A question to my readers who are World of Hyatt Globalist members, do you add gratuity when signing your breakfast bill even though gratuity is included?
Hyatt Globalist Breakfast Gratuity: Do You Add It?
For years, I’ve added gratuity to my breakfast bill…I figured I had to sign for the breakfast, why not sign for the gratuity too? My concern was that if I did not, the waiter or waitress would end up with the short straw and get nothing.
Here’s how Hyatt defines its Globalist breakfast benefit:
When staying at a participating hotel or resort that has a Club lounge, Globalists will receive access to the Club lounge. When staying at a participating hotel or resort that does not have a Club lounge (or if Club lounge is closed), Globalists will receive daily complimentary full breakfast (which includes one entrée or standard breakfast buffet, juice, and coffee, as well as tax, gratuity and service charges) for each registered guest in the room, up to a maximum of two (2) adults and two (2) children. The age cut-off for a “child” is determined by each hotel or resort in its sole discretion.
As you can read, tax, gratuity, and service charges are included…
Some hotels make it very simple. For example, the Hyatt Regency Chicago O’Hare does not even present a bill for it breakfast buffet for Globalist members. But most do and I’ve always added the gratuity unless it was already added (some hotels add gratuity automatically but still leave an extra line for an additional tip).
But during my last trip report, a reader questioned the practice, saying he never leaves a tip because it is included and if not, he has to argue to have it removed during checkout.
Yes, there have been times in which the breakfast bill has been removed but the gratuity, but my Globalist concierge has always taken care of it…and at least for me, it does not happen all that often.
Am I doing this right? Do other Globalists also leave a line-item tip? How often do you have to fight to get it removed from your final folio?
No
Yes, I would
When I travel overseas, I don’t tip, as I know the staffs are well paid, plus if I add a tip to the bill, I doubt the waiting staffs will actually get the tip. If I have exceptional service, I will just leave them a cash tip.
However when I travel in the US, I always tip and prefer leaving a cash tip to adding to my bills. I always travel with a stack of $1 and $5 bills and will just leave them on the table, give them directly to the waiter/waitress, or leave them inside the leather bill wallet/envelope (whatever you call that). The amount of tips will depend on what I have and how the service goes, but $5 is my minimal.
For Hyatt Place/House with free breakfast, I rarely leave a tip unless they have a tip jar out. I always tip if I ask for fresh egg dishes. I understand the argument from both sides, but since I have closed family members, who work in hospitality, I always tip, unless the service is truly atrocious.
Everyone’s answer should be no.
Stop perpetuating the tipping culture!
Understand how this could be very confusing. In the U.S., states and cities can determine minimum wage (doesn’t really make sense), but in some states like Texas, an employee who’s job includes tipping as compensation allows employers to credit estimated tipping against state minimum wage. As a result, servers in Texas can be paid as low as $2.90 per hour in 2025! The last time this was increased was 1991. When I was a hotel restaurant server, my hourly wage was $5.50 per hour and my hotel HR was proud to offer this higher hourly wage. Add to this the fact there is no requirement for medical/family leave days, you don’t have any usuable vacation days after a full year (it accumulates over your first year of employment), one usually has a 90-day wait period for employer sponsored insurance that will at minimum cost $150 per month with a $1,000 annual deductible. All in all, it’s hard for these folks.
Outside Texas, some (progressive) cities (LA, San Fran, DC, Seattle, NYC, etc.), have more sensical approaches, and minimum wages of $15+ p/hour are common, however, I still tip as costs of living is much higher in those cities.
Tipping 15-20% is the norm ACROSS the U.S.A., unless you see it included in the check already. If included, it must be disclosed as a service fee or gratuity, but again, service fee may not always be gratuity. That said, if you have bad service, tip accordingly…
Some Hyatts have done this, some do not.
No.
Gratuity is included, so why are you complicating the matter by potentially having to fight to have the charge removed? Just sign the check and be done with it.
Lately,I’ve seen more Hyatt properties include mandatory tipping in the final bill of restaurants. They claim corporate has green lighted this practice.
Being a Brit, I wouldn’t add a gratuity to anything. It’s the employer’s problem to pay their staff appropriately not mine.
I have always read that line to mean that as a Globalist, I will pay nothing IF I decide to tip. I always add a tip though and I have never had to fight the front desk or email my concierge to have it removed. Personally, I wouldn’t expect the restaurant/hotel to tip them if I didn’t write anything based on that language.
In fact, the only time I haven’t tipped is at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. I remember this because I took a photo of the bill since they stamped on the receipt “15% Service Charge Included”. I thought this was an excellent way to handle the benefit and remove the ambiguity you are highlighting here.
Yes. And I don’t care about getting it removed at checkout. Most hotel breakfast restaurants, unless it’s very high end, aren’t that busy and the servers don’t make much and we have more than enough. If my breakfast for 2 is $150, like at the Park Hyatt NY, I may be annoyed at adding $30 for that.
I don’t believe the question can be answered without knowing how it’s handled in house. Is the employee tipped by the house 18-20%?
I personally have been in the hospitality industry, have the resources to do it, and over tip. Because I know the struggles of many in the business and don’t mind helping.
In this case if they aren’t being covered by the house it’s absolutely necessary to tip them regardless of one’s feelings on tips. If they are being covered, it’s still a nice gesture that won’t hurt any globalist.
There is extreme diversity in practice. Some hotels (Grand Hyatt SFO) will tell you that gratuity is included and tell you not to leave anything additional. Other hotels will not present you a bill (Hyatt Centric San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf). Still others will have you leave a tip and cover it (Hyatt Regency SOMA). Finally, I have been told explicitly that gratuity is not included and have seen it flow to my bill (Mar Monte Hotel).
Generally no, though there have been times where the service was exceptional. In those instances, I’ll leave behind some cash.
I always add because it costs me nothing and it helps out the waiter. I almost never have to fight to have it removed, I remember maybe just once and it was taken care of right away.