Service Charge or Tip

Just to let you know that the Royal Palm and I would guess the Flamingo since they are both Hilton properties charge a 15% SC on orders at the pool bar and the Cabana restaurant. So that $2
Happy Hour beer is really $2.60. Last night at the Astra restaurant for dinner we asked the waitress who was really good with us, who gets the 15% and she said that it is shared by everyone so we gave her a little extra. On the other hand if you go to our favorite breakfast restaurant Reveil Matin on your bill they list a 15% Tip, at least they are honest about it. But when your server Kareen sends 2 Mimosa's over to our table without even asking us, she got a big tip. By the way Reveil Matin is cash only, just so you know

I don't have a huge problem with restaurants adding an extra 15% tip, so long as they don't lie about it and claim it's some kind of tax, etc. We normally tip 20%, unless the service is horrid. The server gets less from us as a result, as when there is an auto-tip, we very rarely add anything extra. Their loss.

Sounds like you ran into Kareen again. She is a quality person. Please give her my regards.

I pretty much never ask. IF there is anything added, I sometime add more for special service or a special person. There is a good chance you are not going to get the straight story when it comes to anything added to the bill.

ENJOY!

Yes we did and she is a wonderful person to be around. There was hugs and kisses when she saw us. I will definitely relay your message.

The restaurants and bar at both Royal Palm and Flamingo are private vendors and are not associated with what was once Diamond and now Hilton. Royal Palm vendor is a different vendor than at Flamingo.

Scuba--since you are at Flamingo, I guess you are lucky, as the vendor at Royal Palm is terrible.

I could be mistaken but I was under the impression the vendor at Royal Palm was relatively new, assuming we’re talking about the same place. We attended a very nice cocktail party there in November - the drinks were very good and the appetizers were all excellent as was the service. It was a lovely evening with no complaints about the venue or the experience.

Pat--if that is so, that is EXTREMELY good news for those who stay at Royal Palm.

The evening we were there it was a private party hosted by an owner and we thought it was lovely. If I’m wrong in my thinking then I can only add the ‘old’ owners have come a long way.

Pat--Sharon has some special privileges, so perhaps it was totally a private party.

Yes. The food and service was spot on this last trip in May at Flamingo.

Carol,
It was a totally PRIVATE party and she is a very special lady so perhaps she does have special privileges. In any event, it was a very good evening.

Scuba but did you notice if they added a service charge at either the pool bar or the small restaurant/bar at the other end of the building. We are staying there the end of March next year for a week and then moving to BSV for 3 weeks and then back to Flamingo for a few days before we leave.

No service charge was added at the pool bar for drinks. Not sure if it was added at the eatery but if it was it was worth it.

Pat--Glad you enjoyed your evening. That's all that matters!

Whale Tail--would appreciate knowing, if you can find out, if the vendor has changed at Royal Palm. Those people have been a thorn in the side of those staying at Royal Palm for years.

Will see what I can find out. As this is the first time we have stayed at Royal Palm we have no previous reference points but I can say we have had breakfast and my wife had a Greek salad at the Cabana Restaurant for lunch and both were good.

Whale Tail--you might check with some of the timeshare owners for that question. Trust me, in the past, that restaurant and the bar were horrible.

A private catering service could have put it on if it was a private party with the restaurant owners permission or rental fee. Would be nice to find out if vendor has changed

Good Idea Carol, we have met a few timeshare owners that we talk to almost everyday at the pool/pool bar area that have been here for years so yes they should know. When we arrived we were given a white rubber band that we were told to wear while we are on the property which we don't as it would interfere with my tan Lol. But the timeshare owners seem to wear their blue rubber bands everywhere, must be a status thing. Some have said why aren't you members so that we could save money on our stays and our view is we don't want to be committed to the same place every year, which may be more expensive but it also gives us the freedom to pick and choose every year on where to hang beach towels.

Whale Tail--for sure, I personally don't get the whole 'timeshare' thing. Please post if you post any more info regarding the restaurant proprietors.

Glad to see they are initiating the wristband. Been lobbying for that at Flamingo for years. Too many locals living up the hill that come down to use our pool with all their kids. 👍

Scuba will let you know about Flamingo wristbands. When we went to La Vista for breakfast the other day we stopped in at the Flamingo pool to say hi to Eisa (sp?) the pool bartender and she was disappointed we were staying at Royal Palm. So we told her we would come and spend an afternoon at the Flamingo pool and visit once again.

