Gratuities Guidance

In advance of your trip, please become familiar with the system for providing gratuities to the guides, lodge staff, drivers, and transfer boat captains at The Palometa Club. Thank you for taking a moment to review this article with instructions for how to distribute gratuities during your stay.

Tipping is a personal decision based on good service and is completely at your discretion. The following recommendations are simply for your understanding of what the expected average tip is for a satisfied guest. Thank you in advance for bringing enough cash to cover all gratuities.

Total Average Gratuity Recommendation

$570 - $700 Per Person (Based on Full-Week Stay / Shared Room & Boat)

Guide Gratuities: $120 per boat / day
Lodge Staff: $80 per room / night
Drivers: $25 per person / one-way trip
Water Transfer Boat Captains: $5 per person / one-way trip

Read below for more information on tipping guides, lodge staff, drivers, and transfer boat captains.

Guide Gratuities

Recommended average gratuity for the fishing guide teams is $120 per boat / day ($60 per person / day). Anglers fishing solo should still plan on $120 per day for a satisfactory experience.

Feel free to tip more if you are very impressed with the program and work ethic. Many clients will happily offer a larger gratuity to specific guides who communicate well, work exceptionally hard through difficult conditions, help catch a special trophy fish, or generally exceed expectations. Since anglers will rotate guide teams daily, please be prepared with cash to tip your guides at the conclusion of each fishing day.

Lodge Staff Gratuities

For the kitchen, housekeeping, and maintenance crews, we recommend an average gratuity of $40 per person / night for the lodge staff based on shared occupancy. If you are rooming solo, we recommend $60-$80 / night. This gratuity should be provided to the lodge manager(s) on duty the night before your morning departure from the lodge.

Driver & Transfer Boat Gratuities

Our reliable van drivers are CRITICAL to the success and logistical viability of delivering guests to/from Punta Allen and the airport in Cancun. Unfortunately, they are far too often forgotten. Please make sure to provide your driver with a good tip. We recommend approximately $20-25 per person / trip. If you forget to tip your driver, lodge managers will remind you when settling up for house gratuities. We also recommend a nominal gratuity of $5 per person / one-way for your water transfer boat captains

All tips should be given in U.S. currency - cash only. no credit cards or checks for gratuities.

other expenses (cash & credit cards)

Other expenses you may incur at the lodge are rental rod and reel outfits, rental rod breakage fees (if applicable), laundry, any fly shop purchases (flies, tackle, hats, shirts, buffs, etc.) as well as massage therapy ($100 / hour plus tip). Cash is the preferred method of payment for additional expenses. However, the Club is able to process credit cards. We have no way of processing personal checks in Punta Allen, and the staff is reliant on their gratuities in U.S. currency ONLY.