# Tipping: What's customary?



## JACKC (Sep 19, 2010)

We'll be staying at the Royal Sands in Cancun this Fall, which will be our first experience with "cashless". With so many services offered, we are uncertain how to deal with tipping on our Cancun vacation. 

Usually when we are timesharing (US resorts) we check in then we are left to our own devices--find our villa, unload and transport luggage, etc. Tipping at the resort, except for special services (e.g., massage) or leaving a tip for maid service, is never an issue.

For our (cashless) Royals vacation, what would you say is customary regarding tipping of the bellhop/personal concierge/daily housekeeper/laundry attendant/ shuttle driver from airport/tour guides/other service personnel? Tips at restaurants on the Royal cashless program?

Some reviews suggest using local currency rather than US$ whenever cash tips are offered. Is this advisable?

Advice? 

Jack


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## Phydeaux (Sep 19, 2010)

It is always advisable to use the currency of the country you are in. Tip as you would, at the same rate as you would anywhere else - just convert USD to pesos and tip in pesos. It's very simple. 

Tip well at the Royal Resorts - the staff works very hard to ensure your satisfaction.


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## buceo (Sep 19, 2010)

I just tip there like I do in the US, easy for me that way.  US dollars are fine.  "They say" don't tip taxi drivers there, I probably do some anyway, just agree on a fare before starting the trip.

From their FAQ page http://www.royalresorts.com/faq.asp:

What is the standard tipping practice?

Waiters generally receive 15% and sky caps and bell-boys $2 US per bag. The suggested daily tip for the maid who cleans your villa at Royal Resorts is $3 US for the suite and $2US for the room or $5 US when the villa is fully occupied.


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## oldbuyer (Sep 19, 2010)

*Tipping....*

The average construction worker is paid about $5 USD per DAY. Resort workers are paid less and make their living on tips. Most Americans over tip and most Canadians and Europeans under tip. We tip bell hops 20 pesos and room maid service 50 pesos per event or day. Restaurants at 10% is very acceptable. If you see a waiter grip his left elbow then he's signaling to his mates that he has a cheap bugger and to avoid servicing that table.  
Please always use pesos as the workers get screwed by the resorts when they convert USD to pesos. A simple "GRACIAS" and any attempt to communicate in Spanish is greatly appreciated too.
tip: get your pesos from a bank owned ATM and gain 5-10% in exchange rate!
Have a great trip


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## ilene13 (Sep 19, 2010)

*Tipping*

We own at the Royal Sands and at the Haciendas--this is what we tip:
  1.  Bellman-usually 100 pesos
  2.  Maid--usually we are only 2 and I rent out my lock-offs. So for the suite we usually leave 400-500 pesos per week.
  3.  15% in restaurants.
ilene


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## bellesgirl (Sep 19, 2010)

Here are some good guidelines from Tripadvisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g150768-s606/Mexico:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html


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## pjrose (Sep 19, 2010)

Though it is cashless, I like to carry some dollar bills and/or pesos anyway. We do cash tips of a few $ for the laundress, the ceramics painters, the dancers at Mexican night ($5-10), maintenance, shuttle driver, maitre-d' and the occasional others where there's not necessarily a written bill to which to add a tip.  

Waiters - around 15-20%, but if all I've ordered is a soda or beer at happy hour and it's maybe a $1 or $2 bill, then I'll still leave $2 or 20 pesos.   

Maids - the Royal Resort recommendations, rounded up.  We are not messy at all, but they do such a great job.


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## Pat H (Sep 20, 2010)

When we go to the Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan and have a 2 bdr, we tip the maid $5/day and if they are very good, we leave extra the last day. Taxi drivers 10% and waiters - 15%. We have an exception when cutie Julio waits on us on the pool! Yes, that is his real name and we are 4 "mature" women.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 20, 2010)

Tipping is integral to Mexican society, even more so than in the US.  In traditional and polite Mexican society, graciousness and service to other people is extremely important.  It does not revolve around "what can you do for me"" but "what can I do for you?"  Tipping for services is part of the culture. Think about a tip anytime someone provides a personal service for you, and especially if someone goes above and beyond. Relations between people aren't mercenary; they are personal. Failure to tip when a tip is nearly mandatory isn't perceived as just being cheap; it rises to the point of being an insult.

