Maybe I’m overthinking this, but that’s what I do. To celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, Ivylad and I will be spending a week in Key West at this hotel. We visited Key West when we were dating and stayed at a Ramada Inn with a lovely view of the dumpster in the back parking lot. Still, we had a great time, and we thought, one day… (Yes, I have the most recent What to Do in Key West thread bookmarked and will be consulting it as we get closer.)
The thing is, Ivylad and I are not society people. Oh, I know how to dress for an occasion and conduct myself professionally, but when it comes to high-end stuff, I get a bit intimidated. Ivylad, of course, couldn’t care less.
I don’t want to appear as if we just fell off the turnip truck to the hotel staff. We know to tip the porter $1 a bag, but there’s a resort fee. From the reviews I’ve read at this hotel, that’s to cover employees delivering you towels and ice-pops while you’re on the beach. Is that all it covers? Do we tip them? What about the concierge…there are some things we’d like to do while we’re in Key West. Do we tip the concierge for making the arrangements or making suggestions?
If there’s anything I haven’t thought of, please let me know. I’m really looking forward to this trip and I want to go in confident that we’re not going to make a faux pas. And if I’m being a silly worrywort, let me know that too.
We generally stay at upscale hotels, and in my experience you needn’t worry- you certainly won’t be the only “first-timers” staying there!
I tip bell staff at least 2 per bag, even if the resort fee claims to cover it, because those guys work hard and I want to be sure that they get the . Generally, a resort fee covers use of the fitness center, a USA Today every morning on weekdays, maybe a couple of bottled waters in your room every day- that sort of thing. I couldn’t find it on the website but they don’t usually spell it out until check in- we do large conferences and I’m going from memory based on our contracts.
Use the concierge, and be sure to ask for suggestions. I don’t tip the concierge at luxury hotels, but if I get some great recommendations I will usually drop a nice note to the general manager.
Don’t worry too much. The truly rich are off in their vacation homes where they can’t raise eyebrows. These places are made for people like you, even if they put on a bit of a show claiming not to be. Just remember that half the people around you are probably deeply in debt and don’t really have the kind of money or background that they appear to have.
And don’t worry about the hotel staff judging you. They meet so many weirdos who don’t know how to behave in any part of a society that a normal person like you won’t even register on their radars. Anyway, they almost certainly prefer an average person to the upper-middle-class strivers who usually populate these places. That particular demographic is very insecure about their social position and manifests that by being very difficult and hard-to-please customers and giving hotel staff a hard time on purpose in order to show off their wealth. I’ve worked in somewhat nice hotels, and I’ve worked at the Super 8. And every time I’ve preferred the customers at the Super 8 because they are actually glad to be on vacation and don’t get off by hassling desk clerks.
Okay, well, I feel better. I guess it’s better to tip than not, and Ivylad and I are saving our pennies for this trip, so we can enjoy ourselves without worrying about paying for it later.
To celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, Ivylad and I will be spending a week in Key West at this hotel. We visited Key West when we were dating and stayed at a Ramada Inn with a lovely view of the dumpster in the back parking lot. Still, we had a great time, and we thought, one day… (Yes, I have the most recent What to Do in Key West thread bookmarked and will be consulting it as we get closer.)
