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The art of checking in
Tips for your next hotel stay from a long-time hotelier.
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In his new book, "Heads In Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality," long-time hotel employee Jacob Tomsky details the highs and lows of making your stay comfortable...or nightmarish.
"I’ve worked in hotels for more than a decade," writes Tomsky. "I’ve checked you in, checked you out, oriented you to the property, served you a beverage, separated your white panties from the white bed sheets, parked your car, tasted your room service (before and, sadly, after), cleaned your toilet, denied you a late check-out, given you a wake-up call, eaten M&Ms out of your minibar, laughed at your jokes and taken your money. I have been on the front lines, and by that I mean the front desk, of upscale hotels for years and I’ve seen it all firsthand."
Tomsky says the person at the front desk of the hotel holds the key to the success of your stay, and that a $10 or $20 tip can be the difference between a great stay and a disaster. Upgrades, late check-outs, early check-ins, amenities, free room service -- all of these are under the control of the person checking you in.
"The bellmen are tipped, the doormen are tipped, concierge are tipped, maids are tipped, room service is tipped," laments Tomsky. "The front desk is the only position that is non-tipped, so a little gratuity can go a long way."
Tomsky's Tipping Recommendations:
- Valet: $1-2
- Bellmen: $2 per bag
- Frontdesk Agent: $10-20
- Housekeeping: $5-10 (tip upfront, put it in an envelope with a note of appreciation)
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Seriously?! This is the guy to whom you want to loan the power of the APM megaphone? What a jerk! If I could, based on the things he said in tonight's interview, I would set up HIS room key to fail to function properly. But really, throw me some cash and I'll think about just doing my job as I was trained and am paid to do it.
This twisted fool gets his jollies encouraging hotel staff to join him in playing mean tricks on hapless travelers and Market Place's Sarah Gardner apparently thinks that this is just fine? What a sick society we live in if such behavior is now a social norm. Shame on Market Place for stooping to this new low with a huge waste of air time on this miscreant! To borrow a phrase-- Don't be evil!
As a 25+ year veteran of the hotel business I am embarrassed Mr Tomsky's portrayal of an entire industry, and amazed anyone would give him such a platform. I can assure you the majority of the associates you encounter in a well run hotel are genuinely interested in your guest experience. We are not stomping on your luggage or denying your late checkout because you didn't slip us a $20 at check-in. In the future Mr. T I will thank you to not represent your greedy, disingenuous, and malicious behaviors as that of an entire industry of hard working professionals.
I consider hotel rooms vastly overpriced in the first place, so parting with another $45 for valets, desk clerks, elevator operators, or janitors in the back lot just beyond the pale.
Maybe I would be more inclined towards generosity if, instead of $150, my booked room rate was $50 which, honestly, is what the room really ought to cost.
Your suggestion of gratuity to grease the wheel, sounds more like legalizing bribing.
Many economists would suggest that very soon the whole hotel staff would only earn tips since everyone is getting tips. Restaurants are already aware of the practice, that's why many waiters only live on tips.
The practice will damage the economy overall, because it will create a shadow economy where all salaries are not taxed, no FICA, no Social Security, no medicare, collection anymore.
Gratuity has a nice name, but looks more like legalizing bribing, like we already did to lobbying.
PS: you may edit my comments if you'd like to concise for broadcasting, happy holidays to you and staff.
And you wonder why AirB&B is so big? Tip the check-in desk for doing their job? Are you kidding me? Card bombs? Well Dear Marriott and Choice, I'll be risking the bedbugs at AirB&B and paying more for real B&Bs instead of going to your chains for my next trip to the big apple and any other wonderful place I want to visit.
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