Hi

We tended to leave a couple of dollars a day for the maid, with a bit more at the end and similar amounts in the a la cartes and for the bar waiter service. I think we tipped the bellboy 5 dollars. However at no point did you feel a tip was being waited for and particularly in the bars you had to be quick to give them one before they disappeared! It isn't a huge amount of money to us, but to the Mexicans who have very low wages it is welcome.

Pam

hi keepupwith,
having just read your comments and also returned from gran bahia principe in mexico,we went by our own judgement which was similar to your advice.thanks anyway for your advice.
i totally agree with what you say regarding that they dont put you under any pressure whatsoever.

our experience of the rui hotels in mexico last year was that if you did not tip your room cleaner they accidently forgot to replace whatever you commonly used out of your room fridge.
in the sunscape hotel in dom rep last week the cleaner did the same this time with our room coffee sachets. the waitress's who walked around the pool/beach areas asking if you wanted a drink,favoured those who tipped her and omitted the rest,also if you were drinking at a bar your glasses were refilled with a slice of lime/lemon and beer mat placed underneath before you had finished the drink if you tipped .if you did not tip, the bartender seemed to loiter away from you deliberately to keep you waiting.my wife and i tipped at the end of the week to those that were friendly and hard working, the americans seemed to tip more regularly but were often very curt to the staff.

We recently returned from a 2 week break at the Riu Caribe in Cancun. We tipped as we were going along but my mother and father in law tipped at the end of the 2 weeks. We had a problem with our mini bar being filled whereas the in-laws in the next room had no problem whatsoever (and we tipped, they never). Our drinks always had lime/lemon in them and a beer mat placed under! And they are always asking if there was anything else we needed! The service at the Riu hotels is very professional. Our friends were at the Gran Caribe Real at the same time and they also agreed with us. Nothing is too much bother for the workers in Mexico whether you tip or not. I hope you find the same when you get there!