Hot discussion on tipping at Las Vegas hotels

More than 35 people have commented on our “Tips on tipping at Las Vegas hotels” post. Here are some of the responses we’ve received from both sides of the tipping line. If you don’t trust that tipping for a better hotel room is a known practice, read our follow up post, “Las Vegas: Has $20 tip trick worked for you?”

Here’s what our readers have to say:

i beleive the comment about tipping to get a better room is just a con, put out by a front line worker at a hotel. tipping to get a better room is terrible idea i beleive people should not tip to get a better room. where would it end. — john banyan

When we went for a bachelor party at a strip hotel, the clerk said he could help us out with an upgrade if we were interested. We gave him a $100 and he upgraded us to a HUGE suite that had an exercise room, a dining table for 10, 2 bedrooms, a media room, a steam sauna, and 2 jacuzzi tubs!!! We felt pretty royal staying there! Our original reservation was for about $400/night in a 900 sq ft suite but that room was about 1800 sq ft and would have cost double and we got it for only $100 more! We “crammed” 12 guys in there for 2 nights by the way so it’s actually a lot cheaper than it sounds. —Ed

I’m so tired of tipping. Why should I leave a tip for a hotel employee when I’m already paying for the room? Why should I tip my manicurist or hairstylist when I’m already paying for the service? I’m okay with tipping for food delivery since the cost of the food is usually the same whether I order delivery or eat in. But we shouldn’t be expected to tip when we are already paying for a service. —RZ

Wow! Having worked for several years as a desk clerk in a Vegas hotel (the Sands back in the 80’s), I had 2 types of surpervisors; one type would look the other way on “upgrade” tips as long as we split the take with him/her, the other type would warn you one time about not undercutting the Hotels profit and fire you if caught a second time. Unless things have changed a lot (and talking to friends still in the business, they haven’t), tipping for room upgrade is NOT encouraged by the hotel and those who do so are effectively cheating the stockholders. Yeah Jen, it happens but the ends don’t justify the means. —Fred Murtz

I use to drive a limo in Vegas. In Vegas you tip to get the service not because of the service. If you don’t want to tip (and many people are stiffs) you must expect poor service. If it offends you then Vegas is not the vacation destination for you. —Joe

As a Casino Employee for over 20 years and a writer for http://www.larryslasvegas.com. I can tell you this. Tipping can’t hurt. If you are a frequent tipper, you will get a lot more for your buck than a non- tipper. Most people in Las Vegas live off tips and are used to this system no matter what hotel policies are. Joe is spot on when he wrote “If you don’t want to tip (and many people are stiffs) you must expect poor service. If it offends you then Vegas is not the vacation destination for you.” —Larry Long

Please don’t lecture me about me doing fair by some corporation. I’m not out for them, I’m out for ME. They have enough of my hard earned dollars. If I can get a few nickels back, so be it. And by the way, for all of you who feel sorry for these billion dollar corporations, have you stopped to think that maybe (just maybe) not all of the rooms or suites in Vegas are occupied every night. If I’m working behind a desk on a slow night…I’m giving you an upgrade and pocketing the $20 (for use later at the Megabucks machine). And I’m sure the next time you visit, you’ll come back…and I’ll be waiting.

I’ts called Sin City, let’s act like it. —Kevin

I can see both sides of the argument here and have valid points. However, it is idiotic to tell customers to “stay home” if they don’t want to tip. The reason that Las Vegas keeps growing is the fact that customers, (tippers and no tippers alike) continue to visit in record numbers. Look at the big picture people. Don’t make naive statements and bite the hand that feeds you. —Jason

Tip - Extra money given after service to show appreciation of a good job done.
Bribe- Extra money given ahead of time to get improper preferential treatment.
What you are describing are bribes, so please call them that. I’m fine with tips and always do tip, but I am not fine with bribes. An employee should be helpful and courteous whether or not I have handed him $100. That is his job and part of what I already bought. If there is an issue over salaries, that needs to be taken up with his employer, not the customer. —Mike

Call it a ‘tip’ or call it a ‘bribe’ I’m fine with both. As long as I get the best for me. It’s the “Me” generation, time to keep up. —Kevin

Read more comments from this discussion, here. If you’ve ever received a better room from tipping a front desk clerk at a hotel, let us know.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 10:09 am by Jen Leo and is filed under Las Vegas, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.