Housekeeper Gratuity Guidelines
For Villas, Chalets or Vacation Rentals
For housekeepers at villas and vacation rentals, we encourage a tip of US $ 7 to US $ 10 per day per bedroom to be given at the end of the stay if the same maid is present throughout the stay. An accompanying thank you note is a wonderful personal touch and will make a housekeepers day. Please make sure that your housekeeper will be the one to changeover the villa rather than a substitute housekeeper.
For Hotels
A tip of US $ 3 to US $ 5 per day tends to be the norm for hotels. 5 star hotels are larger suites should be provided a large tip of US $ 7 to US $ 10 per day. Unlike villa rentals, tips of hotel housekeepers should be left each day on the face of a pillow.
Guru Blue Tip: We recommend befriending your housekeeper and getting to know them. They can be an exceptional source of helpful tips for restaurants, markets and ideas to experience the local culture. A cordial and respectful relationship has many benefits. If you have an urgent need they will be happy to assist. Guests can negotiate an additional service such as personal laundry or even the preparation of a local meal. Many of our villa guests have established life long relationships and it's a great way to appreciate the nuances of local customs and social scenes.
Chef Tipping Guidelines
A private chef at your villa is a fabulous and highly recommended experience. They will shop, provision, prepare, cook, serve a typical 3 to 4 course meal. Experiencing impeccable culinary meals with a personalized service is a grand experience. A tip of about 20% of the cost of the service is recommend for an exceptional experience. If the cost of the service is unknown, a gratuity of $150-200 per day is recommended.
Butler Tipping Guidelines
A butler can provide a variety of services from preparing a simple breakfast to serving drinks, tidying up the property or running errands. The responsibilities of a butler can vary from property to property. We recommend defining their roles and taking advantage of their services especially with provisioning or running errands that may interfere with your vacation. Tipping is based on the involvement of the butler. Tipping can vary from US $ 100 per day to over US $ 250 per day. A full service butler can be tipped about 3-5% of the rental cost of the property.
Caretaker Tipping Guidelines
Gratuities for caretakers has a very broad range and depends on the assistance they provided throughout your stay. With caretakers we recommend using your discretion and base it upon their level of assistance. Helpful caretakers can be tipped about US $ 100 plus, depending on the level of service.
Driver/Chauffeur Tipping Guidelines
Tipping is discretionary but always appreciated. For an airport transfer, a tip of US $ 10 to US $ 20 tip tends to be standard
For hired service of multiple hours or days of service, a US $ 50 to US $ 100 tip would be recommended.
For Taxis or Uber rides, the following guidelines may be applicable:
Good Service - 10%
Great Service - 15%
Excellent Service - 20%
Valet Tipping Guidelines
For Valets, tipping between US $ 2 to US $ 5 upon return of the vehicle is recommended. Consider the distance and weather conditions of where they have parked your vehicle.
Tour Guide Tipping Guidelines
Tips of 15% to 20% of the cost of the tour or excursion is recommended.
Concierge Tipping Guidelines
A US $ 10 to US $ 20 tip per service for an attentive concierge that provides helpful information or service is suggested.
Spa Services Tipping Guidelines
For a spa treatment, we suggest a tip of 10% to 20%. Our concierge can arrange for in villa spa treatments such as massages, facials, and mani-pedis.
As always, gratuities are discretionary and greatly appreciated by the staff. The aforementioned guidelines are simply to provide an idea of the typical norms of tipping. Engaging the locals when vacationing provides a unique perspective and typically an enhanced vacation experience.