Good thing about sister resorts is you can use both for parking and amenities. Enjoy.

According to Sharon, except for the soup and cake, all else including excellent service was provided by staff of the restaurant. Old or new, I don't know. But all of it was very well done

Thanks.

Elaine--thanks. Maybe there's hope yet for folks who stay at RP!!

There were no wristbands at Flamingo last week.

How did you enjoy your stay there?

I didn't stay there, my friend did. She enjoyed her unit, but the service was definitely not what it should be. Her bill was totally incorrect the entire time she was there, and wasn't corrected until the last day. Housekeeping didn't come when they were supposed to, and when they did, they didn't remove the used towels. Hopefully they'll get the kinks worked out eventually. The resort is lovely.

Hi everyone!!! It’s been too long since I have posted here but I want to get back in the game!! I hope all the members have been well & back enjoying the island we all love💖. A big hello & much respect to Carol, Eric & JD for continuing to provide a place for people to talk about SXM.

Regarding the restaurant at Royal Palm it is the same owners, however one of their daughters runs it now & she is a graduate of a US culinary school. The food & service is a complete 180 from what was & Kreta, the daughter, goes out of her way to make sure the food is all fresh. I did have my 70th birthday cocktail party there & I was extremely happy with everything they provided. They made all of the appetizers from scratch & they were delicious. Elaine was correct that the only things not from the restaurant were my cakes & the pumpkin soup made by our island son. I also think they were very kind to let me bring in some food from the outside. We have also eaten there several times over the last 8 months & the food has always been good, which is why I was comfortable having my party there. While I don’t like automatic service charges it’s hard to find a restaurant here that doesn’t add it on. What I do disagree with & I do plan on telling her is the service charge on drinks at the bar. People don’t want to be charged $2.00 & change at the bar & I feel it’s a mistake on their part.

To Carol: The Queen should get special privileges🤣🤣🤣🤣

Sharon--first, welcome back!!! You are welcome anytime!!

With regard to Royal Palm, very glad to hear that the food is better. RP 'owners' deserve better.

Take Care, best wishes, Queen of SXM!!!!

To quote SharonfromSXM "People don't want to be charged $2.00 & change at the bar". I have absolutely no problem being charged $2.00 at the bar for a Happy Hour beer and tipping $1.00 to the server it makes me feel good that I just gave a 33% tip. But when I'm charged $2.60 for a Happy Hour beer and in order to reach that 33% by adding .40 cents to the bill it makes me feel cheap.
So if I add additional $1.00 to the $2.60 plus .40 cent bill it makes me feel that I'm paying too much. I just left the bar 15 minutes ago and I haven't met a server that I didn't like.
My math might be wrong but I hope you get my point.

Math is hard after six beers.

Good one. And yes it is

Good to see you back. Glad to hear something positive about the situation there are Royal Palm.

Hi Sharon--nice to see you here!
Just a quick comment---the food at your party was excellent, as was the service and friendliness
of the servers.
A perfect evening!

I'm not following this. Is the service charge added if you are at the bar or if you are served on a lounger?
At the bar, I don't agree with that policy.
At a lounger where the server brings your beverage is different. Lot's of people stiff servers.
They order and leave.
My two cents worth as ex restaurant mgr.
Cheers
i

irina can't say for sure about the lounger bills because we haven't ordered from the beach, but the loungers orders are rung up from the pool bar so I would say that the beach bills would include the service charge

Last night at a delicious dinner at Sublime our server brought the check and I said that you have added a 15% service charge and he replied that was a Gov't tax. When I questioned it he said that 10% was for the Gov't and 5% went to the server. I think that was BS. Has anyone asked the Gov't for a definitive answer on this if so I would like to know. I think they add 15% to the bill and hope for another 15% on top of that for a total of 30% gratuity. It kind of left a sour taste in my mouth after a wonderful dinner. The night before we had dinner at Jax's and no service charge was added to the bill.
Just be honest with me and I'll return again and again.

There is not a 10% government tax. The 15% is service. Period.

