The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) released guide covering gratuity rates for broad array of service areas

Industry Partner, Forbes Travel Guide, Supports Initiative

Washington, DC, United States, 2013-11-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole U.S. association representing all segments of the lodging industry, is releasing a guide covering gratuity rates for a broad array of service areas, including parking attendants, doormen, housekeepers, and room service.  Released in time for the busy holiday travel season, the guide helps guests determine voluntary monetary ranges for services rendered by hotel staff throughout a guest’s stay.

Among the recommendations:

• Tip concierges from $5-10, depending on how involved the service (booking a restaurant versus hard-to-get tickets) or a lump sum upon departure.
• Tip housekeepers and housemen $1-5 per night.  The tip should be left daily in a marked envelope or with a note.
• For special requests (like an extra blanket), tip $4 for one item, $1 for more.  Tipping is not required for someone fixing something broken or bringing something missing.

“The hotel industry is an area of high career growth, and for many of our 1.8 million U.S. hotel employees it is the pathway to the American dream,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO.  “AH&LA’s Gratuity Guide provides guests with valuable information on how to best acknowledge superior service – at their discretion – received during their hotel stay.”

According to Michael Cascone, president, Forbes Travel Guide, which is promoting the guide, “Hotel staff are the heartbeat of luxury hospitality. When service goes above and beyond expectations, gratuities represent a deserved reflection of a guest’s appreciation. A gratuity can be a monetary gift, and is often accompanied by a written note of appreciation. At luxury hotels, it is not unheard of for guests to occasionally lavish high value gifts on hotel employees in recognition of exemplary service.”

To download a copy of the AH&LA Gratuity Guide, visit www.ahla.com.

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Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.  About Forbes Travel Guide  Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide, is the originator of the prestigious Five Star Rating system, and has provided the travel industry’s most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against up to 800 rigorous and objective standards, providing consumers the insight to make better-informed travel and leisure decisions. Forbes Travel Guide is the gold standard for luxury hospitality ratings worldwide. For more information about Forbes Travel Guide, visit www.forbestravelguide.com.

ForbesTravelGuide.com combines the objectivity and heritage of the Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating system with insightful recommendations from a hand-selected group of travel experts, tastemakers and Forbes Travel Guide inspectors. ForbesTravelGuide.com is the exclusive online destination for Forbes Travel Guide’s list of Star Rated hotels, restaurants and spas, and gives its registered members exclusive access to special offers and curated experiences from select Forbes Travel Guide partners.

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