Resort Fees Off-site

[DisneyDeb83]

We decided to add a couple days to the beginning of our trip next month. Original reservation was for three nights only at ASMU, then changed to POP before settling on CSR. Now availability is still there, but cheapest room is over $300 a night, so we are moving off site. I booked a room through AAA at Wyndham Garden Disney Springs for $88 a night. Not bad, with tax a little more than $200 total. When I then realized we have to pay $20 a night to park plus a resort fee I cancelled. We are now at Fairfield Suites, free breakfast, free parking for same price.
Not quite sure if they have a resort fee, but I don’t see one listed. Anyway, I am really just venting. I can’t believe we would basically have to pay almost $100 more. We could cancel the rental car and not have the parking fee, but since we can’t get ME we’d have to pay for transportation to the hotel, and then again to move to CSR.
Just wish they would just include the fees in the price, be upfront about it. Glad Disney does not charge them....yet.

 

[Magical2017]

We have never stayed at Fairfield Suites, but I hope they don't have the resort fee. Hopefully you will have more space at the Fairfield Suites (although that may not be an important factor to you). All the fees are frustrating. Disney charges for parking but it is not always enforced (of course you don't have to pay for parking at the parks when you are a resort guest).

Do you subscribe to MouseSavers? They often run specials for hotels that have resort and any parking fees waived. On our last trip, we booked at Wynham Bonnet Creek. We had a one bedroom and were upgraded to a Presidential suite for the same price as we were going to pay at Pop. We had over 900 sq ft of space, which we did love, and there was no resort fee. We booked through Vacation Strategy. Our kids loved the lazy river and pools, and we appreciated the w/d and full kitchen. It is located next to Disney's CBR. If we did it again we would probably use Uber and skip the car.

 

[writerguyfl]

Marriott (the company that owns the Fairfield brand) is pretty up-front about disclosing resort fees. (Certainly better than Wyndham's website.) When booking on their website, you see a big box on the page with the room prices:

While I was on the Marriott website to capture that image, I checked the five closest Fairfield properties to Disney World. None of them have resort fees. So, that's good news.

As for the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, it's probably not where you'd want to stay anyway. It has a wonderful location, but that's about it. Based on reviews (including a review of someone I know from DisBoards who I trust), the rooms are in poor shape and very small. They're also motel-style, meaning they have doors to outside corridors.

That Wyndham shares public spaces with the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista (no "Garden" in the title). That's the tower that's above the lobby. Reportedly, those rooms are significantly nicer and are therefore priced as such. The resort fee of $25 is a little less noticeable when the room rate is close to $200/night, which is fairly common with those tower rooms.

 

[Upatnoon]

We decided to add a couple days to the beginning of our trip next month. Original reservation was for three nights only at ASMU, then changed to POP before settling on CSR. Now availability is still there, but cheapest room is over $300 a night, so we are moving off site. I booked a room through AAA at Wyndham Garden Disney Springs for $88 a night. Not bad, with tax a little more than $200 total. When I then realized we have to pay $20 a night to park plus a resort fee I cancelled. We are now at Fairfield Suites, free breakfast, free parking for same price.
Not quite sure if they have a resort fee, but I don’t see one listed. Anyway, I am really just venting. I can’t believe we would basically have to pay almost $100 more. We could cancel the rental car and not have the parking fee, but since we can’t get ME we’d have to pay for transportation to the hotel, and then again to move to CSR.
Just wish they would just include the fees in the price, be upfront about it. Glad Disney does not charge them....yet.

The internet is great for comparison shopping. Someday, all hotels and airfares will be free. Only after you browse through 20 screens will you learn the true cost.

When searching for a room on one of those big booking sites, I add about 30 percent from the price shown in the results to account for all the junk fees and high taxes they are adding these days.

After locating a likely room to book, I always go directly to the hotel website to actually book. Then you can see all the fees and it is always best to book direct.

My current offsite favorite is the Springhill Suites at Flamingo Crossings which has no resort fee and free parking and breakfast as I write this.

