Dolphin refused to waive resort fee

[Gator Kate]

Hello,
Just returned from a 2 night stay at the Dolphin and thought you'd like to know how the resort fee issue went for us. Since we truly don't use any of the amenities included in the fee we asked our check-in clerk if it could be waived. She said no, so we asked if there was a manager we could speak with. She said she'd go ask her supervisor. She went into a back office and returned with an unequivocal "no" response from her manager. At this point I suppose we could have asked to see the manager in person, but it just wasn't worth turning it into a stressful situation. I know there are conflicting opinions on the board regarding the fairness of the resort fee. My opinion is that it should be optional but if the hotel insists on charging the fee it isn't enough to keep me from staying there.

Regards,
Kate

 

[Glory Days]

I just returned today from staying there at the end of a family visit. The man next to me in line asked to waive the fee and was told that it wasn't possible to do that. I was so excited to be there after a week with the parents and in-laws that I didn't even try. Maybe it's a new policy.

 

[tinawv]

I really don't understand why they call it a resort fee, if they refuse to remove it when you don't use the amenities. They should just lump it all together, and not show it separate from their room rate.

 

[sherry8253]

Please don't flame me but I am tired of hearing people complain about the S & D not waiving the resort fee. I agree that Starwood should just include it in the price of the room & forget about calling it a resort fee because then people wouldn't complain about paying for something they don't use. The Swan reservations person I spoke with when I made my reservations very clearly told me about the resort fee when I booked so there was no doubt in my mind that I would be charged the resort fee when I arrived. My DH and I recently stayed at resorts in Las Vegas & Phoenix and both of those resorts also charged resort fees. So it is not just the Swan and Dolphin that charge resort fees. I never even thought about asking a resort to waive resort fees when I arrived because I knew the hotel charged them when I booked. If I don't want to pay the resort fees charged by a hotel, I should stay somewhere else that doesn't charge resort fees. IMHO, people who are not willing to pay the resort fee should simply not stay at the Swan or Dolphin rather than complain about the fees not being waived.

 

[Lewisc]

ITA Except for people who book via PL or Hotwire. The premise is you got a room for your price. Really not very fair to have an unknown add on to "your price" when the reservation can't be cancelled.

S/D waived the resort fee in the past. Makes sense that it'll take awhile until people understand it's no longer optional.


QUOTE]Originally posted by sherry8253
Please don't flame me but I am tired of hearing people complain about the S & D not waiving the resort fee. I agree that Starwood should just include it in the price of the room & forget about calling it a resort fee because then people wouldn't complain about paying for something they don't use....... IMHO, people who are not willing to pay the resort fee should simply not stay at the Swan or Dolphin rather than complain about the fees not being waived. [/QUOTE]

 

[jmcross]

I think I read that the resort fee is not taxed as a room rate is. So by adding the resort fee after the room rate, you pay less in tax. That is a nice perk for those of us who want to the amenities.

Joanne

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by jmcross
I think I read that the resort fee is not taxed as a room rate is. So by adding the resort fee after the room rate, you pay less in tax. That is a nice perk for those of us who want to the amenities.

Joanne

It is taxed, the resort fee is $9.XX, it winds up being about $10 when you include the tax.

 

[freediverdude]

Well, I know that the Swan and Dolphin charge these resort fees, and that many other hotels do too, but I just don't understand the concept of the "resort fee". Especially if it's not optional. Yes, supposedly it's for the use of the health club, the morning paper, etc etc, but since the hotel is providing these amenities to all their guests anyway, and charging the fee to all their guests anyway, why is this considered some separate "fee" listed on the hotel bill? The only couple reasons I can think of, are either a.) to make their listed rates appear lower (which is ridiculous, because if someone is spending hundreds of dollars per night to stay at Swan and Dolphin, $10 isn't going to make the rate look much higher or lower), or b.) that certain other hotels in the same chain (in this instance, other Starwood properties) don't charge the fee because they are not considered "resorts", and don't have those particular amenities. This I don't really buy either, because often urban hotels that aren't resorts have those same amenities. So I really don't understand this concept, and I wish someone in the hotel industry would actually come forward and explain to us the reasoning behind this particular practice. Hotels raise their rates by 10 bucks here and there all the time, so I don't see how the reason could be that they didn't want to raise rates or something. This is just absurd- somebody please explain.

