Hotel Tipping Guide: Who to Tip and How Much
Quick Answer
Housekeeping: $2–5/night. Bellhop: $1–2/bag. Concierge: $5–20. Room service: 15–20% (check if included).
Hotels involve more tipping opportunities than almost any other service category. From the moment you pull up to the valet, to the bellhop carrying your bags, to the housekeeper who refreshes your room — there are people working behind the scenes to make your stay comfortable, and most of them rely on tips.
The tricky part is that hotel tipping isn't always face-to-face. You might never see your housekeeper. You might interact with a concierge just once. Knowing who to tip, how much, and when makes the whole experience smoother for everyone.
Housekeeping: $2–5 Per Night
This is the most commonly overlooked hotel tip. Leave $2–5 per night for housekeeping, placed on the pillow or nightstand with a note that says "Thank you" or "For housekeeping" so they know it's intended for them (and not just loose change you left behind).
Tip daily rather than at the end of your stay, because different housekeepers may clean your room on different days. A $20 lump sum at checkout only benefits whoever cleans your room that final day.
For extended stays, suites, or if you've made an unusual mess (kids, party, lots of room service trays), tip on the higher end — $5–10 per night.
Bellhop / Porter: $1–2 Per Bag
Tip the bellhop $1–2 per bag when they carry your luggage to or from your room. For a couple with two suitcases, $4–5 total is standard. If you have heavy bags, lots of items, or they provide extra assistance (showing you around the room, explaining hotel features), bump it to $5–10 total.
If the bellhop hails you a cab or helps with something beyond luggage, an additional $1–2 per service is appropriate.
Concierge: $5–20 Depending on Service
The concierge tip depends entirely on what they do for you. Simple directions or restaurant suggestions don't require a tip, though $5 is a nice gesture. If they secure hard-to-get reservations, arrange tickets to a sold-out show, or plan a detailed itinerary, $10–20 is appropriate.
For truly exceptional service — organizing a surprise proposal, coordinating complex travel arrangements, or solving a real problem during your stay — $20–50 reflects the value they provided. Think of it proportionally to the effort and result.
Room Service: 15–20%
Tip 15–20% for room service delivery — but first, check your bill carefully. Many hotels include an automatic service charge or gratuity on room service orders (often 18–22%). If it's already included, you don't need to add more, though an extra $2–5 for the person who delivered it is a nice touch.
If no service charge is listed, tip 15–20% just as you would at a restaurant. The person delivering your food navigated an elevator, hallways, and set everything up in your room — that's more work than table service.
Valet at Hotels: $2–5
Tip $2–5 when your car is returned to you (not when you drop it off). At luxury hotels, $5–10 is more appropriate. If you're requesting your car multiple times per day, tip each time — the valet is doing the same amount of work each retrieval.
Doorman: $1–2
Tip the doorman $1–2 for hailing a cab or helping with bags. If they're simply opening the door, no tip is needed — that's part of the hotel's general service. For going above and beyond (holding an umbrella in the rain, loading heavy shopping bags), $2–5 is appropriate.
Valet parking guide
Before or after, complimentary valet, and what to do at a hospital stand. The hotel valet section in full.
Tipped minimum wage by state
What hotel service staff are paid in cash before tips, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, from the DOL.
Tipping by US city
Hotel tipping in New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, where local practice diverges from the average.
Common Questions
- How much do you tip a bellhop?
- $1–2 per bag, with $5 a sensible floor even for a single light bag. At a luxury hotel, $2–5 per bag. If they also show you the room, work the thermostat and explain the minibar, that is worth $5–10 in total rather than a strict per-bag count.
- How much do you tip hotel housekeeping?
- $2–5 per night at a standard hotel, $5–10 at a luxury one. Leave it daily rather than in one lump at the end - housekeepers rotate, and the person who cleaned on Tuesday may not be there on Friday to collect a departure tip.
- Where do you leave a tip in a hotel room?
- On the pillow, on the desk with a note, or in a marked envelope if the hotel provides one. Cash left loose on a nightstand is often deliberately not touched, because housekeepers are trained not to take anything that might be a guest's belongings. A note saying thank you removes the ambiguity.
- How much do you tip a hotel concierge?
- Nothing for a map or directions. $5–10 for a normal restaurant booking, and $20–50 when they get you something genuinely hard - a table that was full, sold-out tickets, a late-night doctor. Tip when the thing comes through, not when you ask.
- How much do you tip valet at a hotel?
- $3–5 each time the car is brought to you, or $5–10 at a luxury property. It is per retrieval, not per night, and the parking fee on your bill does not reach the attendant. The valet guide covers the timing and the hospital and complimentary cases.
- Do you tip at a bed and breakfast?
- Usually less, and sometimes not at all. Where the owner is the one cooking and cleaning, tipping is not customary and can feel odd. Where a B&B employs staff, $2–5 a night left at the end of the stay is appropriate. If in doubt, ask whether there is a staff tip box - most places that want tips have one.
- What is the tipping etiquette at a 5-star hotel?
- The same categories, roughly doubled: $5 a bag, $5–10 a night for housekeeping, $5–10 for the valet. What actually changes is frequency - more people do small things for you, and each of those is a moment where a few dollars is expected. Budgeting $20–30 a day for a luxury stay is realistic.
- How do you tip hotel staff without cash?
- Ask the front desk to add a gratuity to the room folio and specify who it is for - most hotels can do this and will route it. Some chains now have tipping built into their app. Failing that, a digital tip through something like LeaveTip reaches the person directly without them needing to install anything.
- Do you tip the doorman?
- $1–2 when they hail you a cab or help with bags, nothing for opening a door. On a long stay where the same doorman helps repeatedly, $10–20 at the end is a normal way to close it out.
Practical Tips
- Bring small bills ($1s and $5s) specifically for hotel tipping — you'll need them more than you think.
- Tip housekeeping daily, not just at checkout, since different staff may rotate.
- Always leave a note with your housekeeping tip so they know it's for them.
- Check room service bills for included gratuity before adding your own.
- A quick "thank you" along with a tip makes a bigger impression than the money alone.
Need to Leave a Cashless Tip?
No cash on hand? LeaveTip lets you send a digital tip to hotel staff, valets, and other service workers — no app download needed for the recipient.
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