There are  some specific customs to be aware of, such as that there is no need to tip a taxi driver.  But if the taxi driver does provide some specific valuable service that is not part of driving the taxi then it's time to think about a tip.   

*****

We generally tip in units of ten pesos, thinking of ten pesos as being like a dollar.  I also often break it into a fixed and variable component.  For example, I give a person assisting with bags gets ten pesos for making the trip plus ten pesos per ordinary bag.  

We give the maid cleaning the room twenty pesos as a base rate for doing the cleaning plus ten pesos per bedroom.  That's per day.  Also, if you want a tip to go to a specific maid for some reason, be sure to know the work schedule.  They do get days off, and if you leave a special tip one day for some service provided the previous day, that tip might go to someone else.  Or if you're in the custom of leaving a larger tip on the last day and that is the day that your maid is off, that large tip will be collected by the relief housekeeper instead of the main housekeeper. 

*******

I also try to learn a little about the person providing housekeeping services, particularly if they have children.  Then at least one day as we're out and about I try to get something small as a little personal gift.  If they have children it will usually be some dulces (candy). I've spoken with other people who have left writing tablets and pencils for school-ae children.    Otherwise it could be something such as a small bottle of lotion or some small toiletry item that for us is often trivial but can be a luxury.  

Leaving something personal such as I describe above to me fits into that notion of graciousness.  It fits the notion that the relationship isn't just mercenary, but that we are two people connected as human beings.


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## siesta (Sep 20, 2010)

I follow tripadvisor's advice. It's spot on.


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## oldbuyer (Sep 20, 2010)

*tipping*

Steve, you and TA combine the best practices we should all follow. I can add one more idea that goes a long way. If you find a particular female reservationist that has helped you answer the many questions you initially have bring them a little box of chocolates or truffles from home. They will light up. For the desk people that help us with our daily Spanish lessons and provide restaurant recommendations (not at the resort) we usually bring in a meal once a week from a restaurant they recommended. The resort provides their employees their main meal and sometimes that's their only decent meal of the day. They greatly appreciate the thought and the special treat. While the resort owners are typical for profit business and the salespeople are as bad as used car sales people the folks that work in the resorts are some of the most gracious people we've ever met. Remember the golden rule and you'll have a great trip.


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## easyrider (Sep 21, 2010)

We tip for services at the resort before the services have been completed in Mexico. 

The head doorman upon arrival gets at least $40 and will make sure our party never waits or wants for anything. This is handy at check in, check out, taxi's or to get your car. My car is always at the front door when I need it and thats where I drop it off when I get back.

The maids are paid at least $20 up front and get what ever leftover food we leave. Our room is spotless. There is a gratuity basket or bowl that we throw our loose change into daily for the maid as well.

The head waiter at a nice restaurant gets $20.00 and will seat us at the best tables in the restaurant, usually right away. The other waiters are very attentive because of this. 

At the pool we pay the pool waiter $20 off the get go. After that we never wait for anything and sometimes get free drinks because they like us.

At the resort mini market the bagger gets a coin or two.

This little bit of paying up front and exchanging names goes a long way in Mexico.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 21, 2010)

easyrider said:


> This little bit of paying up front and exchanging names goes a long way in Mexico.



Nice comments.  Re exchanging names - in my Spanish classes the instructors have stressed the importance of exchanging names as part of social graces in Mexico.

It's part of that same notion I mentioned above - all relationships, including work-related relationships, are personal as well as business.  And it's particularly important with people who are providing services to you.  To not exchange names will usually come across as snooty, arrogant, and demeaning.


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## bankr63 (Sep 21, 2010)

easyrider said:


> At the resort mini market the bagger gets a coin or two.



I read in (I think) Fodor's that the bag boys at the markets are not paid at all.  Their only income is from tips, so the more they help, the more generous I am.


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## pjrose (Sep 21, 2010)

bankr63 said:


> I read in (I think) Fodor's that the bag boys at the markets are not paid at all.  Their only income is from tips, so the more they help, the more generous I am.



I was told that by someone at WalMart, too.


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