 

[sherry8253]

Lewisc - I have used hotwire - part of my stay at the Swan was from hotwire at a great rate of $89. After reading the following info on hotwire, I expected to be charged the resort fee - "Please note that each hotel may also have its own charges -- for example, parking (which can run $10-25 or more, depending on the city), resort fees, convention fees and energy charges. You will be required to pay any such fees directly to the hotel (usually at check-out time). Once you purchase a hotel reservation, we recommend that you contact your hotel directly to inquire about any additional charges. " Even if you endup paying taxes on the resort fee if it is added to the price of the room, people would probably not get so excited because they are being specifically charged for things they don't use. Also.. just as an FYI, we never used any of the things that the resort fee included. Heck, we don't even use the pool... maybe they should charge more for guests that have pool privledges added to their room and discount my room because I don't use the pool.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by sherry8253
Lewisc - I have used hotwire - part of my stay at the Swan was from hotwire at a great rate of $89. After reading the following info on hotwire, I expected to be charged the resort fee - "Please note that each hotel may also have its own charges -- for example, parking (which can run $10-25 or more, depending on the city), resort fees, convention fees and energy charges. You will be required to pay any such fees directly to the hotel (usually at check-out time). Once you purchase a hotel reservation, we recommend that you contact your hotel directly to inquire about any additional charges. "

Sorry but I don't think it's fair for a non-refundable pre-paid reservation to have a mandatory, variable surcharge. I also got the Dolphin on hotwire BUT based on the amenities I was pretty sure I was getting S/D, was aware of the resort fee and had no problem paying it. I would not have been happy if it was a surprise. Suppose the resort fee was $20 or $30? Parking charges aren't the same, you don't have to park at the hotel. Disclosing that there may be an additional charge doesn't make it right. How can PL say you got a hotel at your price when there is an additional charge by the hotel?

 

[232271]

We actually got a hotel in San Antonio, the Hyatt Hill Country Resort, with a $10 resort fee, on Priceline,
and we were never
charged a resort fee. They told us it was included
in our rate we
recieved on hotwire,
wow that was nice.

I however do not expect this at the Dolphin, but if it were true
it would be cool.

Doesnt the resort fee include pool use as well? It did at the Hyatt.

Oh, well I think this is a topic that has many views. I personally
do not mind the resort fee and was well aware of it before I booked and if I had a problem with it, then like mentioned above
I would simply not book here.

 

[Epcotgal8]

I apologize if this is a bit off topic since it isn't about the Swan or Dolphin but it is about resort fees. 4 years ago we stayed at the Wyndham Palace Resort across from Downtown Disney. I bid for it on Priceline. I read posts on forums about getting the resort fee waived which at that time was $8. per day for newspaper delivery and use of the spa facilities. I called ahead and talked to the reservationist at the Wyndham and they were very polite and said it was no problem to waive the fee if we didn't need those services and that it would be noted on our reservation. I reminded my dh to tell them again at check in and again they said no problem. We of course didn't receive a newspaper or use their spa. We checked out and my dh signed our credit card receipt for the room and there was no resort fee on it. I looked at my bank statement when it came in later that month and guess what? They CHARGED us the $8 per day which for 8 days was $64. on our credit/debit card and the date of transaction????? A day AFTER we checked out (not the date the transaction went through but the actual transaction day with no receipt and nobody signed for it.) I contacted Priceline who said that it was between me and the resort, called the Wyndham and they promised to get back to me which they never did and I just let it go. It wasn't so much the resort fees themselves if they had told me the truth to begin with. What irked me was them letting us check out, never said a word and then charged the amount a full 24 hours after we had left!