As Georgia stated, the 15%/10% is NOT a government tax. There is (or at least there used to be) a Turn Over Tax (TOT) of 5% but businesses are NOT supposed to add it as a separate line item. Somewhere I have a copy of the SXM TOT document but can't locate it right now but I will provide a link that addresses some of the taxes on SXM.

I have found it best NOT to ask as you open yourself up to being misled, confused and often duped into tipping more than you would otherwise. I have found in over 30+years of visiting, it is best NOT to ask. Honestly, I have only found ONE restaurant owner to be honest about this and he no longer owns the restaurant.

TAX LINK

No, that is an absolute LIE. There is no government tax on the Dutch side that is supposed to be passed on to the consumer. The Dutch side DOES have turnover tax, which is 5%, by the way. But the rules state that TOT is not supposed to be added on as a surcharge on the bill to the consumer. We had a similar situation at Astra. Wonderful meal, and then the server claimed that the 15% on the bill did not go to the server at all, and wanted us to add more. We declined.

Thanks JD and GoKaye for the answer. In the future I will pay the bill with the SC and if the service is good I'll add an additional amount as we normally tip 20%. Good to know for our next trip in 3 months.

That is the way to do it.

I concur with what JD and Carol stated. There is a TOT tax of 5% but that is for the restaurant to pay and not the patron and can't be added to the final bill. If they do, like Jimbo's used to do, it's a scam and I call them on it.

I don't bother to call them on it since it won't change anything. I consider it a gratuity and add a bit only if it is appropriate to the service rendered....

Our server told us the same thing!
It took us so long to find him, our missing bread with that delicious spread, and the complimentary drink at the end, that I did speak up and say there is no tax.

We will still return, since we both enjoyed our dinners.
These were kind of minor issues.

This is what is on the bottom of the menu at Roma, the new Italian restaurant, that will be in the new complex where Cheries was.
“We do not charge for gratuity as we believe our customers should be free to reward great service at their own discretion”
I wish more establishments had this policy.

I believe most who are not of European descent will likely tip more generously this way than if a service charge (and being misled about such) was added.

True that, JD. I’ve long felt the restaurants did their staff a huge disservice by doing things the way they do but not my island - not my problem. If they include it on the check that’s what the staff is getting. Unless, of course, the service is exceptional and then we quietly slip the server a little something extra for his/her efforts. 🙂🙂

If a restaurant dares to add the 15%, it is the tip so just go with it and add nothing more. If they didn't add it, most people would add a 20% tip rather than the 15% they added. Their loss. Some day they might figure it out!

SHARON!!! Good to see you back on TTOL!! Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all that you've done for us over the years with all your connections!! We'll talk again about "RP"!!!

Folks, don't forget the fact that most of the world outside of the US does NOT tip. Breaks my heart to see people spending over $100 and giving no tip at all. ANd we see it nearly every time we go out. That's the reason the restaurants do that. I don't like it either

Tipping on the French side I usually do 10%, as I would in Europe (and it is). The 15% added gratuity makes it more of leftover change type of tip.

The French side is a different situation entirely, as service is included in the price of the meal, and never added as a separate line item. We generally leave a small tip in cash unless the service was terrible, which we've honestly never encountered on the French side.

Correct but many times when one asks about the "tip" on the French side, they are told it is not included. In reality the "tip" is not included but the service charge is and some are not aware of that and will leave an additional 20% or more.

As usual, don't ask.

We just spent a tad over two weeks in the Dordogne Valley town of Sarlat in France and I was amazed that it is common practice for EVERYONE at a restaurant to either leave nothing for a tip or just some change. It took a bit to get used to this but we did....it just felt weird

Many other countries tip for service and Canada is one of them. In spite of the fact our service industry is well paid, we still tip 20% and beyond for good service. Businesses must remember what tipping is all about. Tips are for exceptional service and it is up to the client to make that decision.Emplorers must pay their employees a good living wage and they should not depend on their tips for that. Automatically putting a tip on the bill is in very bad taste and shows their lack of professionalism.Then they lie about it which is even worse. I understand that the servers are not paid well especially on the Dutch side of the island, but those in authority need to change that if they want to retain their tourist business. Thankfully the FRENCH government treats their employees fairly and they don't have to depend on tips to survive.

Yep.