Tipping is becoming free.
Begging for tips is now commonplace in everything from coffee shops to fast food restaurants to airlines and amusement parks.
And while it’s an outdated tradition to hand over a few bills to a hotel attendant to get better treatment, some guests are reporting a troubling new trend at luxury hotels. This means that appeals for additional financial considerations are actually made directly at the front desk.
An incredulous reader of popular travel blog A View From The Wing recalled that when he checked into the Marriott LaSalle in Bryan, Texas, he was given a slip of paper to insert a tip along with his keys at check-in. Reported.
Another person read the post and “thought smugly that I don’t have to stay at Marriotts anymore,” but was immediately shocked to receive the same treatment when he checked into Boston’s Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall. he told the site’s Gary Leff.
“We… ignored the request for a tip,” said the fussy traveler.
Leff suggested the idea is a perversion of the Las Vegas tradition of guests tipping the front desk in exchange for room upgrades.
“Slide cash on your credit card, ask if an upgrade is possible (ideally telling them the room type you want) and if it’s possible, pocket the money,” he explains. did.
The difference is that in such cases, the guest is receiving something as a “bribe,” whereas these resorts’ version is an “insidious” scam, Lev said.
“Guests are supposed to give money to front desk agents, but what exactly?” this travel enthusiast wonders, calling the policy “getting free money from stupid people.” It was called a method.
The alleged incident comes amid a spate of complaints about patrons being pressured to leave extra money, even in places where service is almost non-existent.
A June survey by Bankrate found that 32% of Americans are bothered by pre-populated tip screens and 30% believe the current tipping culture is out of control. .
