The contagious spread of compulsory fees at hotels in the US

[dajop]

Wow it's been some time since I've booked a hotel in US, but looking for travel during June, and I'm surprised (not really) by the rapid uptake of the fees formerly known as resort fees.

Once they were the domain of resort hotels at beach destinations and Las Vegas hotels. Then they seemed to become quite prevalent at Times Square properties and other higher end NYC properties. Now you see them at all end of the scale properties in all sorts of places. Including Hamptons, Hilton Garden Inns and the like.

Bouquets to Marriott and IHG for having check boxes that allow searches that include all taxes and fees that makes searches easy. Brickbats to the other chains.

From $15 USD to $50 USD++ /night (or probably higher at resorts) they now they come in various guises ...

"resort fees"
"destination fees"
"facility fees"
"amenity fees"
"residence fees"
"urban experience fees"

 

[Mattg]

I booked a Marriott property in the US last week, selecting "Show rates with taxes and all fees". This meant that a "Occupancy Sales Tax" and "State Occupancy Tax" were both added to the price.

When I arrived at the hotel, the price was somehow $50 higher than what it said on my booking. I didn't understand why this was the case, so asked for a cost breakdown but it still didn't make any sense. I had no idea what the extra charge was for, so stood my ground and said I would only agree to pay the amount it said on my booking confirmation. The manager came and waived the additional random charge, but I was made to feel like I was being a nuisance and the whole process took about 15 minutes.

 

[theblank]

There are plenty of hotels that dont charge this, including some in LV, you just got to keep digging, though it does take time.

 

[levelnine]

One of the reasons they have become so prevalent at Marriott properties in particular is because they are not waived with points bookings, so an easy way for property owners to make some money on low-yielding award customers

 

[http_x92]

In terms of the US hotels it looks like taxes get added on top of the base rate when you make the final booking. It is possible to find a US hotel that doesn't have a resort fee, but it takes some looking around, especially in Hawaii. It can also be avoided with Hilton points bookings (5th night free etc).

On the other hand they say the taxes are included in the base rate when you book an Australian hotel.

 

[Daver6]

I've been looking at hotels in Las Vegas and was stunned they pretty much all wanted to charge a $45 resort fee. It seems you get free wifi (which is either already on offer or you get with status or just being a member of their loyalty program), free local calls (who even needs this?!) and a 5% discount or something on a pool cabana. Ridiculous really.

Doing some Googling it seems to suggest that these fees aren't actually legal and you can just ask for them to be taken off your booking. I fully intend to do so. It's a total scam.

 

[dajop]

On the other hand they say the taxes are included in the base rate when you book an Australian hotel.

This is where Marriott and IHG are superior as they have check box to click to get all inclusive rates - which definitely include taxes and should also include (in fact all instances I looked at) the "destination" fees. This is better than for example Hilton and Hyatt which do not have such a check box.

 

[http_x92]

I've been looking at hotels in Las Vegas and was stunned they pretty much all wanted to charge a $45 resort fee. It seems you get free wifi (which is either already on offer or you get with status or just being a member of their loyalty program), free local calls (who even needs this?!) and a 5% discount or something on a pool cabana. Ridiculous really.

Doing some Googling it seems to suggest that these fees aren't actually legal and you can just ask for them to be taken off your booking. I fully intend to do so. It's a total scam.

Ah Las Vegas, it will depend on where you want to be but it looks like the midscale properties like the Hampton Inns, HGIs and the Embassy Suites dont charge a resort fee, but the taxes still apply.

 

[dajop]

One of the reasons they have become so prevalent at Marriott properties in particular is because they are not waived with points bookings, so an easy way for property owners to make some money on low-yielding award customers

Also, apparently you do not earn, and the property owners therefore do not pay for, points on the destination/resort/xyz "fees".

 

[jb747]

So, after years of separating staff pay from what you pay for everything (i.e. the tipping disease), they've now managed to separate the hotel itself from your payments.

More and more reasons to never go back.