Tag Archives for resort fees.
While the federal government’s proposed rules for airlines say it’s not acceptable to disclose even optional fees like those for seat assignments and checked baggage during the purchase process – they must be available at the first instance a price is shown in a search – the government (through the Federal Trade Commission) says resort fees are fine as long as they are disclosed prior to confirming the reservation.
Marriott actually makes hotels pay them for the right to charge you a resort fee. Having just audited the franchise agreement for their AC Hotels and Westin brands, I found it fascinating that they charge a one-time $1500 fee, plus $550 per year, to hotels that bill customers resort or destination fees. Marriott also has the right to exempt elite members from paying resort fees, under their franchise agreement, but doesn’t do this.
Advertise one thing, charge something else, is the very problem with resort fees to begin with – but charging a different resort fee than what’s published on the hotel website seems next level.
Marriott doesn’t have control over its hotels, and properties tend to run amok. So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise – yet still seems more egregious than most anything that I’ve seen – when a reader shared that the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino is adding two separate fees onto award redemptions,
Not only is a ‘Bonvoy Fee’ something that isn’t disclosed to guests during booking, it’s forbidden by the program’s terms and conditions.
One sweet spot is that MGM Rewards grants Gold elite status to Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members. This now includes a waiver of resort fees, upgrade at check-in if available (view, high floor); dedicated line at restaurants; and complimentary valet parking.
However if you’ve gained your Gold status via Hyatt you will not receive the Gold level’s $100 tier achievement celebration dinner. And if you redeem Hyatt points for your stay you will not have your resort fee waived.
When news came out that Marriott had settled with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over resort fees, I was skeptical that much of anything would change. Press releases were non-specific about what they’d have to do, even suggesting current practices could continue in large part without change. So I tracked down and read the settlement agreement itself. Here’s what it says.
There are numerous built-in reasons why a hotel wants to engage in deceptive practices like resort fees. Marriott creates another such incentive for its hotels. Hotels get to charge these fees to award guests (Hilton and Hyatt do not allow this) and hotels don’t have to pay for points for the resort fee portion of a room rate.
At the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor the destination fee covers the view and your right to photograph it. Describing the $25 per night inclusion, one of the covered items is “Panoramic Views of Boston with photo opportunity.” For a $25 per night fee, they might at least offer to take your photo with a high quality camera?
At Hyatt’s Motif hotel your room rate does not include the coffeemaker, TV, alarm clock, iron, mirror, of bath products.
For $20 per night you get unlimited local calls if you’ve somehow forgotten your cell phone; access to an electric vehicle charging station (Hertz gives me those all the time!); and an in-room Alexa that will let Jeff Bezos listen in while you’re doing you-know-what.
Hotel chains advertise prices that don’t include mandatory fees. The headline rate is what consumers compare when they’re searching. It’s only when they go to book that they see the price is higher than what was presented to them. That makes comparing prices difficult. And it puts hotels that are transparent, advertising the full cost of a stay, at a disadvantage.
At some point we have to ask, though, what does the room rate even cover if it doesn’t come with electricity?
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 »
