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Forums Hotel loyalty schemes IHG One Rewards Kimpton Fitzroy discretionary service charge on room rate Reply To: Kimpton Fitzroy discretionary service charge on room rate

Ruralite 48 posts

A discretionary service (which since October has, by law, to be passed on to staff) isn’t the same as a resort fee which purports to offer some specific benefit(s) and Americans are used to paying both.

If people are balking at paying this charge, I hope they are at least tipping housekeeping and any other relevant staff.

What’s funny is that I would think most people probably tip their hairdresser and pay the 12.5%+ discretionary added to restaurant bills, perhaps

because they would be embarrassed to be seen to be mean, but when asked to pay a much smaller percentage to a range of ‘hidden’ staff they refuse ‘on principle’. It doesn’t really add up.

We do normally happily tip housekeeping, restaurant staff etc if service is satisfactory. We don’t if it isn’t & last week I actually asked (with no embarrassment whatsoever) for the 12.5% discretionary to be removed from a restaurant bill in central London because the service was appalling. Maybe it isn’t the same as a resort fee, partly because resort fees are (as far as I have encountered them) notified in advance and in the UK additional charges that may be payable should also be notified at booking so that customers (and that is what we are despite the term ‘guests’ often being used) are aware.

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