tipping in Argentina

Tipping the staff at hotels is generally common. Leave the doorman or porter at least one peso per bag, but two to three would probably be better. Leave the maid a few pesos every day, especially if you want to receive a fantastic service. Some people don't tip the maid until the day they are checking out. This is fine, but you may receive better service if you leave money throughout your stay.

If you go on a paid tour it's good etiquette to tip your guide around 10-20% especially if he or she was thorough and helpful. If this was not the case leave a smaller gratuity. If you go on a “free” tour, you should leave your guide around 100 pesos for a typical 3-hour tour. If the “free tour” lasted longer than this, tip a little more. If you were unhappy with your tour you should still leave a gratuity, just leave a little less and explain your concerns.

If you are going to a Spa make sure to tip 15-20% of your total bill. Spa services seem to be cheaper in Argentina than elsewhere, but the spa workers make more money off of their gratuities. When getting a massage be liberal with your tips (assuming that your massage was a good one!). If you are not satisfied with your services, do not feel the need to leave a gratuity and make sure you speak to the manager to voice your opinion.

Tipping in restaurants in Argentinian is never mandatory, but certainly desired. If you receive good service and want to leave something, 10% is usually more than enough. However, if your service was awful, don’t feel as though you must leave a gratuity. On the other hand, if your service was fabulous and you want to leave more than 10%, your extra generosity will be appreciated. It is also important to note that you probably won’t see a “tip” section on your bill, so it is a good idea to bring some spare cash. To make sure your waiter or waitress receives your tip you should it directly to them and not leave it on the table.