 

[DisneyDeb83]

Do you subscribe to MouseSavers?

I do, but have never really looked at the deals because we normally stay onsite with either the annual pass discount or renting points. I’ll have to remember to check it out in case we squeeze in another trip before our pass expires.

[QUOTE="writerguyfl, post: 60551636, member: 557412”]

As for the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, it's probably not where you'd want to stay anyway. It has a wonderful location, but that's about it. Based on reviews (including a review of someone I know from DisBoards who I trust), the rooms are in poor shape and very small. They're also motel-style, meaning they have doors to outside corridors.

That Wyndham shares public spaces with the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista (no "Garden" in the title). That's the tower that's above the lobby. Reportedly, those rooms are significantly nicer and are therefore priced as such. The resort fee of $25 is a little less noticeable when the room rate is close to $200/night, which is fairly common with those tower rooms.[/QUOTE]

I actually read the reviews online, which was what made me cancel and rebook elsewhere. I think if the reviews were good I would have stuck with it, fees and all. The location is great. But, since we have a rental car for the first couple days til we move to CSR, I realized I don’t need to be close to Disney Springs.

I know Fairfield won’t have the best ambiance, but for the price it seems like a pretty good deal! And since this reservation is non-refundable we’re going to have to love it!

 

[MrKnight]

Resort fees unfortunately are common at the larger resort properties that have pools, spa/health clubs, etc.. This is due to Orlando being a destination market and any hotel that can label itself a "resort" is entitled to do this, with that said, resort fees are always (or at least at reputable hotels) disclosed when you book your reservation, many hotels will actually include this in the total cost page upon confirming a reservation online.

The smaller properties such as the Fairfield you are staying at should not have a resort fee as it is not a full service resort and does not have the same caliber of amenities offered at a larger resort property.

 

[DisneyDeb83]

Resort fees unfortunately are common at the larger resort properties that have pools, spa/health clubs, etc.. This is due to Orlando being a destination market and any hotel that can label itself a "resort" is entitled to do this, with that said, resort fees are always (or at least at reputable hotels) disclosed when you book your reservation, many hotels will actually include this in the total cost page upon confirming a reservation online.

The smaller properties such as the Fairfield you are staying at should not have a resort fee as it is not a full service resort and does not have the same caliber of amenities offered at a larger resort property.

I just wish that the prices they posted were the true prices. I understand not including the parking fee, since many people wouldn’t have a car. But, everyone has to pay the resort fee so why not include it? It’s irritating to find what you think is a good price, then when you add up everything it’s potentially a lot more. I think it’s very deceptive. So glad I investigated further and switched hotels!

 

[georgina]

I agree! They should just add the resort fees into the room price since they are not optional. That is deceptive advertising. i like the Marriott properties that have free breakfast and no parking/resort fees. The Flamingo Crossing ones are nice and fairly new (Springhill Suites, Towneplace Suites).

 

[ClapYourHands]

After locating a likely room to book, I always go directly to the hotel website to actually book. Then you can see all the fees and it is always best to book direct.

I disagree that booking direct is always the best option. There are times this is true, but other times you can get a great deal through a third party site. Last minute bookings are likely to be much lower on the third party sites because hotels want to fill up their excess inventory, but aren't going to go through the trouble of dropping the prices on their own websites, and angering guests who paid rack rate.

Additionally, blind bookings can save a lot of money, and with some practice, you can get pretty good at figuring out which hotel it is.

I recently booked the Wyndham Grand on Hotwire as a blind booking (though I was 99.9% sure I knew what I was getting). My cost was $87 base rate, $20.08 taxes and fees collected by Hotwire, and I will owe another $36 at the hotel for resort fees. My one-night total is $143.08. The best price for my date on Wyhdham's site was $167.20 (which includes a 20% off special applied) plus $60.20 in taxes and fees, for a total cost of $227.48 for the same night. I'm saving $84.40 using Hotwire.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I agree! They should just add the resort fees into the room price since they are not optional. That is deceptive advertising.

