tipping in b&bs

visiting napa in july. staying at a bed and breakfast for the first time. what is the tipping etiquette for b%26amp;bs? please help

tipping in b%26amp;bs

Sablos-

What a wonderfully thoughtful question! I was raised in a family that never gave tips to anyone, except servers in restaurants, so it was years before I realized that much of the world *lives* off the money they make from tips: Cabbies, Doormen/women, Concierges, Housekeepers, Bellhops, Valets . . . the list goes on and on.

Since each B%26amp;B has its own unique personality, it%26#39;s probably no surprise that they also have different policies or preferences on tipping. Some encourage guests to tip the cook, the housekeeping staff, and the innkeepers. Others say nothing, and leave it up to the guests. Many upscale B%26amp;Bs now institute a small staff service charge automatically on your bill, since this is a more fair way of handling the issue.

Small B%26amp;Bs run by owners (typ 10 rooms or less) often love to have you tip their housekeepers or innkeepers, but will typically refuse a tip you give to the owner personally (or, they will distribute it to the rest of the staff, as we do).

There is no general agreement on the proper amount to tip. As always, it comes down to service. We have received $100 tips from guests, because of all the special things we did for them while they were here (special reservations, tours, surprises for spouses, etc). Again, as owners, we take this money and divide it amongst our staff quarterly, when they get their performance reviews.

Ironically, as I mentioned earlier, I think the biggest determinant is whether or not your parents tipped these folks. This issue should really not be so critical, but I think it%26#39;s the deciding factor for many. I%26#39;m actually hoping that some will read this and, for the first time in their lives, actually realize that it%26#39;s appropriate to tip all of the people mentioned above if they do a good job. This is actually how *I* found out-- by reading an email review on TripAdvisor years ago, where the reviewer explained how they tip! It was a real surprise to me.

Anyway, back to the topic. Here are some guidelines from tipping.org:

Housekeeper: $5/night min. More if long stays (over a week) Consider $7 to $9 a night.

Bellhop: $10 for bringing you to your room with luggage;

$5 for opening and showing the room

Lobby: None for opening door or calling taxi from stand;

$1 or more for help with luggage or finding a taxi on the street

Front desk None unless special service is given during long stay; then, $5

Concierge $5-$10 Average per item. More for special services or favors

I hope this helps. When I first started tipping these folks, it was very hard for me-- I felt like I was giving too much, since for years, I had never given anything! Use the guidelines above, but realize that some folks tip much more, and a whole lotta folks (following their parents, I think), don%26#39;t leave anything.

Other thoughts: While tipping the owners is not always necessary, telling them about the good and bad things from your stay is MOST appreciated-- we live for these comments. Praise costs little, but it does so much. And we also want to know if some things did not meet your expectations.

One last thing: Perhaps the greatest ';tip'; you can give a B%26amp;B is a great review, here or on other online review boards. Not only will you help the B%26amp;B, but your advice will be considered by other travelers. A win-win for everyone!

Enjoy your stay in this magical place,

-Russ Herschelmann

Innkeeper

Napa Old World Inn

tipping in b%26amp;bs

Russ

Thanks for your help. I tried staying at your B%26amp;B but unfortunatley you were booked. I agree with you in posting reviews on this type of forum, this is where most people get their travel information. I know that most people in this industry live off tips and to me it is important to let the people who are making your vacation an excellent one know that they are appreciated.

Thanks again...

Sablos,

I believe that tipping is something you do for great service.

We leave envelopes in the room in case you feel you would like to recognize the extra clean rooms or the service that is above and beyond.

We split all tips between our staff, as do many of the inns.

Most bed and breakfasts are small, and so tipping the staff is all that is required. 5-8% of your bill is reasonable.

Ken

Cedar Gables Inn -Bed and Breakfast

Napa, CA

Old World - I did a search under tipping and found this post - for the housekeeping at an inn, do I leave the money every day in the room, or leave it all at the end? What do people usually do?

I suppose I should ask first and make sure I%26#39;m not already being charged for this, though, like you mentioned - thanks so much for all the useful information in your above posts!!!