Tag Archives for resort fees.
I think we’ve discovered the worst hotels in the world that have resort fees. Not coincidentally, they’re at two of the most absurdly named properties I’ve come across.
When Marriott took over Starwood and then launched the Bonvoy program, they told owners that the economics would work out better for them. Part of how they did it is by forcing these scam charges on their customers. Yet their owner contracts explicitly allow Marriott to halt these fees.
When a Hyatt property charges a destination fee that is not even disclosed during the booking process that’s especially egregious, and clearly illegal. If you don’t check your bill prior to check-out, you wouldn’t even know you were being charged more than the price you were quoted for the room.
Resort fees are infuriating. The price of a hotel room isn’t the price. You book a room advertised at one price, but the hotel charges you that plus an additional fee. And since that ‘resort’ or ‘destination fee’ is mandatory, the room rate is deceptive because it doesn’t tell you how much it costs to stay at the hotel. But what if it turned out htat paying it was optional, after all?
The Hotel Lucia in Portland has one of the worst resort fees in the country, among other strange practices. @travelbabbo stayed there and reports that they were surprised by the fee at check-out, asked what it included, and the property’s manager told him it was for bike rides, coffee, and use of the elevators.
We’ve finally found it: the hotel with the most egregious add-on fees in the country. Every other hotel can stop trying, because the 31 Street Broadway Hotel in New York cannot be beaten.
On top of the room rate, they charge 49% Destination fee, 47% Bed linens fee, and a $120.00 Property service charge per stay.
My first thought on seeing this: If you get all of those for the destination fee at least you could resell them?
Indeed you could take one or two every time you walk by, or even 10? I bet some people do. And as long as the hotel is restocking often enough there’s a nice opportunity for profit.
Marriott is going to make a major shift this month in how it displays prices on its website, and to its English language mobile app. The first and most prominent price for a hotel that Marriott displays will be the price inclusive of resort or destination fees so when you search the Marriott website you won’t be duped into thinking a hotel is cheaper than it is, only to see disclosure of a higher price at check-out.
In 2021 Marriott entered into a settlement with Pennsylvania over resort fees, promising to reform its practices. Despite the legally-binding commitment they didn’t actually do it. They received extensions, but still didn’t come into compliance. Now they’re being fined $225,000 and a court order requires them to comply by May 15.
The Hyatt House San Juan charges a resort fee but calls it a “Hotel Fee’ and has been billing guests for it that they shouldn’t.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
