Resort fees are bogus!

[Pluto777]

Who else thinks resort fees are BULL%*@@?!?

I mean just tell me the total PRICE; unless you are actually giving me the option of NOT paying a fee (i/e parking), why do they add on a 'fee' at the end instead of telling us upfront? It's not like you can say Oh, no thanks, I will decline to use the 'option' how is it ANY different then the stated cost per night??

These fees used to be a small nuisance ($5 a day etc.), but now some of these 'resort fees' are becoming seriously expensive ($20 dollars a night & higher) - especially for those of us staying multiple family rooms for a longer vacation..

 

[RUDisney]

^^^^^^^^^^
What Pluto said.

I'm in complete agreement.

I also don't appreciate when I go to other countries and you have to pay a tax at the hotel... in cash.

As if I have cash! I'm a card person.

 

[_19disnA]

I agree, those added 'fees' are nonsense. Just raise the price of the hotel room if that is what they are trying to accomplish. I think part of this is because they want their hotel to appear cheaper when doing those online searches making it difficult to do comparisons. They hide the extra cost in those 'fees'.

 

[HopperFan]

I agree, those added 'fees' are nonsense. Just raise the price of the hotel room if that is what they are trying to accomplish. I think part of this is because they want their hotel to appear cheaper when doing those online searches making it difficult to do comparisons. They hide the extra cost in those 'fees'.

THIS ^

It's a marketing tool. Funny to say but - be like Disney, just tell us the full price upfront. Plenty of hotels have gotten in to the cart until I see the fee, then delete. I don't use most those "amenities" so I opt not to pay for them.

 

[EACarlson]

It's not just about marketing. In most places, taxes don't need to be paid on "resort fees" like they do on the room. Rather than raise the room rate by $40 and then paying another $10 in taxes, they created the "resort fee."

 

[Genie+]

This is an interesting article Frommer’s has on the subject

https://www.frommers.com/blogs/arth...-tax-dodge-why-they-re-destructive-for-us-all

They also wrote up methods to dispute, especially useful when you got nothing out of them.

https://www.frommers.com/deals/hotels/how-to-get-out-of-paying-a-hotels-resort-feeit-can-be-done

 

[Upatnoon]

It is called drip pricing and is used in hotels, tickets, car rentals and car sales.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_pricing

It is used because it is effective. If you don't frequently shop for any of those things, it can be a rude awakening when you do! I typically add 30% to any of the prices I see online when shopping for travel or tickets.

There have been some government efforts to make it illegal, like in California, but businesses don't want their "freedom" taken away to hide the true price of their goods.

 

[VandVsmama]

The resort fees have gotten out of hand. At least at the Disney resorts, the resort fees are all baked into the price already.

 

[Sykes]

It's not just about marketing. In most places, taxes don't need to be paid on "resort fees" like they do on the room. Rather than raise the room rate by $40 and then paying another $10 in taxes, they created the "resort fee."

That was true once upon a time, but almost all jurisdictions tax resort fees the same as room rates now. Hotels don't, however, usually pay travel agent commissions on resort fees.

Now that resort fees are included in the initially advertised price on almost all booking sites (largely thanks to California's law requiring it when advertising to California residents) they don't bother me nearly as much because they show the honest price up-front.

 

[Lewisc]

Hotels don't generally pay commissions on resort fees. Some hotels charge resort fees on reward bookings.

 

[jujubiee4]

They are garbage. Ive seen some called "destination fees". also. It is really bad in a couple of favorite
places we like.. NYC and Hawaii. My friend just got back from Vegas and said same thing..bunch of "junk
fees" added. I know when we went to Europe over the summer it wasn't nearly so bad if at all.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Agreed! I avoid any hotel that has resort fees and parking fees when there are other options that don’t charge them.
The only place I have to break this rule is when we travel to Las Vegas. Every single hotel on the strip charges a resort fee and most are pushing $50 a night!

There are 2 hotels near Disney that we have wanted to try but refuse to because 1 charges both a resort and parking fee (swan & dolphin) and the Drury charges a parking fee.

 

[fla4fun]

In my experience, parking fees are only paid by people who have a car. Most hotels don’t seem to have an issue figuring out which guests have cars like Disney did. But I do think any mandatory fees paid by all guests should just be a part of the room rate.

For what it’s worth, I go out of my way to book hotels without parking or resort fees.

I was reading an article this week on viewfromthewing.com where a Holiday Inn is charging an electricity fee! That is beyond the pale. I think I would request no electricity on principle just to avoid the fee.

 

[Upatnoon]

Resort fees aren't the only way the hotel industry is making consumers pay more:

And it isn't just in hotels:
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2024/03/price-fixing-algorithm-still-price-fixing

 

[MICKIMINI]

Wasn't there legislation filed to force these companies to post the entire cost of the accommodation? If I remember correctly, the hospitality industry fought tooth and nail to prevent it from going through. It should be a no brainer!

 

[Upatnoon]

Wasn't there legislation filed to force these companies to post the entire cost of the accommodation? If I remember correctly, the hospitality industry fought tooth and nail to prevent it from going through. It should be a no brainer!

California passed such a law.

There is a federal law in the works, but hasn't passed the Senate. The No Hidden FEES Act.

 

[Lesverts]

Aren't fees in Vegas getting into the 60 to 100 a night range?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Aren't fees in Vegas getting into the 60 to 100 a night range?

We just stayed at Caesars Palace in early Oct. The resort fee was $45.95/nt. It's annoying but I can't complain too much. The total for 3 nights was $643.75 but I booked back in January.
What REALLY ticked me off was that they wanted $38 for a pina colada (or other similar frozen drink) at the pool bar. By the time you'd add in sales tax and tip it's pretty much $50. Umm... No thanks. I don't need to drink that bad.

 

[Skywalker3]

We just spent one night in Nashville, for a concert, and there was a destination fee added, $20.00. Parking was $52.00, self, more for valet, but we did self parking. Plus there was the state tax (9.25%,) occupancy tax (7%,) city tax (flat fee.....)

 

[fla4fun]

We just spent one night in Nashville, for a concert, and there was a destination fee added, $20.00. Parking was $52.00, self, more for valet, but we did self parking. Plus there was the state tax (9.25%,) occupancy tax (7%,) city tax (flat fee.....)

Usually destination fees are required by a government body (state, city, or county) and the hotel doesn’t get any of that, and they don’t get any of the taxes. I hate to see a long list of taxes and municipal fees, but there’s not much the hotel can do about those. When booking a hotel near a state line, I always check the taxes and government fees for each state before deciding where to stay.