What To Know About Tipping Before Your Stay At An All-Inclusive Resort

Like many, you probably booked an all-inclusive resort to laze, eat, drink, and relax without all the hassle of a regular vacation. In that case, the last thing you want to do is stress about tipping etiquette while trying to enjoy your well-earned vacation days. What if you overtip? What if you undertip? Who are you supposed to tip? Does everyone get a little cash? It can all be confusing, to say the least. Whether you're booking an all-inclusive resort in Fiji or staying at an island getaway in the Caribbean, you'll want to have a strategy for how to handle tipping by the time you're lounging poolside with a cocktail in hand.

While tipping is not required, "all-inclusive" can be a bit of a misnomer. While most resorts include gratuities as part of your stay, like a 10% service charge, it's still customary for travelers to tip the staff as a thank you, especially for service that goes above and beyond. With that said, some resorts, like Beaches, incorporate a no-tipping policy for staff, except for butlers, tour guides, and massage therapists.

What's considered good manners will fluctuate depending on which brand of resorts you're going to and your destination. For example, tipping is often expected and appreciated if you're heading to a resort in the Maldives or Mexico. But in South Korea, Hong Kong, or Japan, leaving cash for staff would be considered offensive. It's always a good idea to do a bit of research ahead of time.

Considering all the folks who make your trip as stress-free as possible, the list of who to tip can soon become dizzying. There are the front desk attendants, butlers, bellhops, valets, servers, bartenders, housekeepers, activities staff, towel hut attendants, and waitpeople in the pool area handing you an endless supply of mojitos. In truth, all of these staff members are often appropriate to tip separately or via a staff-wide tip jar at the end of your trip, depending on how each resort operates. Rather than the typical 20% rule (or more) for everyday interactions in America, you can expect to give out about $20 per day, spread out among staff members.

For example, you might want to budget $1 for the buffet station, bag attendants, and bus drivers, $2 for bartenders (per drink), $2 for housekeepers (per day), $3 for bellhops (per bag), and $5 for concierges, shuttle drivers, and room service. Tour guides and massage therapists are the exceptions to this, as it's considered polite to tip 15 to 20% for specialty treatments or personalized services. If you're hoping for top-notch poolside service, you can also give a large tip upfront, like $10, to ensure the staff remembers your face. If you sit down for ala carte dining at an all-inclusive resort, leave the servers $2 to $3 per person per meal, with a higher tip at fancier restaurants.

Before you embark on your trip, look at the website to see what is included with your stay at the all-inclusive resort and if it mentions any tipping policies. If you can't find anything or the language is vague and up to a guest's discretion, look at social forums like Reddit and Quora for resort-specific threads about tip expectations. If you still can't uncover any intel, call the front desk or ask about the tipping protocol when you arrive.

If you prefer to tip staff members individually, bring $150 to $200 for a one-week vacation, preferably in smaller denominations, so you don't have to ask for change. One great way not to blow your budget is to separate your cash into envelopes for each day of your stay. While tipping in the local currency is appreciated and more convenient for the staff, tourist-heavy destinations like the Caribbean are used to Americans paying with dollars. If you don't have any local currency, carry bills instead of coins so they are easier for staff to exchange.

Of course, tipping is not the only way to show you care. You can also pack a few thank you notes to fill out and give to staff members at the end of your stay. Bringing a few envelopes can also be useful if you want to tip a specific staff member who showed exceptional service, in case you don't see them again before you leave the resort. With the long hours that staff members put in, low wages in some countries, and the annoying guests they sometimes have to put up with, showing your gratitude goes a long way.