Travel & Culture - Tipping at Hotels

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! 🤔 (Warm-up)

Let's talk about tipping!

What is tipping? Why do people give tips?
Who might you give a tip to at a hotel? (Example: person who cleans room, person who carries bags)
Is tipping common in your country? For which services?

Activity 2: New Words & Phrases 🗣️ (Vocabulary)

Here are some important words and phrases for understanding tipping at hotels!

1. Tip (noun/verb): A small amount of money given to someone for a service. / To give this money.

Example: "It's common to leave a Tip for good service." / "Did you Tip the housekeeper?"

2. Gratuity (noun): Another word for a tip, often seen on bills, meaning a gift of money for service.

Example: "Sometimes a Gratuity is already included in the restaurant bill."

3. Optional (adjective): Not required; you can choose to do it or not.

Example: "Tipping is often Optional, but appreciated for good service."

4. Leave a tip (verb phrase): The action of giving a tip.

Example: "Many people Leave a tip for the person who cleans their room each day."

5. Service charge (noun phrase): An amount added to your bill for service, which may replace or be in addition to a tip.

Example: "Check if a Service charge is already included before you decide to tip."

Activity 3: Reading - Thinking About Tips 📖

Read this story about a guest considering tipping at their hotel.

Mark was enjoying his stay at the "City Central Hotel." He knew that in some countries, it was customary to Tip hotel staff for good service. He wanted to make sure he did the right thing. When he first arrived, a helpful bellhop had carried his heavy bags up to his room. Mark thought he should probably Leave a tip for that service. He also noticed that the housekeeping staff did a wonderful job cleaning his room each day, leaving fresh towels and making the bed perfectly. He decided he would leave a small amount of money as a Tip for them before he checked out. He wasn't sure if it was Optional or expected, but he felt they deserved it.

One evening, Mark ate dinner at the hotel's restaurant. The food was delicious, and the waiter was very attentive. When the bill came, Mark looked closely and saw that a "Service charge" of 15% was already included. This meant a Gratuity was already added to his bill for the restaurant service. Because of this, he knew an additional Tip was not necessary, though he could add a little extra if the service was exceptional. He learned that it's always a good idea to check the bill for any included Service charge before deciding how much, or if, to tip. Understanding these customs made Mark feel more comfortable and confident during his travels.

Questions about the Story:

Answer these questions:

Who did Mark consider leaving a tip for after arriving at his room?
What did Mark decide to do for the housekeeping staff?
What did Mark find was already included on his restaurant bill?
What did Mark learn about giving an additional tip if a service charge is included?
How did understanding tipping customs make Mark feel?

Activity 4: Role Play - Asking About Tipping 🎭

Let's pretend! One person is Ms. Sofia (Guest), and the other is Mr. David (Hotel Concierge).

Ms. Sofia (Guest): Excuse me, I'm not very familiar with tipping customs here. Could you give me some advice?

Mr. David (Concierge): Of course, Ms. Sofia. I'd be happy to help. Tipping is generally Optional but appreciated for good service.

Ms. Sofia (Guest): Okay. For example, should I Leave a tip for the housekeeping staff who clean my room?

Mr. David (Concierge): Yes, many guests choose to Leave a tip for housekeeping, perhaps a small amount daily or at the end of their stay.

Ms. Sofia (Guest): And what about at the hotel restaurant? Is a Gratuity expected?

Mr. David (Concierge): At our restaurant, a Service charge of 12% is automatically added to the bill. So, an additional Tip is not necessary unless you feel the service was exceptional.

Ms. Sofia (Guest): That's good to know about the Service charge. What about for someone who helps with luggage?

Mr. David (Concierge): Yes, it's customary to Tip the bellhop a small amount per bag for their assistance.

Ms. Sofia (Guest): This is very helpful. So, it's mostly Optional, but good to check for any included Service charge.

Mr. David (Concierge): Exactly! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Let's Talk About It:

After you read, talk about this:

What did Mr. David say about tipping being Optional?
What did Mr. David explain about the hotel restaurant's Service charge?

Activity 5: Let's Practice - Tipping Decisions ✍️

Help Anna (Guest) complete her part of the dialogue with her friend, Ben, about tipping. Use words and phrases from Activity 2!

Ben: So, Anna, are you planning to tip the staff here at the hotel?

Anna (Guest): Yes, I think it's nice to for good service. I was thinking of giving a to the person who cleaned our room so well.

Ben: That's a good idea. Did you check if there's a included in any of the restaurant bills?

Anna (Guest): I did! For dinner last night, a was already added, so I didn't need to add an extra tip.

Ben: Smart. So, for other services, like the concierge who helped us with directions, is tipping ?

Anna (Guest): I think so, but I might give him a small something anyway because he was so helpful.

Ben: Sounds like a good plan. It's always tricky knowing the customs!

Show Answers! (Activity 5) ✨