Tipping might be a hazy topic in your mind — you've done it before, but you aren't sure how tipping works when it comes to planning your honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort. In addition to that, how do you know if tipping is appropriate in certain situations or not welcome at all? So, to help you figure all this out, I have prepared this quick post for your benefit Do You Have Tip? Before we dive into the specifics, allow me to answer one of the most frequently asked questions: Do I have to tip at an all-inclusive resort, or are the gratuities included at an all-inclusive resort? The rate at an all-inclusive resort includes gratuities. So, the resort will divvy up a certain portion of your per-night rate amongst the team members. While resorts don’t tell you how much, many of the team members are there for 12 hours or more per day every day. It is a pretty grueling schedule where they could potentially work nine days in a row and then have two days off. What the resort gives them isn’t equivalent to the amount of work they put in. With that said, I highly encourage tipping where you feel led. The resort you travel to and the level of service you have paid for (concierge or butler for example) will affect what you should prepare for regarding gratuities. Determining gratuity expectations is something I assist my clients with as they prepare to travel. Let’s get down to some specifics regarding tipping for your all-inclusive honeymoon vacation. The airport porter An airport porter is someone who will assist you with your luggage once you are in destination. While this could be a bit annoying, a porter at the airport may swoop in and can sometimes aggressively start helping you with your luggage. You can certainly decline their assistance, but if you decide to let them help, please give them a tip. $3-$5 is reasonable depending on how much luggage you have. Porters are generally independent and are not employed by the airport, so they work for tips. My theory is to support those who are willing to show up and do something to make a living for their families. Airport shuttle driver The driver that takes you to and from your all-inclusive resort is not employed by the resort. Please be prepared to tip this person for the ride each way. Something that most people don’t factor in is the time involved. Please consider the distance that the driver has to go to get you to your resort and then turn around and head back to the airport for their next assignment. For short distances $5 is sufficient, for longer drives (1.5 hours or more), consider giving at least $20. If it takes them 1.5 hours to get you to your resort, that is a 3 hour roundtrip investment of their time. The Bellhop Hooray! Welcome to the resort. As you step out of the transportation vehicle, the first resort team member who will assist you is the bellhop. He or she will check your luggage and give you luggage tags while you head to the lobby to check into the resort. Once you are checked in, your bellhop will escort you to your room and will likely share some details about the resort and where things are located, as well as share a few features with you regarding your room. Depending on the time invested with you, a $5-$10 tip is recommended. Concierge or Butler Service If you’ve opted in for a higher level of service at your all-inclusive resort, come prepared to tip. If your concierge sets up your dinner reservations or helps you with an issue your room is having, don’t feel compelled to dish out cash. However, if the concierge sets up a special dinner with some surprise touches or goes out of their way to get you something to make your stay special, be sure to tip according to their time invested. Butler service is a bit more hands on generally, but some resorts will have butlers that are really more like concierge. In the case that you have a hands-on butler that is available to you via a cellphone and he or she is in charge of everything your suite needs (managing and communicating with other staff members), setting up your dinner/spa/golf/ reservations, serving you any meal in-suite, saving you chairs at the pool or beach, then this personal level of service should be a per day tip. I suggest a minimum of $20 per day depending on how much you utilize your butler. Again, keep in mind any situations where the butler has gone above and beyond to make your stay and experience special. So overall, anticipate having $10 for small one-off experiences from a concierge, and a minimum $150 for a week of butler service. Waitstaff Imagine you are sitting at the beach enjoying a book or good conversation, and a beach waiter asks what you’d like to drink. You order your beverage of choice, receive it in a few minutes, and quickly realize you have $0 on you. This is pretty typical as most of us head to the beach or pool with only the essentials, especially since we often leave our beach bags unattended from time to time. First, don’t feel compelled to have cash on you when you are enjoying the resort. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, it is okay. Like I said at the beginning, the gratuities are technically included in your all-inclusive rate. If possible, always have a few dollars on you for tips like this. A bartender, pool, or beach waiter will keep the drinks coming for $10 but will also happily accept $1 or $2 per drink. At a restaurant where you are served buffet style, again, don’t stress if you don’t have cash. Since they likely assisted with beverages, you can leave $2-$3 if you want. If you are being served at an a la carte restaurant, consider tipping more. Again, base this on the level of service and the quality of the dining experience. If it was a several-course meal and white-glove service, dish out a bit more. Maybe $20 in this situation. If it is a burger joint, maybe leave $5. Housekeeping As we wrap this up, we can’t forget about housekeeping. Simply said, these resort team members work diligently every day and generally are paid the least.
It’s so nice to come back to a freshly cleaned room, isn’t it? I suggest leaving $5-$10 per day for your housekeeper at an all-inclusive resort. Quick caveat If you are planning an all-inclusive honeymoon to Sandals Resorts, gratuities are not accepted except for butler service. So, a Sandals honeymoon will not have the same gratuity guidelines at the resort as I’ve mentioned above, but you can still tip the porter and shuttle driver as they are not Sandals employees. The best thing to do, is to budget tipping into your overall honeymoon budget. Ultimately, the decision to tip is yours to make, but I've offered a few facts about tipping during your honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort that I hope you have found useful in your decision & budgeting. I hope it helps you have a safe and happy honeymoon! If you want to learn how much a honeymoon can cost you, click here to read my blog about it! If you’re tired of googling every question you have regarding your honeymoon planning, I’d be delighted to chat with you. Below you will find a link to schedule a complimentary discovery session - no strings attached!
