Housekeepers are not usually tipped, but you can leave some pounds in the room before you check out. Valet parking services are uncommon in the U.K. and since there's usually a charge, tipping is unnecessary.
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Tipping in hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs in the UK is a kind gesture. Tips are not expected but are greatly appreciated. The most commonly tipped employees are the porters and chambermaids, although in anything less than a 4-star hotel it is rarely common.
At Hotels. Some upscale hotels charge a service fee, but even at those, you might want to reward the employees who help you. Consider a tip of £1–2 for a bellhop who helps with luggage or a doorman who gets you a taxi. It is not necessary to tip housekeeping staff.
According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), guests should tip housekeeping anywhere between $1 to $5 per night for a mid-range or business hotel. For luxury hotels where the staff offers daily cleaning services and nightly turndown services, guests should leave a little more.
Typically, people tip around 10-15% in London, except for when using taxis or public transport, where a smaller tip is frequently accepted. Tour guides do not need to be tipped, but this is up to the customer to decide. Some restaurants add an automatic tip to your bill. This is commonly known as the service charge.
It is polite to tip 10 to 15% of the taxi fare for black cabs and licensed minicabs in London. However, most people simply round up the fare to the nearest £1 and tell the driver to keep the change.
For luxury hotels where the staff offers daily cleaning services and nightly turndown services, guests should leave a little more. For houses and villas, or large suites where there are multiple rooms to clean, consider leaving anywhere from $10 to $20 per night.
Follow the one-euro ruleA good rule of thumb for tipping in Europe is to give at least one euro (or the equivalent in local currency) per service. For example, pay one euro per bag carried up to your room by a bellhop or porter, one euro per day for housekeeping, and one euro per day for breakfast staff.
Tipping hotel housekeeping hasn't traditionally been part of standard practice. As recently as June 2019 the CEO of Hilton said that he “typically do[es] not leave a tip” for housekeepers.
Us dollars are not generally accepted in the UK. Nor, in fact, are Euros. With the exception of places like airport stores, you'll need to use UK currency in cash or a payment card during your time in the UK.
Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip.Some tourists feel like they just have to have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.
The expectation does vary from place to place - in fine dining restaurants where you receive personal service, a tip would always be expected (while never compulsory, it would be considered rude unless there was a problem with the service), whereas in the most casual of restaurants tipping is not universal.
When dining out, a service charge of 12-15 percent may be added to your bill, but the practice is not universal in U.K. restaurants. If you see the service charge on your bill, there's no need to tip. If there's no service charge, tipping at 10 percent is the standard. At pubs, you're not expected to tip.
If you're wondering where to leave your tip, here's a quick answer: Generally, the best place to leave a tip for hotel housekeeping is in a conspicuous spot in the room, such as on the pillow, a desk, or in a thank you note.
Brooke Bergen, a former front desk associate at a five-star hotel, advises tipping anyone in a non-managerial role, “including waiters, valet, bellhops, bar and restaurant staff, front desk staff, concierge, and housekeeping.” When it comes to the continental breakfast, the rules are a little hazier.