Westin Kaanapali Tipping Bellman Advice

[dlca1]

I searched for existing threads, but didn't find what I was looking for.

When checking in early at the Westin Kaanapali, the bellman/valet take your luggage and store you food until your room is ready.

Let's say our family has two suitcases and a small costco run. What would folks typically tip the bell person + valet unpacking the car and/or the bellperson bringing it to your room.

Last year, I think gave the first guy $20. When they brought our stuff to the room, I gave a different person another $20. I then realized that was $40. Am rethinking that one.

Thanks
dlca1

 

[ValleyGirl]

We are at WPORV now and we tip 2.50/suitcase and the same for a "box" of Costco food
Cheers


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[DeniseM]

So if you have 3 items, do you actually give them $7 and 50¢?

 

[LisaRex]

$10 for whatever fits on a luggage thingeymabob.

 

[ValleyGirl]

So if you have 3 items, do you actually give them $7 and 50¢?

That's pet "costco box" no bags!


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[Ken555]

At least one of the guys has an attitude and caused me some difficulty when I arrived the other day. He made me take the food out of the containers and simply wouldn't do his job...first time I've experienced such "service" here. And, this was after being recognized by another when arriving since I guess I'm here often enough now that they know me, at least a little. In the end I had to move units and I tipped $20, though I normally only do $10. Note that I park the car myself on the first day, too (since its rare I use the car within the first day of so of arrival).


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[vacationtime1]

$10 for whatever fits on a luggage thingeymabob.

+1

Worth every penny. We arrive, we leave them the car and key, and our vacation has begun.

 

[dlca1]

Great. Thanks all. That's helpful $2.50/bag or $10 for a lightly loaded cart.

Is it customary to tip on both ends? $10 for the one taking your stuff and another $10 for the person delivering the stuff a few hours later?

 

[GregT]

Last year, I think gave the first guy $20. When they brought our stuff to the room, I gave a different person another $20. I then realized that was $40. Am rethinking that one.

I give $20 upon delivery to the room, $30 if it is a huge load. I don't give anything at dropoff.

Best,

Greg

 

[pacman]

If a large Costco load, I think we usually give $10-$20 depending on how much stuff

 

[ThreeLittleBirds]

$10 per bell cart. That is for drop off at curb (if they are holding) and delivery to room later, so $20.

Sometimes $20 for room delivery if it is one that we have known for a few years.

 

[Passepartout]

Ever notice that those bellmen, valets and other tip-paid workers don't have much turnover? It isn't because they are looking for a 'good' job. Average Skycap makes over $200,000 a year. Far be it for me to tell anyone what to tip, 'cause that's what it's worth to you, but to base your tip outlay on what someone else pays is not coming from your heart. Believe me, it all averages out for them, and they are grateful for anything they get- or should be. Remember, they're getting paid wages too, along with getting uniforms to wear, and their opinion of you (the tourist) doesn't change one iota based on what you tip.

I do tip, but $20 for 5 minutes work! Unlikely.

Jim (the tightwad)

 

[LisaRex]

Far be it for me to tell anyone what to tip, 'cause that's what it's worth to you, but to base your tip outlay on what someone else pays is not coming from your heart.

Truly, I think you're overthinking this. Most people don't look at tipping as "coming from their heart." They look at it as the cost of traveling. Luggage service is just that: A service, not a charity. If we don't value or want the service, we can either tip lightly or decline and haul the groceries up ourselves. Or we can park our car ourselves. Or we can retrieve our own paper towel from the rest room.*

Since there's not a posted fee for bell service, the OPer wants to know what other people routinely tip, because he doesn't want to embarrass himself by grossly undertipping nor does he want to feel like a schlep by grossly overtipping. Now that he knows what the "standard" is, he can make his own judgment as to whether that service is worth it.

*if you do believe that tipping should come from the heart, note that there are no elevator operators and very few bathroom attendants any more. Those jobs have gone the way of the dodo, even though these people were clearly at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, because people didn't value the "service" that they offered.

 

[SMHarman]

Reminds me of the Golgafrinchan telephone sanitizer.

http://www.h2g2.com/entry/A2163520

Rip Douglas Adams.

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[presley]

I tip $1 - $2 per bag. If I have a full luggage cart, I tip $20 so I don't have to do any math.

 

[blondietink]

You people are way too generous. We tip $1 per bag, no matter where we are; be it hotel, cruise port, or airport. Best bang for my buck is to get a porter at debarkation from a cruise ship who takes us through customs. Usually it is just a wave through. He gets extra $ every time.

Earlier this year a San Juan, PR airport, we grabbed a sky cap to take us and our luggage to wherever the rental car shuttle was located. He waved down the right shuttle and made it stop for us. Yep, he got extra $. Hotel bell services, what do they do other than bring your luggage to your room? I can do that myself.

Last Sept. at Lagunamar we had to move villas and therefore had to store all of our luggage and groceries until the new villa was ready. Gave the bellman a tip and he told me that he will not accept another tip when he brings the stuff to our new villa. That's my kind of guy.

