Disgusting new tipping trend at luxury hotels angers guests: ‘Free money from stupid people’

Rewards are being made for free.

Asking for tips has now become common behavior, from coffee shops to fast food restaurants – even airlines and amusement parks.

And while swiping a few bills at the hotel clerk to get better treatment is an age-old tradition, some guests are reporting a disturbing new trend at luxury properties — where appeals for extra financial consideration are actually made directly to the desk. of waiting.

A disbelieving reader of the popular travel blog A View From The Wing reported their experience checking into the Marriott LaSalle in Bryan, Texas, where they were “given a tip-pushing piece of paper with their key at check-in “.

And another told the site’s Gary Leff that while they had read the post and felt “glad we don’t stay at Marriotts very often anymore,” they were quickly shocked to receive the same treatment after checking into the Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall Boston.

“We … ignored the request for a tip,” the astute traveler confesses.

Leff suggested the idea was a twist on a Las Vegas tradition where guests tip the front desk in exchange for a room upgrade.

“You swipe the money with your credit card and ask if upgrades are available (ideally mentioning the type of room you want) and if they can do it, they pocket the money,” he explained.

The difference is that in those cases the guest is getting something for their “bribe,” while these resorts’ version is a “sneaky” scam, according to Leff.

“The visitor is expected to pay the front desk clerk, for what exactly?” raved travel enthusiasts, calling the policy a way to get “free money from stupid people.”

The alleged incident comes amid a flurry of complaints about customers being pressured to leave extra cash – even in places where the service is almost non-existent.

A June poll by Bankrate found that 32% of Americans were annoyed by pre-entered tip screens, while 30% thought the current tipping culture has gotten out of hand.