How much to tip Private Instructor

[tartegnin]

Oh, and happy birthday! A private is a great gift to self. I am just wrapping up a four day birthday indulgence at Beaver Creek and took two days of lessons (small group). Ended with a nighttime glow stick ski down and fireworks last night. Feeling fantastic - skiing is awesome any way you can get it!

 

[wernerslab]

I just took a solo private lesson at Winter Park on Thursday and tipped 20%, like I do at dinner or the hair stylist. Knowing the instructor probably gets a pittance of the lesson cost and how expensive it is to live in a CO mtn town and that I felt I had a great lesson, it all seemed worth the investment to me. My son has been in a group lesson for the last 3 days but he has been able to basically get a solo lesson since no one else was boarding at his level, I also tipped 20% there too. Same reasons. Here things are cashless and they all gave me their Venmo deets. If I felt that the lesson was not very good, I would tip 10-15%.

 

[IceHeeler]

I've encountered more instructors passing out their business cards at the end of a lesson lately with both their ski school contact info so you can request them if/ when you return as well as their Venmo info on it. But good to have some cash on hand just in case.

I love when they do this. I usually pay 20%, but one year my kid had a coach that left him meh. I was concerned my kid wouldn't love skiing anymore. Because I had the previous coach's card, I was able to book a private with him at a discount. Best decision ever. That instructor matched my kid's vibe. He made up for an entire season of poor coaching. Ended up tipping him the same as the price, hyping the heck out of him whenever I saw him doing a private, and recommended him to everyone. It's been 16 years; Tony is still a legend in our family.