We just stayed 3 nights at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. We never used the room phone (we have cellphones). When we used the video checkout there were 3 charges for Local Calls, one call per day for one dollar each. We called the front desk. We were told that the hotel charges a dollar a day for "having the phone in the room". They also said it was on the paper we signed when we registered.

Is this a new thing?

I can't remember what hotel it was, but they told us if we wanted to use the phone at all there would be an "activation" charge of something like $7.50. We declined and said we wouldn't use the phone. This is a new one to me.

Now that everybody has a cell phone and never uses the room phone, the hotel has to make those ridiculous per-call-charge profits some other way!

Carla, this is something new, only 1 year old (approx.). Same happened to us at Sahara - 50 cents phone charge per night, free local calls.

I didn't argue with the clerk at the check-out, but I sent the hotel an e-mail telling them I've used the phone only once dialing 800 number, and asking nicely to credit me for other nights. They sent me a reply: they will reverse all charges.

And they did credited the phone charges, I always check the credit card statements.

They also add $3 electricity charges. What can you do?

"No thank you. I'll take the room without electricity. Oh, I also decline the per-flush charge. We'll go at the restaurant."

"Yes, we will pay the mattress charge, but only bottom sheets, no top sheets, thank you."

"Well, we might breathe some air, yes, but we thought air was still free when we made our reservations. Oh, it's a new charge?"

I stayed at the Hotel Sofitel in Minneapolis over 5 years ago, and they charged the same thing -- $1 a day for just having a phone in the room. I guess Las Vegas is just getting on the band wagon. LOL!

LOL AJ, may I remind you to invent television and shower charges.

And I thought there ARE mattress charges already in the form of mandatory maid tipping.

We experienced this at a hotel in the Cincinnati area about 20 years ago.

Honey, this has been going on for decades. Some do, some don't. Take notice, that is. Some people don't look at their bar bills, either. That's where you really get stuck for the extras, especially when your drunk mathamatics are the worst.

Another charge to watch for is a room safe charge. Normally, if you ask, it will be removed from you room charges.

I can remember daily phone charges going way back.

These misc. charges will normally be removed without question. Especially if they are not itemized on your room quote, which they usually are not.

Drunk mathematics - isn't that a new event in the Olympics?

And BTW - I don't breathe in my sleep, and I'm only in the room to sleep, so please credit my account for all oxygen charges, as I only breathe in other hotels.

We stay at the Hotel Sofitel in Minneapolis all the time (have for years) and we have never been charged for having a phone in the room. They do charge for calls if you use it but have never charged us if we did not use the phone. I wonder if that was a mistake on the part of the desk clerk or something Ms Jingles. Did you question them?

Sam wrote: "Especially if they are not itemized on your room quote, which they usually are not."

So...let's say your room charge is $100 per night, for two nights. It just shows up as $202? Outrageous. It's getting just like car rental bills, where you have to check all the fine print, and decline/argue all the extra charges!

That's it. I'm never sleeping in a hotel again. I've had it!

Even I think this is absurd. LOL Actually I've never heard of charging to have a phone in the room even if you never use it, nor had DH. What sort of idiocy is that?? You all who say they've been doing this for years, do you mean charging for individual calls, or charging to have the phone sitting there? Surely not the latter!

Likewise I've been charged a couple of places for using the safe, silly nickel and diming, but I'm willing to pay it if need be, but never charged just to have it in the room when I didn't use it.

What does irritate me now in a hotel is NOT having an in-room safe. They are expensive for hotels to purchase, but are now just one of those things I expect to be available. If I have to use the front desk safe deposit boxes I'll generally just skip it, and lock things in my suitcase, providing my TSA approved locks haven't been broken off and zipper destroyed on the outbound flight! LOL

I too am surprised by the posts which indicate that hotels have been charging a daily fee for having a phone in your room for years. I have never run into this in years of hotel stays. Am I just lucky? Are are some of you saying that sometimes you were billed for making a call you didn't actually make? Sure, that has probably happened to all of us, but this flat daily fee for having a phone you don't use is sure NEW to me.

I remember arguing with a Springfield MA hotel over 10 years ago about their daily phone charges. A large enough sign was posted at the front desk, something to the order of:

"In order to provide in-room telephone service, a nominal charge will be made daily to each guest account. However we will allow an unlimited number of local calls to be made."

I never use the room phone. I even walk to the desk if I have a question, and upon checkout the first time argued the fact that the sign only read "nominal", which means "in name only" - that their $1.50 charge was more than nominal. They removed the charge to get rid of me, and upon subsequent visits I warned them at check in that I would not pay and would even bring the phone to the desk ... they reluctantly gave in and never charged me again.

I detest the nickle and diming and will argue endlessly any "mandatory" charge not divulged at reservation time. Great post, AJPeabody.

OlyveOil, Patrick, yes, this was charge for the phone "just sitting there". I had this charge after staying at Sahara Las Vegas. Don't think I had this in other cities.

If you don't get a detailed statement - request it. I don't think it was ever refused. Actually, I can't remember I ever didn't get a detailed statement.