 

[sherry8253]

Lewisc - I am not saying that resort fees are fair. I am just saying if you don't want to pay them don't stay at places that charge them. If you read what hotwire says in its info, it states that the hotel you get may charge resort fees and you should be prepared to pay them at check out. You take the chance at getting a hotel that charges resort fees because you do not know which hotel you are getting until you pay. If you don't want to take that chance, then don't use hotwire. Several hotels I have stayed at in the last few years have started tacking on 'resort fees' and I think it is to make you think you are getting a great price for the room when you are really are not after they add the resort fees in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Originally posted by Lewisc
Sorry but I don't think it's fair for a non-refundable pre-paid reservation to have a mandatory, variable surcharge. ..

If you valet park, you will have to pay that fee on top of the hotel room charge. If you use room service, you will have to pay that fee.

 

[alliecats]

Just my 2 cents. When I recently booked with the Swan they did not mention, allude to, or in any way bring up the resort fee. How I found out was this board. So, to the people who don't think you should argue at the desk when you should know about the fee coming down, yes, but that is when you know. What if they don't tell you & you don't have the DIS to help you out? (lol) That said, we won't argue it, but not mentioning an extra $60 total add-on is not the best business practice I've ever heard of!

 

[auntpolly]

Stupid question: What all do you get for the fee? Did I pay it last Aug when I stayed at the Dolphin and cluelessly not notice?

 

[DianeV]

From what I read it covers:

Coffee in room (we dont drink coffee)
A certain amount of free phone calls (we have a cell phone)
Use of health club (not using it with kids)
Internet access (only if you have a laptop)

This is what bothers me about this. Charging for things that should be included when you stay at a hotel anyway (except for the internet) AND if someone specifically will not be using these things like the internet. I would LOVE to be able to go online but does everyone have a laptop these days? Not everyone I know.

So many hotels are charging these resort fees these days (even 2 star hotels!) that it is getting so that you have to automatically add that on to your nightly rate to get an accurate rate!

I keep waiting for a water and electric bill soon

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by DianeV
From what I read it covers:

Coffee in room (we dont drink coffee)
A certain amount of free phone calls (we have a cell phone)
Use of health club (not using it with kids)
Internet access (only if you have a laptop)

This is what bothers me about this. Charging for things that should be included when you stay at a hotel anyway (except for the internet) AND if someone specifically will not be using these things like the internet. I would LOVE to be able to go online but does everyone have a laptop these days? Not everyone I know.

So many hotels are charging these resort fees these days (even 2 star hotels!) that it is getting so that you have to automatically add that on to your nightly rate to get an accurate rate!

I keep waiting for a water and electric bill soon

LOL talk about your ala carte hotel room pricing! If it's not optional, they should just add it to the price of the room and not act like it's a seperate thing that could be removed!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Originally posted by DianeV
.........I keep waiting for a water and electric bill soon

I did get charged an 'energy' charge at a Westin in LA a few years back. There was a class action suit on it and I did get about $15 a few weeks back.

 

[jlima]

The 1st time we stayed at the Paradise Pier hotel at DL the CM who checked us in didn't tell us there was a resort fee; and when the bill was put under the door on our last day & I saw it, I called & griped and the CM said the usual; it was for coffee in the room; spa access; newspaper & self parking. My response:

* wasn't informed when I checked in & didn't sign anything acknowledging I accpeted the fee

* didn't drink coffee; actually unplugged the coffee maker & put on high shelf in closet for more counter space

* newspaper was USA Today; the sat one we got was really the fri paper & didn't get one on sunday

* would have used the spa to work out, had I known I could use it

* we were paying for valet parking, so don't even go there that the resort fee is really a charge for parking!

After waiting on hold for a long time she came back on the line and said they would take it off our bill. Probably because they didn't have anything signed by me agreeing to the fee. However, you can always choose a hotel that doesn't offer the amenities covered by the resort fee. If you're not going to use the spa then stay at a hotel that doesn't have one, if you don't want to pay for it.