Hello All,

We have recently planned and are eager to share in a vacation in SP/BZ with some special family and friends...we looked long and hard and decided, for our most recent of several trips, to secure a private residence/rental for the vacation. Long story really short, we have been surprised by a late communication describing additional costs for "tipping" the private caretakers for what we believe to be basic housekeeping as we are securing most, if not all, other amenities for ourselves. Can anyone let us know what you have typically added as a “gratuity” beyond typical linen service and housekeeping when you are more than willing/able to manage many of the other “touristy” aspects of your stay?!? Of course we have tipped housekeeping in the past, but this time it seems the cost for this service, over and above the cost of the rental, seems high. We are very open to your thoughts and feelings, but feel a bit blindsided by this additional expense on top of what we believe to be a premium (owner set) price for a private location. Thanks in advance for your honest and thoughtful feedback for each week’s “tip.”

With Regards, mnk

I don't know about AC but i was in Cozumel 3 weeks ago and the going rate for the maid at the hotel was 2.o0 usd a day

THANX OESG...we were told another 10% of our cost (substantial enough to begin with), but can't imagine adding that to new family/friends to "la isle bonita" are we that far off or does the homeowner have some serious responsibility to "make ends meet" for these great folks?!? After all, at a resort we would have given even more than your $2 per day, but $400-500?!? is that a reasonable cost to pass on to our friends?????

$400-$500? a day? or for ur stay?

i had some friends that were given the option of maid service for i think $100-$200 per month or per stay depending on how long u stayed for...

IDA...the $400-500 was per week...and still seems a bit extreme in light of the basic cost that one imagines they would pay for basic housekeeping (like any other hotel). We are well aware of the need to offer additional money for our direct hosts, but is $800-$1000 (assuming our renter intended US vs. BZ money) a reasonable addition???

$400 - $500 does seem pretty high for a per week basis... like i said my friends where given the option to pay and additional $100 - $200 for there entire stay... which was about a month! so... to be charged that much per week... i don't know!

personally i do and try to tip the housekeeping when i can... but when ur paying that much more! it's hard to justify that! but u should follow with the landlord or whom ever ur dealing with and really find out what all that charge is including. just let them know that those charges aren't clear to u and u want to kno what they are for exactly!

ida-y,
We already signed acontarct that did NOT state this additional cost. We have always tipped our housekeepers, but this amount in addition to the cost for the rental seems high. We could have stayed at a traditional rental for less than we are paying here and STILL would have tipped our helpers. It just seems odd to have this additonal amount added to the cost. We have contacted the landlord to discuss this discrepancy, but fely hearing from our friends here on the DB would help inform our discussion. THANK-YOU so much for your honest feedback and direction!
- mnk

"signed a contract" and "but felt" sorry

We have always stayed at resorts and we always tipped the help for our 10-14 day stays.There were 2 or 3 of us and we would typically provide $100-150bz apiece.
The location should probably be a consideration, we always stay closer to town, on the south end, but maybe you should consider more if you are more isolated to the North end.
In either event you should probably wait until you are there and do a little "shopping" for this service. My bet is it's competitive and plentiful.
Always better to wait until the service is provided to determine the extent of your generosity!
Don't worry tho, you will have a good time!

Many places on Ambergris add that 10% 'service fee' to their rates. It's always seemed way high to me too. At least if it isn't part of the prepaid rate, you can make sure the people that are doing the work actually get the money and not the owner.