 

[Ken555]

I suppose it's been a while since we had a tipping thread, so I'm not surprised that the opinions are out in force...on Force Friday!

"You did not earn that tip" /waves hand suggestively


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[n777lt]

I'm not worried about these guys getting rich! A decent tip AND friendly greetings go a long way if you find later you need extra help during the stay.

For our 3 checked bags (40-50 lb each), 2 roll-ons (30 lbs each) and our Costco haul, we tip $10 for the car unload, and $10 if someone different delivers to the room.

 

[Sea Six]

We also tip around $10 for a cart load, depending on service. We tip more when they come through with free-share stuff like chairs and floats. Those bell hops keep a nice stash of things that people give them when they check out. Always ask the bell-hops what they have stashed away!

 

[triangulum33]

I give $20 upon delivery to the room....

I gave the guy $20 at the lobby, but when I told the other guy that brought our luggage up that I pre-tipped, he politely told me that they do not share tips. Lessons learned!

I told him to go find the other dude!

 

[dlca1]

Truly, I think you're overthinking this. Most people don't look at tipping as "coming from their heart." They look at it as the cost of traveling. Luggage service is just that: A service, not a charity. If we don't value or want the service, we can either tip lightly or decline and haul the groceries up ourselves. Or we can park our car ourselves. Or we can retrieve our own paper towel from the rest room.*

Since there's not a posted fee for bell service, the OPer wants to know what other people routinely tip, because he doesn't want to embarrass himself by grossly undertipping nor does he want to feel like a schlep by grossly overtipping. Now that he knows what the "standard" is, he can make his own judgment as to whether that service is worth it.

*if you do believe that tipping should come from the heart, note that there are no elevator operators and very few bathroom attendants any more. Those jobs have gone the way of the dodo, even though these people were clearly at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, because people didn't value the "service" that they offered.

LisaRex nailed what I was asking for. Thanks for all the opinions.

Based on some of the tips, I decided up front I was only going to tip upon delivery. We got lucky and our room was ready for us upon arrival. I ended up tipping 30 for three suitcases and a medium Costco

It was definitely on the generous side because he then showered us with offers for all sorts of extras like robe/slippers/rice cooker/pool toys/etc. He also remembered me the entire week.

 

[dsmrp]

No tipping in Japan

This doesn't pertain to OPs' original question, but just to give a different perspective

My family recently came back from a trip to Japan, and stayed a couple of nites at the Sheraton Yokohama Bay hotel. We walked from train station to hotel, so bellman had about 5-10 minutes work pushing our bags up to our rooms with us. We tipped him an appropriate amount and he was pretty taken aback, and initially wouldn't accept it. We pushed it on him, and then he started doing all kinds of extra things, that we didn't ask for or needed.

At the airport, my mother had wheelchair assistance, and she tipped a generous amount to the Tokyo based airline employee, who also seemed a little put off by it too. Honolulu based employees had NO problem accepting tips

At dinner that night at a casual restaurant adjacent to train station, we left about a 15% cash tip. While paying at the cash register (just as the locals did), the woman clearing our table came out to return the money. She thought we had forgotten it! We explained to her and the supervisor(?) at register that it was a tip, and they said no, they don't acccept tips. They understood the word 'tip'. So after 3 tipping instances, we finally looked online and read that the Japanese don't tip.

Taxi drivers too, don't expect tips; will make exact change for the fare. But will accept small tips.

It was refreshing not having to make sure we had certain yen denominations for tips etc.

 

[okwiater]

I think the Japanese have the tipping culture right. I used to think that tipping was a good way of rewarding and incentivizing good service; however, the reality is that people generally tip more or less the same amount no matter how good or bad the service, and so the overall behavior of the service providers remains relatively unchanged. It's only by tipping an unusually high amount that you can alter the behavior of the service provider, and what you end up with, then, is wildly inconsistent levels of service provided to different customers.

In my experience, corporate emphasis on customer service -- along with the requisite empowerment of each employee to fulfill that commitment -- is the single biggest predictor of the quality of customer service you will receive. Much, much moreso than tipping, employee compensation, and other purely economic factors.

 

[Saaz124]

Are the drop off bell staff in Maui pushy about tips? I travel to Vegas often and the begging for tips from the staff is ridiculous. Last week at MGM Grand at the bell drop off, the guy must have told me six times that he only works outside, all the while keeping my attention and not handing me the bell ticket. This seems to be a new thing happening in the last few years.

 

[Henry M.]

I've always found the bell staff at WKORV to be very friendly and helpful, and have never been pressured for a tip. I tip them on my own accord whenever they give me good service. For sure nothing like what you describe in Las Vegas.

There are several bellmen that have been there for years, and throughout the time always smile warmly and seem to enjoy their job. One of the things I like about the resorts is coming back to familiar faces that also recognize me. It feels much more like a second home than just a nice resort.