Tipping in Hotels

[UKJERRY]

Can anyone advise me of the best way to tip the staff in the Hotels in the DR? I have read of people leaving make-up etc for the maids, but is this how they would like to be tipped? is it better to simply leave a tip in pesos/dollars or are certain things hard to buy in the DR?
I would not wish to belittle or offend any member of staff by assuming that it is better to tip in nail varnish!
Many thanks....

[Music]

We have had this debate on the board about leaving gifts before.
But really you should leave money as a tip!! I always make sure to have a lot some smaller bills (american) so I can tip with!

Originally Posted by UKJERRY

Can anyone advise me of the best way to tip the staff in the Hotels in the DR? I have read of people leaving make-up etc for the maids, but is this how they would like to be tipped? is it better to simply leave a tip in pesos/dollars or are certain things hard to buy in the DR?
I would not wish to belittle or offend any member of staff by assuming that it is better to tip in nail varnish!
Many thanks....

[UKJERRY]

Originally Posted by Music

We have had this debate on the board about leaving gifts before.
But really you should leave money as a tip!! I always make sure to have a lot some smaller bills (american) so I can tip with!

Thanks for your reply, I have searched back though many pages and found the answers!

[jrzyguy]

I generaly leave a few hundred pesos when i leave for the maids. I have been told this is being generous for a 10 day stay...i just never feel i leave enough. I guess its good since most of the guests are either euro or canadian....and lord knows they are bad tippers (hate to say it...but i was a waiter for YEARS....no offence to my bad tipping euro's and canadians :-)

I DO however brings lots of other things to give to people when i am there. I bring NYPD t-shirts and yankees or red sox caps and some football clothing as well....stuff people can not find there as well as some good blue jeans....oh...and fresh designer underwear. But there are more things for some of my more unfortunate friends there.....I dont think i would feel right giving a maid trinkets. perhaps trinkets WITH a nice tip. Last trip i gave named NYC keychain to my favorite motoconcho.....as well as a tip. It was my way of letting him know that i think of him when I am still in nyc.

So personalized gifts are cool.....but i think money is preferred (unless u stay at the same place over time and can personalize gifts).

just my 3 pesos

jj

[Tor]

Instead of leaving the tips in the room when you are leaving, I think it's better to leave a small tip fks. 20 pesos on the pillow every morning. In that case you also know that it's the maid that acktually clean your room that's getting the money.

[charlie_ocs]

I will be coming out to the DR on the 9th of October to an All Incusive hotel in La Romana, I am also curious about tipping the hotel staff so this thread has been useful.

However, having never been on all inclusive holiday before - we are unsure if we should be tipping the waiters etc at the end of a meal.

Also, coming from Scotland - we have just bought all of our currency in US Dollars as we'd read on another website that these are widely used and also the shops etc in the hotel complex have everything priced in US dollars.

Should I perhaps get some DR Pesos aswell??

Any help would be much appreciated.

Charlie
x

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by jrzyguy

I generaly leave a few hundred pesos when i leave for the maids. I have been told this is being generous for a 10 day stay..

just my 3 pesos

jj

A "few" hundred (100-300?) in total when you leave after 10 days or 100 a day when you leave for the day?

I have to say 10-30 pesos a day is really really inadequate if you mean the former. That is a tip of 17-51 cents a day on a room of what $40 plus taxes? 50-100 a day is reasonable - $1-$2 a day is North American hotels is the same and they are as horribly paid relative to the cost of living as Dominican maids are.

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by charlie_ocs

However, having never been on all inclusive holiday before - we are unsure if we should be tipping the waiters etc at the end of a meal.

Also, coming from Scotland - we have just bought all of our currency in US Dollars as we'd read on another website that these are widely used and also the shops etc in the hotel complex have everything priced in US dollars.

Should I perhaps get some DR Pesos aswell??

Question 1: YES, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes
Question 2: Yes, just don't overdo it and change US to RD$ outside the hotel if you can as they are famous for clipping guests with lousy rates.

Unasked Qustion 3: Tip the maids too and more than peanuts. $1-$2 a day or the equivalent in pesos.

[charlie_ocs]

Question 1: YES, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes
Question 2: Yes, just don't overdo it and change US to RD$ outside the hotel if you can as they are famous for clipping guests with lousy rates.

Unasked Qustion 3: Tip the maids too and more than peanuts. $1-$2 a day or the equivalent in pesos.

Thank you for the advice.

This may sound like a silly question but like I said, since we are coming from Scotland (and have never been even to America) I am unsure of what is a reasonable tip for waiters after a meal??

Normally in the UK the standard tip would be 10% of the bill but with it being all inclusive obviously we won't be getting a bill?! And we don't want to appear stingy!

Also, for the maids - is $2 a day reasonable?

I have absolutely no idea the value of the dollar - I've only ever been to countries which use the Euro!!

Again, thanks for your help!

Cx

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by charlie_ocs

Normally in the UK the standard tip would be 10% of the bill but with it being all inclusive obviously we won't be getting a bill?! And we don't want to appear stingy!

Also, for the maids - is $2 a day reasonable?

I have absolutely no idea the value of the dollar - I've only ever been to countries which use the Euro!!

Again, thanks for your help!

Cx

Well in North America it is 15% of the bill, and in some DR non AI restaurants they put 10% on as service, however I doubt the service people see dime one of that. You will make a waiter happy if you give them say RD$100 for a meal for four people at your AI, and GIVE it to them in the hand not on the table. If you eat out tip 10-15% of the bill and do the same.

US$2 a day or around RD$100 (well it used to be now it is like RD$70) to the maid, in her hand or obviously in the middle of the unmade bed so she knows it isn't left behind by mistake is good.

Figure for a week you might lay out for a couple, $14 US to the maid and maybe $60 for meals, relative to what you have, earn and paid it is nothing and means so much to really really poor and poorly paid people.

And my personal opinion, not shared by all is that gifts of stuff (makeup, clothes, etc.) for maids in particular is as much an insult as a tip and cash eliminates that concern.