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Hotel Gratuities (Germany & Switzerland)

When I was in Germany & Switzerland last winter and I checked out of hotels using a credit card, the bill I had to sign often had a line for "Gratuity/Tip". Is it common for people to tip upon checkout in those countries? If so, what percentage?

Posted by
8943 posts

No, the hotel probably uses the same credit card form for the restaurant. You never tip the front desk, unless they have done extraordinary concierge service for you.

One usually only tips the housekeeper and that should be on a daily basis unless it is a very small B&B or pension and they only have one housekeeper. Larger hotels will often switch staff around every day. If you only tip on the last day, the person who cleans your room after check out may keep the whole tip and not share it. It doesn't have to be much, but housekeepers really, really, appreciate it.

Posted by
124 posts

Thanks for the reply. That was my guess.