Should I pay the valet?

Tip even if valet parking is a free service at the hotel. Whether valet parking is complimentary or incurs a fee, it is customary to tip at least a dollar. It's customary to tip both when dropping off and picking up your car. Most people do both, as the valet staff may differ for your arrival and departure.



People Also Ask

Your valet should be treated just like the other hotel staff — if you've received a service, send them a tip.

MORE DETAILS

The downside of valet parking is that it can be expensive. Most venues charge a fee for this service, and it can add up quickly if you use it frequently. In addition, you may have to wait for a valet attendant to return your car, which can take some time.

MORE DETAILS

Valet parking is usually safer than parking yourself and valets park hundreds of cars every week of all shapes and sizes. They know what they're doing. Plus, When valets park in valet-only areas, they are moving vehicles along with a handful of other valets that are used to working together.

MORE DETAILS

Many locations and events that provide valet parking provide extra touches such as bringing the car up front, having the doors opened for the guest, and in rare cases cleaning and detailing of the vehicle.

MORE DETAILS

On nights that aren't busy and the “valet full” sign isn't on display, a $20 tip is often enough to have them leave your car up front. While this isn't a big deal at a lot of the smaller, free valets, it can save a lot of time (even more than a “first up”) at large paid ones.

MORE DETAILS

After all, you want to show your appreciation for their service, but you also don't want to overdo it or feel uncomfortable. If you're short on time, here's a quick answer to your question: The standard tip for valet parking at a 5-star hotel is $5-$10 per vehicle.

MORE DETAILS

You don't have to tip excessively. A typical gratuity is between $2 and $5, depending on the quality of the service delivered. Offering less than a dollar is not customary and may be insulting.

MORE DETAILS

As we said above, a good rule of thumb for tipping a valet in 2023 is between $3 and $5. Most people tip right in the middle ($4). Keep in mind, this is a baseline. If your driver does something to go above and beyond the call of duty, you can always tip more to show recognition of that extra effort.

MORE DETAILS

While there's no hard-and-fast rule, it's generally expected that you leave an average tip of $5 per car for hotel valet. But that amount could either go up or down depending on the level of service you receive. For example, did the parking attendant go above and beyond to make sure your car was parked safely?

MORE DETAILS

Yes you should tip every time you pick up the car. Drop off it is not necessary or expected.

MORE DETAILS