'Price doesn't include resort fee'

[Pluto777]

mandatory fee, county fee, 99% tax fee, water fee, fee for the air you breathe, etc etc

Am I the only one fed UP with all the extra 'fees' when you look up a hotel? Why is it that when I want to search a website by lowest priced resort first, it gives me what is basically a lie. Why? because a 'cheap' price per night means nothing if the 'fine print' has a bunch of fees and charges. Anyone known an HONEST website that truly gives the price INCLUDING all fees so you know which hotel has the best price per night?

 

[ClapYourHands]

I think it's fair to say that nearly everyone hates mandatory fees.
The only upside (I think) is that I heard we don't pay the same taxes on the resort fee that we do on the regular room price. The other thing is that sometimes you can get deals that waive the resort fee.
Every site I've been on gives the whole price, including fees, before you book. It's annoying not to have the full cost come up in the search, but I've always found the true price before I enter my CC info.

 

[smiths02]

I think it's fair to say that nearly everyone hates mandatory fees.
The only upside (I think) is that I heard we don't pay the same taxes on the resort fee that we do on the regular room price. The other thing is that sometimes you can get deals that waive the resort fee.
Every site I've been on gives the whole price, including fees, before you book. It's annoying not to have the full cost come up in the search, but I've always found the true price before I enter my CC info.

I find that parking and resort fees are often not charged until you are there

 

[ClapYourHands]

I find that parking and resort fees are often not charged until you are there

No, they aren't charged until you are there. But they are disclosed at booking. I've been playing around quite a bit with Hotwire and Priceline, and there's usually something that says, "this hotel charges guests a resort fee of $xxx per room per night."

I wouldn't expect parking fees to be included in the total price during a search, as many guests do not have cars during their stay. You can usually look up if they have free parking or not.

 

[Ed J]

kayak has a search that allows you to include all fees.

 

[danielocha30]

Booking.com does a fair job with round prices, for example they will show the total amount per stay not average nightly rates and they will at the end of your booking show any fees that the hotel will charge, so you do see the real total before booking.

 

[kylieh]

I guess we're lucky in Australia that all advertised prices need to include mandatory fees, charges and taxes. This applies to all companies that operate with an Australian presence. For example, if you use the Au Expedia site the total charge includes the resort fees and tax. Then if car parking, for example, is an optional charge it needs to be listed and defined how you will be charged for using that. Works well.

 

[Upatnoon]

mandatory fee, county fee, 99% tax fee, water fee, fee for the air you breathe, etc etc

Am I the only one fed UP with all the extra 'fees' when you look up a hotel? Why is it that when I want to search a website by lowest priced resort first, it gives me what is basically a lie. Why? because a 'cheap' price per night means nothing if the 'fine print' has a bunch of fees and charges. Anyone known an HONEST website that truly gives the price INCLUDING all fees so you know which hotel has the best price per night?

When browsing a list of hotel prices, just add about 30 percent to what you see to account for all the taxes and junk fees. That will give you a more realistic picture of the price.

 

[fla4fun]

I think it's fair to say that nearly everyone hates mandatory fees.

A Mandatory fee isn’t a fee. If you can’t opt out, it’s part of the room rate and they should have to advertise it as such. If a fee is optional, such as parking because you may not have a car, then it’s a fee, although still an unpleasant money grab in my book. I won’t stay at a hotel that nickels and dimes with fees. It can be difficult sometimes to find them in the fine print, but it’s worth the effort to support hotels that don’t subscribe to that business model. I have already figured out my workaround for the parking fee at Disney by having a friend drop me off. If they started resort fees, I would be doing day trips from home.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I won’t stay at a hotel that nickels and dimes with fees. It can be difficult sometimes to find them in the fine print, but it’s worth the effort to support hotels that don’t subscribe to that business model.

I'm more interested in the total cost than in how that cost is presented to me. For myself, I read the fine print, add up various fees, and make my decisions based on the best value. If I eliminated hotels simply based on the presence of a fee, that would seriously eliminate options and drive up the cost of my vacation.

For example, in the Epcot area, the Swan and Dolphin charge a $34 resort fee, while Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk do not. However, it’s still a much better deal to book the Swolphin for $200-300/night and pay an extra $34 than it is to pay $500-600/night for a room at one of those other hotels without a resort fee. I know it’s the principle of the matter for some people, but I personally can't justify spending an extra $300 a night to avoid a $34 resort fee.

I have already figured out my workaround for the parking fee at Disney by having a friend drop me off. If they started resort fees, I would be doing day trips from home.

It's a lot easier to opt out when you're local. The vast majority of Disney visitors need a hotel and transportation, though.

 

[fla4fun]

It's a lot easier to opt out when you're local. The vast majority of Disney visitors need a hotel and transportation, though.

I don’t know . . .seems to me, the people flying in from farther away can opt out more easily because most of them are taking ME. But I am thankful I am close enough that having a friend drop me off is an option.

 

[MrKnight]

There is no way "pre-pay" resort fees prior to arrival as these are fees that are applied to your account once you are actually at the hotel (the amount of the fees is normally disclosed on your reservation confirmation prior to arrival so it should not come as a surprise and you should factor this in to your hotel costs), the only possible way would be if the hotel agrees to waive your resort fees and this would obviously be an exception scenario, you would have to speak with a Front Desk Manager and have a valid reason to have it waived, sometimes exceptions are made but they are just that.

Anything outside of resort fees would be either taxes or fees for services that you opt to use, for example, if you park a vehicle at the hotel this is a service the to opt to use, hence a fee is applied for using this service. Examples of taxes would be fees like "Destination Marketing Fee" or "Hotel Tax", these are government-imposed fees that apply to all hotels with zero exceptions unless you are traveling on a tax-exempt basis in which would you have to provide supporting documentation.

 

[bankr63]

When browsing a list of hotel prices, just add about 30 percent to what you see to account for all the taxes and junk fees. That will give you a more realistic picture of the price.

Except that then you are unfairly penalizing the resorts with no fees (which is what the resorts with fees are trying to have you do).

We stay at a resort with absolutely no fees required, everything regularly required is included in the rate. Makes them look like a much worse value if you automatically assume there is a fee. They charge only for services that are truly optional, like park shuttles or certain kids activities with supplies where the vast majority of guests will not use the service.