When staying at a luxury 5 star hotel, knowing how much to tip hotel staff like the valet can be tricky. Unlike restaurants where tip amounts are more standardized, tipping at hotels can vary based on the service and location. Following proper tipping etiquette is important to show your appreciation for good service.
Typical Valet Tipping Amounts
For valet parking services, the standard tipping amount is $2-5 per car when the valet parks or retrieves your vehicle. Here are some general valet tipping guidelines:
- Tip $2-3 for basic valet parking service
- Tip $3-5 for extra service like covering your car with a tarp during rain or quickly retrieving your vehicle when you’re in a hurry
- Tip more for luxury, vintage, or high-end vehicles that require extra care
- Tip when the valet parks your car and again when they return your car to you
- Tip cash directly to the valet who services you rather than the valet stand
So at a 5 star luxury hotel, tipping $5 per interaction with the valet is considered an appropriate amount. If the valet provides exceptional service, tipping $5-10 or more per service is a nice gesture. However, you certainly don’t need to overtip – $2-5 per valet interaction is fine.
Other Factors That Impact Valet Tipping
While $5 per valet interaction is a good baseline, several factors can impact how much you should tip hotel valets:
Length of Stay
For longer hotel stays of several nights, you may want to tip slightly less per service since you’re a repeat customer. $2-3 per valet interaction rather than $5 is reasonable for multi-night stays.
Number of Bags
If the valet helps unload a lot of luggage from your vehicle, tipping extra for the additional effort is customary. An extra $1-2 on top of the standard per service tip is appropriate.
Group Size
For larger travel groups with multiple rooms and cars, tip according to the number of services provided rather than by person. For example, tip $5 for parking each car rather than per person in the group.
Holidays and Special Events
During peak times like holidays or special events, valets deal with a high volume of cars. Tipping at the higher end of the range like $5 per service helps show your appreciation for their hard work.
Weather Conditions
Inclement weather like rain, snow, or extreme heat can make a valet’s job more challenging. Consider tipping an extra dollar or two per service if the valet braves poor weather to park and retrieve your car.
Service Quality
For exceptional, above-and-beyond service from a helpful and friendly valet, tipping $5-10 per service or more is a great way to reward their efforts. Likewise, reduce tips slightly for mediocre service.
Locale Customs
In some locales, especially overseas, tipping customs may vary. Research what’s considered standard valet tipping for the destination. When in doubt, ask hotel staff what’s customary.
Should You Tip the Valet Every Time?
It’s appropriate to tip the valet every time they park or retrieve your vehicle. Avoid situations where you’re tipping the stand but not the specific valet assisting you. Direct cash tips ensure excellent service throughout your stay. Here are some tipping scenarios:
| Scenario | Tip Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Valet parks car upon arrival | Tip $2-5 when giving keys to valet |
| Different valet returns car | Tip $2-5 to valet who retrieves your vehicle |
| Same valet parks and retrieves car | Tip $2-5 each time for the service |
| Multi-night stay | Tip every valet interaction, even repeat valets |
The key is to tip whoever directly assists you, rather than skipping tips or just tipping once. This encourages excellent service from every valet during your hotel stay.
Pre-Tipping
Some guests prefer to pre-tip upon arrival for the full stay. This ensures the same valets receive your generosity. However, the preference is still to tip per service. Tipping each time better motivates consistent good service daily.
Tipping the Lead Valet
If you have a lead valet who organizes the services, provide an additional tip at the end to show your appreciation. An extra $20-50 tip given to the lead valet at checkout is a kind gesture.
How Valets Split Tips
When you tip a valet directly, they may share a portion with other attendants. However, etiquette dictates that the valet who parks or retrieves your vehicle keeps the majority of the tip. Here are typical valet tip splitting practices:
- The valet who assists you keeps 75-90% of the tip
- 10-25% goes into a tip pool split among other valets on duty
- Lead or head valets who manage services receive a portion of the tip pool
Policies on tip pooling vary by hotel, but tipping indivdual valets is ideal to reward those who give great service. Let the valets determine distributions rather than trying to tip the pool directly.
Other Hotel Staff to Tip
In addition to the valet, tipping other hotel staff for excellent service is customary. Here are typical tip amounts for other hotel services:
Bellhops
Tip $2-5 per bag carried to or from your room, more for heavy bags. Also tip for other luggage services like bag storage.
Housekeeping
Leave $2-5 per night for housekeepers. Tip daily rather than at checkout since multiple staff may service the room.
Concierge
Tip $10-20 for special services like making reservations or arranging transportation. Tip more for extra effort or difficult bookings.
Room Service
Tip 15-20% of the total room service bill. Tip when signing the bill rather than upon delivery.
Shuttle Driver
Tip $2-5 for airport shuttles or other shuttle services arranged by the hotel.
Polite Ways to Tip
How you tip is just as important as the amount. Here are some pointers on politely providing tips:
- Directly hand cash tips to the specific staff member when possible
- Be discreet when tipping to avoid flaunting money
- If you can’t tip in person, leave tips in envelopes clearly marked with the recipient’s name or position
- Tip at the completion of the service or your stay rather than beforehand
- Say “Thank you for your excellent service” when tipping so staff understand your gratitude
- Avoid giving unsolicited advice on how staff should split or use tips
Tasteful tipping etiquette demonstrates your class and appreciation without being ostentatious.
Tip Alternatives If You Can’t Tip
In some cases, you may not be able to provide cash tips, like if you don’t have small bills on hand. Here are some alternatives to tipping with cash:
- Add tips to credit card payments by specifying an amount – this ensures tips go directly to staff
- Tip in local currency if traveling abroad and you don’t have the proper bills
- Check if the hotel allows adding tips to your room charge to be paid at checkout
- Exchange larger bills for smaller denominations at hotel front desk to use for tipping
- Use an ATM to get cash for tipping – avoid big withdrawals that flash large bills
- As a last resort, tip with gift certificates, gift cards, or nibbles from the minibar if you have no other options
With some preparation, you can ensure you have proper cash or alternative tipping methods available during your hotel stay.
Tip Reporting
Some hotels now include automatic gratuity charges on bills or have tip reporting procedures. Here’s what to expect:
- Tip amounts may be automatically added to room service bills
- Bellhops or other staff may ask you to sign tip reports detailing tips provided
- Front desk may request tipping feedback to improve service
- Policies help hotels report tips for tax purposes and equitable staff distribution
Don’t be offended if asked to report tips you provided. Hotels simply want to create transparency and meet reporting requirements.
Conclusion
At upscale hotels, $5 per interaction is a great baseline tip for helpful valets who make your stay more convenient. Adjust tips based on additional services, length of stay, and overall service quality. Tip proactively and politely to show your appreciation. With proper etiquette, tipping can ensure an outstanding hotel experience.