# What do better hotels in the US call ''bellboys"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684 "2012-06-19T22:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/1 "2012-06-19T22:12:27Z")
Addressing most persons of employable age as ‘‘boy’’ would seem to be politically incorrect. What do better hotels in the US call ''bellboys"? A couple of specific examples would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/2 "2012-06-19T22:13:36Z")
Bellhop in some places ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/3 "2012-06-19T22:28:17Z")
I’ve also heard bellman. Or bell staff, if there are men and women. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/4 "2012-06-20T16:55:40Z")
I’ve heard “porter,” too. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/5 "2012-06-20T17:15:38Z")
Bellhops or porters. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/6 "2012-06-20T18:54:22Z")
Bellhops or porters. I’ve at least once been helped by a “bell captain” but I assumed that meant he was king of the bellhops. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/7 "2012-06-20T19:38:19Z")
Bellhops or bellmen or porters. They work at the bell desk. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/8 "2012-06-20T19:46:30Z")
Thank god “bellboy” didn’t get gender-neutralized the same way “bagboy” did. Can you imagine calling the front desk for a “beller”? ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/9 "2012-06-20T19:51:59Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Thank god “bellboy” didn’t get gender-neutralized the same way “bagboy” did. > > Can you imagine calling the front desk for a “beller”? “Can you send someone up to ring my bell?” When I worked in a hotel (the 70s) they were “bellmen” and they were all male. These days, shouldn’t they be bellpersons, or bellhops. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/10 "2012-06-20T20:08:25Z")
Phillip Morris. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/11 "2012-06-20T21:08:10Z")
I’ve even heard, “You can leave your bags with the bell captain,” though that seems like it should be just one person in charge of the other bellhops. Or maybe they’re bell lieutenants… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/12 "2012-06-20T23:57:21Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Bellhops or porters. I’ve at least once been helped by a “bell captain” but I assumed that meant he was king of the bellhops. More of a dictator, really. No primogeniture involved. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/13 "2012-06-21T02:05:58Z")
“Hey, you.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/14 "2012-06-21T02:42:29Z")
In the UK, [Keith Moon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFKWGlrze0) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/15 "2012-06-21T02:49:35Z")
I’ve heard “porter” used for an individual many times, though IME, the people in that position are often collectively referred to as “bell staff.” For example, “The bell staff can take care of that for you; can I get you a porter to help?” ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-better-hotels-in-the-us-call-bellboys/625684/16 "2012-06-21T13:23:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > More of a dictator, really. No primogeniture involved. Are you saying that there are no bell dynasties out there? Disappointing.