How much to tip a hotel concierge in the United States (2026 Guide)
$5–$20 for reservations; $50+ for hard-to-get bookings
Tipping calculator
Cultural notes
Concierge tipping is one of the few areas where US norms are sliding scale by effort, not flat-rate. No tip is required for asking the concierge for restaurant recommendations, directions, or basic info — they are salaried for that. Tipping kicks in when the concierge does real work on your behalf: $5–$10 for securing a standard reservation, $10–$20 for booking a popular restaurant or theater tickets, and $20–$50+ for genuinely hard-to-obtain reservations, last-minute show tickets, or anything that required them to pull strings. Tip at the moment they deliver the goods, in cash, in an envelope at higher-end properties.
Common mistakes
Tipping the concierge for things that are not really concierge work (like asking where the gym is). Or undertipping a concierge who got you into a fully-booked restaurant — that is exactly the moment they expect $20+.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tip the hotel concierge?
Only if they perform a specific task for you, like securing a reservation, arranging transport, or sourcing tickets. Casual questions about directions or hotel amenities do not require a tip. Tipping is by effort, not interaction.
How much do I tip the concierge for a hard-to-get dinner reservation?
$10–$20 for a popular restaurant, and $20–$50 for a venue that is normally fully booked or required them to call in a favor. Hand the tip in cash, ideally in an envelope, when they hand you the confirmation.
Can I tip the concierge in advance to motivate effort?
Generally avoided in US etiquette — it can read as a bribe. The norm is to tip after the task is completed, scaled to how difficult the request was.
Tipping other services in the United States
- Sit-down restaurant18–20% of the pre-tax bill (15% is the floor)
- Counter / takeawayOptional — $1–$2 or up to 10% if you tip
- Café$0.50–$1 per drink, or skip the prompt
- Bar$1–$2 per drink, or 18–20% on a tab
- Housekeeping$1–$5 per night, left daily
- Porter$2 per bag ($4–$5 heavy or oversized)
- Taxi15–20% of fare, $2 minimum
- Rideshare15–20% of fare, $2–$3 minimum
- Food delivery15–20% of subtotal, $5 minimum
- Grocery delivery15–20% of subtotal, $5 minimum
- Hairdresser18–20% of service cost
- Spa18–20% of service cost
- Tour guide$5–$20 per person for group tours; 15–20% for private tours
- Tattoo artist20–25% of the total price
- Valet$3–$5 at retrieval; $5–$10 at luxury hotels
- Airport baggage$2 per bag standard, $3–$5 for heavy/oversized
- Busker$1–$5 if you stopped to listen
- Movers$20–$60 per mover, or 15–20% of total bill
- TradespersonNot expected; $20–$50 cash for exceptional or emergency work
Tipping a hotel concierge in nearby countries
Last verified: · Sources: smartertravel.com, emilypost.com, afar.com