This would make it easier to see the price, but it would increase the overall cost. Because they are not included in the room price, they can be taxed at a different (lower) rate.

 

[Upatnoon]

I disagree that booking direct is always the best option. There are times this is true, but other times you can get a great deal through a third party site. Last minute bookings are likely to be much lower on the third party sites because hotels want to fill up their excess inventory, but aren't going to go through the trouble of dropping the prices on their own websites, and angering guests who paid rack rate.

Additionally, blind bookings can save a lot of money, and with some practice, you can get pretty good at figuring out which hotel it is.

I recently booked the Wyndham Grand on Hotwire as a blind booking (though I was 99.9% sure I knew what I was getting). My cost was $87 base rate, $20.08 taxes and fees collected by Hotwire, and I will owe another $36 at the hotel for resort fees. My one-night total is $143.08. The best price for my date on Wyhdham's site was $167.20 (which includes a 20% off special applied) plus $60.20 in taxes and fees, for a total cost of $227.48 for the same night. I'm saving $84.40 using Hotwire.

Sometimes blind booking or using Internet travel booking sites can save a substantial sum and be worth it.

But just be aware that if anything goes wrong with your reservation, you need to change something or have any issue at all, booking direct can save you an immense amount of hassle. When you book direct, the hotel can usually quickly resolve any issues.

When you book through a third-party, you may be stuck in a "nothing we can do" limbo that can be a huge time suck.

Thus, you can protect yourself a great deal of trouble by booking direct. And the price is often not much different, so just be aware.

 

[DisneyDeb83]

I was about to book blind through Hotwire last week. Having never used them before I decided to check reviews online. I was scared off when I read some terrible things about their reliability. Has anyone ever had trouble using them? I really like the rates, and had the opportunity to book at the Grand Cypress, but I chickened out!

 

[Upatnoon]

I was about to book blind through Hotwire last week. Having never used them before I decided to check reviews online. I was scared off when I read some terrible things about their reliability. Has anyone ever had trouble using them? I really like the rates, and had the opportunity to book at the Grand Cypress, but I chickened out!

Hotwire meaning you could not see the hotel your were getting? I have used Hotwire many times, but would only use it the savings is substantial -- not just a few bucks -- and there was no chance I would need to change or adjust my booking plans.

When booking hotwire, make sure to click through to see the actual total cost of what you are booking. There can be a lot of fees and taxes that get added on.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I was about to book blind through Hotwire last week. Having never used them before I decided to check reviews online. I was scared off when I read some terrible things about their reliability. Has anyone ever had trouble using them? I really like the rates, and had the opportunity to book at the Grand Cypress, but I chickened out!

How sure are you about your trip? Any chance you might need to move the dates?

The blind bookings don't give refunds for cancellations or modifications. So if your plans change, you're out of luck.

Personally, since I booked non-refundable airfare, I'm okay booking non-refundable hotel rooms. You can mitigate the risk by buying travel insurance, but that usually only kicks in for problems beyond your control like a major illness/accident.

Sometimes people have difficulty getting the reservation to link properly to MDE in a timely fashion because the hotel doesn't necessarily get your information immediately, nor do you get a Disney reservation number right away. It can be resolved, but I wouldn't recommend booking close to the 60 day window because FP selection might be delayed. If you're looking at Grand Cypress, that shouldn't be an issue.

There's a thread on here for Priceline Bids/Results (includes Hotwire), and another over on the Disney Resorts board, though that focuses on getting Disney properties through Priceline. Lots of people use the sites without problems.

 

[MrKnight]

I disagree that booking direct is always the best option. There are times this is true, but other times you can get a great deal through a third party site. Last minute bookings are likely to be much lower on the third party sites because hotels want to fill up their excess inventory, but aren't going to go through the trouble of dropping the prices on their own websites, and angering guests who paid rack rate.

Additionally, blind bookings can save a lot of money, and with some practice, you can get pretty good at figuring out which hotel it is.

