I tipped all week with US dollars,at the end I give my favorites 20 a piece,and they were worth every penny, and made sure they seen us before we departed,can't wait to go back
Advice from a past bartender of ten years. Try to get to know their first name, make eye contact, tip really well on the first drink (1st impression), then tip reasonably on every trip to the bar. Oh yeah don't bang your cup or bottle on the bar, don't hold your money up in the air like you are trying to outbid everyone else, and #1 rule....don't be a dick! Bartending is hard work and can be fun and rewarding, dealing with douchebags is never fun for anyone.
First I tip at home, but I'm not a big tipper unless service is outstanding. (Service professionals please don't be hating but then I'm not a picky person that expects a lot. Our first year at TTR was not prepared for tipping as its advertised as an all inclusive resort. I had some cash and exchanged more to have more to tip with by the end of the trip. On the second trip I came prepared. 20-50 peso's a day to the maid and I never purchased a bottle of water again. We had at least 2 to 3 large liter bottles in our room at all times. To purchase at the on site convenience store would be 100-120 peso's. On the first night one of our group singled out one of the waiters at Patio's and gave him $20. We never had empty glasses even though there was 8 of us. Each night he found us as the party started and made sure we were taken care of all night. When we saw haw hard they work for only a few dollars a day and how grateful they were for a few bucks we made sure to bring some paso's. On the other hand we see many many people that don't tip or hardly tip and no one looks at them funny and they seem to get great service with a smile every time too.
No hating here. Any good ex-server is the hardest one to please. I'm very picky about the service I receive. If the service is great so is the tip. And vice versa. Any server who bitches about never getting tipped isn't doing something right! I have had service so bad that I left a tip written on a napkin...."You need to find another line of work!" From what I read about TTRs bartenders, no napkin will be needed!
We would much rather pay more per day then to have to deal with tipping 10 times a day. At least we now know to bring some cash...and speedo's with pockets!
