The topic of tipping while traveling is complex and controversial, especially when it comes to hotels. Tipping norms differ around the world, and on top of that, many people “export” their own culture when it comes to tipping, and over time, that changes expectations.
I’ve written in the past about all kinds of hotel tipping topics, from tipping housekeeping, to tipping hotel concierges, to tipping in hotel club lounges. In this post, I’d like to talk about tipping for hotel room service, based on a question a reader asked me. First let me address the topic more broadly, and then I’ll get to the specific question…
In this post:
Obviously the United States represents the extreme of tipping culture, but the combination of a delivery charge, service charge, and gratuity, really makes me want to never order anything from room service ever again.
Outside the United States, the situation typically isn’t nearly as bad, though it still varies quite a bit, both based on where in the world you are, plus the type of hotel:
- Some hotels charge no fees for room service (I’ve often found this to be the case in France), but then might have a line on the bill where you can add a tip
- Some hotels (like in Japan) might have a 10% service charge on room service orders, but no option to tip
- Some hotels have a modest delivery fee or service charge, and then still let you add an additional tip
Should a hotel guest have tipped in this situation?
OMAAT reader Morgan asked me the following question:
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
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