Gifts for maids/waiters/ bartenders in Mexico?

Question

We are going to Puerto Vallarta in a week. Is it a good idea to take gifts for the people who help us at the hotel etc? I have heard that it is acceptable to give makeup and small trinkets as well as keychains and shirts from our country (Canada) as gifts. Would the gifts be appreciated? What are your thoughts on this? The gifts would all be new, also, we were going to tip as well.

Answer 1

my friend went to cuba a couple of years back and she took a lot of extra toiletries ie: shampoo conditioner shower gel deoderant etc and left them for the chamber maids. apparently they loved them.

Answer 2

I'm with Sparks and the other who said cash is best. The reason why maids in Cuba love seemingly simple things like soaps and toiletries is because they can't get them there. Plus the system their looks after all their basic needs, though just barely. The situation is clearly not the same in Mexico.

Some of the things you have are way out of reach price wise of the typical resort employee, like designer perfumes, but they have affordable local brands so it's not like perfume is unavailable to them. When someone needs money to buy a new school uniform for there kid, smelling like Coco Channel isn't much help.

Now, if you are generous enough to give perfumes, brand name clothes and such, you bet they are going to be appreciative, some of these people have very little. That being said, cash is still best in my opinion.

Sorry to pick on the perfum suggestion, it's a nice thing for sure I'm just saying cash is better.

Answer 3

Perfume and cologne are right through the roof in Mexico.

You will definitely light up a few faces if you take an assortment of it.

Yeah sure just agree with josh and give you kids cash under the x-mas tree

Life is not all about money josh.

are you jew or are you Christian  ??

Mexico is not Cuba??

Answer 4

No way... just give them money.

I think is better to give extra money, in that way you won't have to carry stuff all the way.

but if you want to carry gifts and give tips, that's very considerate.

BTW. Mexico is not Cuba...

Answer 5

not needed in PV just came back!

tip and that is enough but only tip if you were happy with the service..also from BC...the greatest gift is to tell them how nice their country is and ..after 2 weeks there I didn't want to come home

Answer 6

I agree with tipping only.   With money they can buy what they really need