Disturbing new tipping trend at hotels leaves guests outraged: ‘Out of control’
A new tipping practice is sparking outrage among hotel guests.
Some Marriott and Hyatt hotels ask for tips at the front desk during check-in – a step that many find off-putting.
Traditionally, hotel guests can tip for services such as helping with luggage or leaving cash for housekeeping.
But now places like the Marriott’s LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, Texas, and the Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall in Boston have started asking for a tip at check-in, View from De Vleugel reported.
“Needless to say, we ignored the tip request,” a guest who wanted to leave a tip using a QR code at the Marriott LaSalle told the publication.
The guest added that they were “smugly happy that we don’t stay at Marriott that often anymore.”
Hotel chains have argued that encouraging their guests to tip is an effective way to increase staff salaries without having to increase wages.
According to travel expert Gary Leff, tipping at the front desk is only typical in Las Vegas, as it is a common practice to request a room upgrade.
Guests have reported being asked for tips at check-in
“You swipe the money over with your credit card and ask if there are any upgrades available (ideally stating the room type you want) and if they can do that, they pocket the money,” Leff said of the practice.
However, Leff said the trend of other hotels asking for tips is “disturbing” and “insidious.”
‘What is the guest expected to transfer money to the receptionist for?’ he asked.
Americans have become increasingly frustrated with the spread of tipping culture.
“Tipping culture is out of control here in the US,” one reader commented under the View From The Wing story.
The practice, once limited to restaurants and occasional other services, has now spread to some unlikely locations, including self-checkout kiosks.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans say tips are now expected in more places compared to five years ago, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
Touch screens presented to customers now require tips of around 20-25 percent, with some suggesting even more.
In an extreme example, a merchant was outraged when a restaurant in Alaska offered him the option of leaving a 100 percent tip.
Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall Boston presents guests with QR codes for tipping at check-in
Marriott’s LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, Texas asks guests at the front desk for tips
Nearly three-quarters of Americans give a higher tip if they see a digital screen at checkout, a report shows.
About 73 percent of people said they tipped at least 11 percent higher with digital tipping than with cash.
The Forbes Advisor survey also found that 31 percent of people admitted to feeling “pressured” to tip for a range of services ranging from sit-down meals and coffee to taxis.