people rely on tips to live. Their minimum wage hasn't risen in over a decade.

If you get the reputation at the hotel of not tipping then expect things not to happen.

It's annoying if you buy drinks at a bar as you have to tip the bar person otherwise no-one will serve you again.

Edited

We won’t be going to any bars… Tbh we also won’t actually need help with taking luggage to our rooms etc. But my experience in America is that saying “no thank you” to offers of help is not popular… But then obviously the expectation is to tip. Which (as a European) I find a bit annoying when I’m tipping for a service I’d rather politely decline in the first place.

OP posts:
Reugny · 25/02/2025 00:10

You need to tip.

Unfortunately in the US people rely on tips to live. Their minimum wage hasn't risen in over a decade.

If you get the reputation at the hotel of not tipping then expect things not to happen.

It's annoying if you buy drinks at a bar as you have to tip the bar person otherwise no-one will serve you again.