I recently booked the Wyndham Grand on Hotwire as a blind booking (though I was 99.9% sure I knew what I was getting). My cost was $87 base rate, $20.08 taxes and fees collected by Hotwire, and I will owe another $36 at the hotel for resort fees. My one-night total is $143.08. The best price for my date on Wyhdham's site was $167.20 (which includes a 20% off special applied) plus $60.20 in taxes and fees, for a total cost of $227.48 for the same night. I'm saving $84.40 using Hotwire.

This is not always true, most hotel companies are now offering price-match guarantees and in some cases even offering special discounted rates for their loyalty programs (such as Hilton HHonors) that can only be obtained via direct booking.

Direct booking is nearly always the best way to book, you will also have a higher probability of recieving a room upgrade and having your requests honored as hotels ALWAYS prefer bookings via direct booking over third party travel agencies.

 

[ClapYourHands]

This is not always true, most hotel companies are now offering price-match guarantees and in some cases even offering special discounted rates for their loyalty programs (such as Hilton HHonors) that can only be obtained via direct booking.

Direct booking is nearly always the best way to book, you will also have a higher probability of recieving a room upgrade and having your requests honored as hotels ALWAYS prefer bookings via direct booking over third party travel agencies.

So, if I see a low rate for, say, the Swan, on Hotwire, I can call the Swan directly and they'll match the rate?

 

[MrKnight]

So, if I see a low rate for, say, the Swan, on Hotwire, I can call the Swan directly and they'll match the rate?

The price-match guarantees are being offered by the hotel brands (Hilton, Marriott, etc.) as an incentive to encourage direct bookings, in some cases they may even offer an additional discount beyond the price-match as an incentive for booking directly! The Swan resort is operated by Westin/Marriott so you would have to through Marriott's price-match program. Here are the links to the programs for the major hotel brands:

Hilton's "Price Match Guarantee" Program:
https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en...,MB,WG8539,DDR,PMG_CTA,StudioLP,SingleLink,i1

Marriott's "Best Rate Guarantee" Program:
https://www.marriott.com/look/claimForm.mi

Hyatt's "Best Rate Guarantee" Program:
https://www.hyatt.com/info/best-rate-guarantee

Hope this helps

 

[wilbret]

How sure are you about your trip? Any chance you might need to move the dates?

The blind bookings don't give refunds for cancellations or modifications. So if your plans change, you're out of luck.

Personally, since I booked non-refundable airfare, I'm okay booking non-refundable hotel rooms. You can mitigate the risk by buying travel insurance, but that usually only kicks in for problems beyond your control like a major illness/accident.

Sometimes people have difficulty getting the reservation to link properly to MDE in a timely fashion because the hotel doesn't necessarily get your information immediately, nor do you get a Disney reservation number right away. It can be resolved, but I wouldn't recommend booking close to the 60 day window because FP selection might be delayed. If you're looking at Grand Cypress, that shouldn't be an issue.

There's a thread on here for Priceline Bids/Results (includes Hotwire), and another over on the Disney Resorts board, though that focuses on getting Disney properties through Priceline. Lots of people use the sites without problems.

Good point, was going to mention that you sometimes have to chase to get the reservation number, but it's doable. Also wanted to add to make sure people understand the the blind bid sites are almost always (usually) just for doubles. If you have a family, and need a couple beds, you may be out of luck. They will typically accommodate you, but they aren't obligated to do so.

Used priceline for years and years to get a specific resort we wanted at a ridiculous rate, but eventually had an issue getting 2 beds! D'oh!

 

[Lewisc]

Resort fees allow a hotel to display a lower price on search sites and pay a lower commission to TAs. Search engines like kayak should give us the option of including resort fees on the rate display page.
I haven't read anything suggesting save customers tax as a reason for charging resort fees.

 

[wilbret]

Speaking of search engines... Is everyone aware that Expedia Group owns (among others):
Expedia
Hotels.com
VRBO
Trivago
HomeAway
Orbitz
Travelocity
Hotwire
Cheaptickets