To tip or not to tip?

[ladyzac]

Okay, so I went to Beverly Hills last weekend. It was my first time there and so I wanted to stay somewhere nice. We got a place right off of Wilshire and a couple of blocks from Rodeo Drive and we were super hungry but there were absolutely no fast food places in sight, then I thought... <--duh! it is Beverly Hills!! : Anyway...the first time I get to the hotel, I give the valet $5 for parking our car but when we walked for blocks and couldn't find a place to eat, we had to go get the car back and there was another $5. We finally found a subway and when the valet took my car back, I gave him another $5. This was all within 90 minutes too and all to the same guy! Anyway...in the morning we checked out and 2 guys were there to bring me my car. I only gave $5 to the guy that had my keys and the other guy looked at me funny as if I was supposed to tip him too? I didn't want to be rude, but I had no more cash on me so I just said thanks and we took off. So... was I supposed to tip them both?? And how much do you normally tip the valet person in the first place? I mean...I don't want to be cheap but I don't want to be taken advantage either.

 

[GotZoom]

Okay, so I went to Beverly Hills last weekend. It was my first time there and so I wanted to stay somewhere nice. We got a place right off of Wilshire and a couple of blocks from Rodeo Drive and we were super hungry but there were absolutely no fast food places in sight, then I thought... <--duh! it is Beverly Hills!! : Anyway...the first time I get to the hotel, I give the valet $5 for parking our car but when we walked for blocks and couldn't find a place to eat, we had to go get the car back and there was another $5. We finally found a subway and when the valet took my car back, I gave him another $5. This was all within 90 minutes too and all to the same guy! Anyway...in the morning we checked out and 2 guys were there to bring me my car. I only gave $5 to the guy that had my keys and the other guy looked at me funny as if I was supposed to tip him too? I didn't want to be rude, but I had no more cash on me so I just said thanks and we took off. So... was I supposed to tip them both?? And how much do you normally tip the valet person in the first place? I mean...I don't want to be cheap but I don't want to be taken advantage either.

Did the hotel charge you for Valet or was it tips only?

 

[freeandfun1]

If the hotel charges for valet, I will just tip a couple of bucks. I only tip the guy that actually gets me my car. If another person carries my bags down, then I give that person a tip too - usually $1 a bag.

In Vegas, where I live, there is no charge for valet parking as it is all done by tips only. I usually tip $2, but sometimes more. When I know I am only going to be a short time, I will usually give em $20 and ask em to keep the car up front. If I have clients with me and I am getting my car from valet and there are a lot of people waiting, I give them my valet ticket along with $20 so they will get my car immediately and I won't have to wait behind everybody else.

I was curious once so I asked a Vegas valet if $2 was considered cheap. He said, "nope, more often than not, the people give us nothing and the average is about $1 per car".

If the hotel was charging, I would have given them a tip only when picking up my car and then it would only be about $2.00. Hotel valets are paid by the hour whereas most Vegas valets earn a very minimum amount and make their money on tips. Then again, you were in Beverly Hills so your $5 was probably considered cheap!

 

[GotZoom]

I always ask for "up top" when I valet. Usually slip him/her a $5.00 when I ask then another when I pick my car up.

 

[ladyzac]

Then again, you were in Beverly Hills so your $5 was probably considered cheap!

LOL...yeah that's what I was thinking! But yeah...I did pay for valet parking. It was $28 for 24 hours but we were only there for about 10 hours total. I guess I should have asked since I normally don't stay in hotels with valet. Oh well...next time I know.

 

[GotZoom]

LOL...yeah that's what I was thinking! But yeah...I did pay for valet parking. It was $28 for 24 hours but we were only there for about 10 hours total. I guess I should have asked since I normally don't stay in hotels with valet. Oh well...next time I know.

A lot of hotels charge for valet or you can park in their garage yourself and still pay a s#@%load of money for parking. Simply ask when you make the reservation - that is what I usually do. Then do the math. I have, what many people consider, a very nice car and would prefer to have the valet park "up top" so nothing happens to it.

 

[ladyzac]

That's for tip Got Zoom! (no pun intended by the way!)