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tipping the hotel front desk at check in

Gil Bang

By Gil Bang
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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26288

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Do you do it?  Is it worth it?  

It's been my standard practice in Vegas for decades.    Next weekend is GF's birthday, and we are going to a nice big-city hotel that has much nicer rooms than the one that I reserved. Will slipping a 20 or 50 along with my ID and credit card get me anything, or is that insulting for non-vegas properties? 

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Incredulity

Incredulity 11890

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I’m pretty generous with tips and you can seriously upgrade experiences with some well distributed gratuities.  Never tipped the front desk.  Valet, bell hop, and concierge all get some monetary appreciation, but I’ve admittedly neglected front desk.  I’m assuming room selection is the aim?  I’m sure it does help at finer establishments.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26288

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1 hour ago, Incredulity said:

I’m pretty generous with tips and you can seriously upgrade experiences with some well distributed gratuities.  Never tipped the front desk.  Valet, bell hop, and concierge all get some monetary appreciation, but I’ve admittedly neglected front desk.  I’m assuming room selection is the aim?  I’m sure it does help at finer establishments.

Yes, room selection.  In Vegas, it can get you a significant upgrade.   

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26288

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It's certainly a Vegas thing.  Here's my problem; I rarely stay at 4 star (and above) hotels for personal travel.  And, when I was travelling for business (on the company dime), I didn't really care about the room type.

Our vacations are usually international, or we're grabbing a little beachfront deal in Santa Barbara or similar.  

I just don't know the custom for a big-city 4 star hotel.   Of course, I tip the valet, bellman, housekeeping, etc. 

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2891

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Only done it in Vegas. It worked or didn't exactly as it was supposed to. I think I was about .500 with it and when they couldn't do it they slid it back to me. I haven't been to Vegas in probably 15 years so take it fwiw. 

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ShaggyBevo RIP

ShaggyBevo RIP 3873

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Former Hilton Rooms manager.

Your room was set by the reservations dept the morning of your check in. Front desk has very little leeway these days as it is all frequent stayer/big spender scraped data. Doesn’t mean the front desk doesn’t know what rooms are between the elevator and the ice machine if you’re an asshole.

Book what you want.

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DFWTexEx

DFWTexEx 280

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8 hours ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Former Hilton Rooms manager.

Your room was set by the reservations dept the morning of your check in. Front desk has very little leeway these days as it is all frequent stayer/big spender scraped data. Doesn’t mean the front desk doesn’t know what rooms are between the elevator and the ice machine if you’re an asshole.

Book what you want.

Right.   I get all the upgrade offers when I book and as I check in.    And the complimentary upgrades are based on status.   Seems like hotels are becoming like the airlines, as upgrades are monetized or very much based on status.  The old days of dressing up to get bumped to first class are gone.

But Vegas may always be Vegas.  Tips rule.  So the above may not apply.

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HRSchenker

HRSchenker 2342

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3 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:

Right.   I get all the upgrade offers when I book and as I check in.    And the complimentary upgrades are based on status.   Seems like hotels are becoming like the airlines, as upgrades are monetized or very much based on status.  The old days of dressing up to get bumped to first class are gone.

But Vegas may always be Vegas.  Tips rule.  So the above may not apply.

Yep you nailed it. I learned the hard way making a comment in one of those award travel Facebook groups but getting upgrades without status is severely frowned upon and almost impossible. 

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Iceman

Iceman 2993

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Mandated valet in a non-urban( non- space restricted) area can go fuck themselves as well. Just charge $30 more for the room, motherfuckers. I can park my own motherfucking car, and really don't want anyone else in it.

I don't like the chincy nickel and diming horseshit.  It's worse than ever.

Edited by Iceman
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huge

huge 3831

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5 hours ago, Iceman said:

Mandated valet in a non-urban( non- space restricted) area can go fuck themselves as well. Just charge $30 more for the room, motherfuckers. I can park my own motherfucking car, and really don't want anyone else in it.

I don't like the chincy nickel and diming horseshit.  It's worse than ever.

THATS RIGHT ICE MAN

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Chopper

Chopper 17460

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On 11/3/2024 at 11:46 PM, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Former Hilton Rooms manager.

Your room was set by the reservations dept the morning of your check in. Front desk has very little leeway these days as it is all frequent stayer/big spender scraped data. Doesn’t mean the front desk doesn’t know what rooms are between the elevator and the ice machine if you’re an asshole.

Book what you want.

Yeah it used to work until it didn't. I guess the exec office grew tired of seeing guests receiving free upgrades and cracked down. 

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scottsins

scottsins 2047

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Right.   I get all the upgrade offers when I book and as I check in.    And the complimentary upgrades are based on status.   Seems like hotels are becoming like the airlines, as upgrades are monetized or very much based on status.  The old days of dressing up to get bumped to first class are gone.
But Vegas may always be Vegas.  Tips rule.  So the above may not apply.

In Vegas, I never select the upgrade deals when I book. I always tip at check in and frequently get bumped WAY up to a better room. Not close the elevator type stuff, but large suite with strip view, etc.
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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 15187

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There was a website called frontdesktip.com that tracked the efficacy of this in Vegas. The fact that the site is gone should tell you all you need to know.

10+ years ago I was going to Vegas 4-5 times a year for work. It worked often. Now I go 2-3 times per year and I don’t even try any more. 

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