Tipping at All-Inclusive Resorts

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Alltimegreat

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Nov 16, 2012
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I booked a week-long vacation to a Punta Cana all-inclusive resort, one of the more expensive ones, and I'm wondering about tipping.

Is it customary to pay a tip after each drink at the pool, or just at dinner, or what?

I don't mind tipping, but if a tip is expected for every time for every little thing, that would seem to defeat the purpose of an all-inclusive deal.

And guidance here would be very helpful. Thanks.
 
ando1991

ando1991

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Dec 5, 2016
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I tip at the restaurants or buffets if I am being served by one person and if that service great. That meaning if the waiter is attentive. It could be from 150 to 300 pesos. 50 pesos is about one dollar.

At the end of trip, i leave tip for cleaning of the room. If done well and again, if they took care of me when i needed something. I don't leave a huge mess in the room but some people do.Between 300 and 500 pesos.

At the bar, I rarely tip. There are too many bartenders. If you have a special bartender that takes care of you, tip. I am not tipping for every drink I order.
 
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RDKNIGHT

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Mar 13, 2017
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Alltimegreat said:
I booked a week-long vacation to a Punta Cana all-inclusive resort, one of the more expensive ones, and I'm wondering about tipping.

Is it customary to pay a tip after each drink at the pool, or just at dinner, or what?

I don't mind tipping, but if a tip is expected for every time for every little thing, that would seem to defeat the purpose of an all-inclusive deal.

And guidance here would be very helpful. Thanks.
Click to expand...
People work better when you give them a little grease AKA money .
 
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keepcoming

keepcoming

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We tip the mini bar person when we arrive so they will bring extra water, soda. We do not need the beer. At the bar (do not really drink much) we tip decently, if for some reason we have a few more drinks (includes non-alcoholic drinks) then we tip again at the end. In the ala-carte's we tip, at the buffet we leave a tip on the table at the end of the meal. I have tipped the cook at the buffet when they do something extra for us. As far as the room, we leave a tip on the bed every day for the cleaning person. We also tip the person who helps with luggage/bags. May seem like a lot but the amount depends on service. People have different thoughts on tipping at an AI. But IMO service is service, I have no problem tipping.
 
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cavok

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It's definitely not required or expected to tip bartenders for every drink. Give them a small tip on the first round and another on the last and they will remember you. When it's crowded are the bar, you'll be getting your drinks while others are waiting. I always left a small tip at the buffet restaurant - maybe 100 pesos.
 
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playacaribe2

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Jan 9, 2004
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Alltimegreat said:
I booked a week-long vacation to a Punta Cana all-inclusive resort, one of the more expensive ones, and I'm wondering about tipping.

Is it customary to pay a tip after each drink at the pool, or just at dinner, or what?

I don't mind tipping, but if a tip is expected for every time for every little thing, that would seem to defeat the purpose of an all-inclusive deal.

And guidance here would be very helpful. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Depends on the resort.

At the mass market AI’s I have usually tipped 100 pesos for the room cleaning person per day. Same for wait staff and pool staff. They remember and you will get better treatment.

That having been said,I usually stay at a non AI (Tortuga Bay) and the average tip per stay per person usually averages 1000 pesos more or less. It is a higher end resort hotel with service not seen in the typical AI and I appreciate and reward that service.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 
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Big

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playacaribe2 said:
Depends on the resort.

At the mass market AI’s I have usually tipped 100 pesos for the room cleaning person per day. Same for wait staff and pool staff. They remember and you will get better treatment.

That having been said,I usually stay at a non AI (Tortuga Bay) and the average tip per stay per person usually averages 1000 pesos more or less. It is a higher end resort hotel with service not seen in the typical AI and I appreciate and reward that service.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
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less than a 1.50 a day for the chamber maid. WOW! why don't you just give her the middle finger.
 
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cavok

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Tipping at an AI is kind of a hassle. You have to bring a wad of 100 pesos bills with you. It wasn't always easy to get change at the reception in my experience. Most people don't tip - at least not when I was doing the AI thing.
 
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MariaRubia

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It really depends on nationality. I just came back from an AI which was all Europeans and nobody tipped anyone. That's more of the culture in Europe where service is either included on the check or you tip but not both. Americans tend to tip everywhere.

I would suggest you tip if you want to and feel that you've got good service, but don't be obliged to tip. There is great competition for good staff to work in hotels, if people don't tip the hotels will have to find the money in salaries and service charges to be competitive.
 
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MariaRubia

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El Hijo de Manolo said:
I'll keep my take on tipping to DR and hopefully all the 1999 Wired Magazine article CEOs wont be coming out of the wood work.

My experience is that there exists no situation, occasion, etc. where a tip (as colleague @RDKNIGHT says, a little grease) is not welcome, appreciated and/or needed.
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I had a friend who met a guy that she really liked, she thought he was "the one", the first time they slept together he left some notes beside the bed. She never spoke to him again. So there are times when it isn't right Hijo.
 
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JD Jones

JD Jones

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MariaRubia said:
I had a friend who met a guy that she really liked, she thought he was "the one", the first time they slept together he left some notes beside the bed. She never spoke to him again. So there are times when it isn't right Hijo.
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You lost me. Left some notes?
 
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MariaRubia

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Big said:
It never ceases to amaze me how some can rationalize stiffing service people. Service people deserve appreciation, that is accomplished in an appropriate tip.
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I really don't want to beat this old donkey to death again, but I have completely different views to you on this point, having run hotels and worked in hospitality for many years. I'd much prefer nobody to tip anyone and for all employers to pay proper salaries. We have laws in the DR that require all hotels and restaurants to give 10% of their revenue to staff in the form of a propina legal. We already add a huge 28% in tax and service charge to every hotel and restaurant bill. The hotels and restaurants should be forced to pay the 10% to staff and they should be forced to pay a decent salary. And by leaving cash tips, you're just encouraging these employers to shirk their responsibilities.

In Europe you either get a service charge added to the check, or you tip. The tax laws in the UK mean that cash tips work against the employer in a lot of cases (as they have to pay sales tax but by law have to give the cash to the server, so they lose) and for this reason a lot of bars have a zero tip policy - if you offer a tip the staff always refuse and will give it back to you. But salaries are good, and in my opinion staff are treated far better than they are by US employers as they get pensions, maternity / paternity pay, sick pay, employment rights etc. etc. None of which you get in a system where you pay a peanuts salary and expect the punters to make up the rest with tips.
 
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SKY

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Big said:
It never ceases to amaze me how some can rationalize stiffing service people. Service people deserve appreciation, that is accomplished in an appropriate tip.
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I totally agree. Except you are in a buffet restaurant for breakfast. 30 minutes go by after you sit down. Then a guy comes over with an attitude and takes your order for 2 coffees. Then he he pulls a Houdini and you get Nada. You give a good tip anyway................?????
 
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