0 Comments
When it comes to your destination wedding, choosing a resort venue is one of the most important decisions you'll need to make. And don't be surprised if you get overwhelmed with all of your options — it's natural. And how do you know if you should host at an all-inclusive resort or another resort type? I think you will find this article helpful as you try to find the perfect resort for your destination wedding. If you’re planning a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort, you will want to keep reading, because this article is all about how hosting your destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort benefits you. Let’s get to it! 1. All-inclusive inclusions You may be wondering what is included at an all-inclusive resort. The all-inclusive rate includes the accommodation, all food, all beverages (including alcohol), taxes, fees, and gratuities. So, you can stroll into a restaurant, sit down, open up the menu, order two different meals (because you can’t decide), have as many margaritas as you want, and mosey out when you’re done. So, when it comes to hosting a destination wedding group, the all-inclusive option is a huge win for your wedding guests as they know the cost upfront and don’t have a surprise bill at check out! 2. The Wedding Packages Wedding packages will vary as well as the inclusions, but all-in-all, the wedding packages at all-inclusive resorts are very inclusive and a great value. Especially when you factor in that you have a full wedding planning team at your service to design your dream wedding in paradise. I love how customizable the all-inclusive wedding packages are and the fun touches that can be offered to bring your wedding vision to life. There are even packages available that guarantee you are the only wedding for the weekend, or unique exclusive experiences for a full wedding weekend itinerary. How cool is that? 3. The Venue Options This may be the reason why you are considering a destination wedding - those Instagrammable backdrops! I think the beauty of hosting your destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort are the choices. You could host a welcome cocktail reception, an all-white party, a beach bonfire, a rehearsal dinner, your wedding & reception, and a farewell breakfast all at the same resort, but at different venues giving you completely different styles and experiences. When I consult with clients, the vision for the wedding and all of the private events is a big part of our discussion. Keep in mind that there will be venues that will not work for your group based on the capacity, so be flexible. 4. Less Stress Imagine that all you and your family have to worry about on the day of your wedding is getting ready and showing up! No worrying about setting up, no exhausting late nights tearing down and cleaning up, and no worries about anyone driving home after the celebration. Ahhhh...pure bliss. While you will have decisions to make before your wedding, once you arrive, you’ll have a final meeting with the wedding team and they will take it from there. You seriously can just relax and have fun with your guests knowing that it will all come together, and it will be more amazing than you ever imagined. You can focus on each other instead of a list of things to do. You can focus on your guests and create memories with them. 5. Having a Wedcation If we all took inventory of the weddings we’ve been to over the years, some will be more memorable than others. When your friends and family look back at your wedding, they will always remember it. They will have fond memories of celebrating with you for several days rather than getting five minutes of your attention on one day. They will remember how fun it was when you all went on the catamaran cruise, played beach volleyball, did shots at the pool bar, went dancing at the discotheque, had a spa day, went golfing at an amazing course overlooking the ocean, and played the silly games with the resort entertainment team. They will remember the great conversations playing late-night card games and all the “had to be there” moments. A destination wedding is so much more than a wedding, it truly is a wedcation. And you don’t have to schedule every waking moment. That’s the beauty of the all-inclusive - your guests can decide how they want to spend their time and everything they need will be at their fingertips. 6. All The Amenities If you were on the fence about a destination wedding, my guess is that I have you leaning toward a destination wedding. Well, hold on to your hats, ‘cuz it’s getting even better! When set up correctly, hosting a group at an all-inclusive resort comes with a ton of benefits, freebies, and amenities. This will vary by the size of your group, time of year, and any promotions, but let me share a few examples of what you can earn: free rooms, free events like a welcome cocktail, room upgrades, free wedding packages, honeymoon amenities like a candlelight dinner or breakfast in bed, and more. Learn more about planning a destination wedding here! Here’s the scoop - many couples don’t understand how this works, so they just let their guests know when and where the wedding is so that they can book their trips. The problem is that if your guests all book on their own, you won’t earn any of the amenities you should have. Don’t let that happen to you! Consult with an expert. 7. The Overall Value I suppose this is really just a summary of all the benefits I’ve shared, but I need to emphasize that you can get so much more for your money with a destination wedding. Between the wedding packages, the inclusions with the all-inclusive rate, the fact that it is less stressful, and all the amenities, it is a slam-dunk value!
Not to mention that your honeymoon is all wrapped into it - if you want. Whether you stay a few extra days or transfer to another resort in the area, your travel dollar goes beyond the wedding. In case you need it, I wrote an article about how much a destination wedding costs, you can check it out here. There's no question that the idea of an all-inclusive vacation can be very appealing for your destination wedding. The idea of getting everything you need for your destination wedding in one place can seem almost too good to be true. But it is possible! The best all-inclusive resorts will want to give you a worry-free experience from start to finish. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and want to ensure you get the best value for your all-inclusive destination wedding, I’d be delighted to chat with you. Below is a link to schedule a complimentary Discovery Session - no strings attached! |
Rossana TaylorBilingual English -Spanish Travel Agent Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
|