Just finished organizing all my hotel bills for this past summer's long trip and the funniest thing about them was the often occuring new item, "energy surcharge". These charges won't kill me, but they ranged from $1.50 to $4.50 per night. They were especially prevalent in California where I understood the big energy crisis never really happened. These same hotels often had signs about how they were conserving energy by keeping lights at lower levels, etc. (all good ideas, mind you), but if they are saving money on their energy costs, then why are they asking us for extra money? My favorite thought was that when $4.50 is added to every room in a 350 room hotel which operates with at least 90% occupancy, we are talking about an additional income of over $42,500 in a month!! Are we really supposed to believe that their rates went up that much per month this summer?
Anyone else's comments?

Don't think those charger will be around a lot longer considering the economy right now. I always ask if there are any surcharges when I book in CA and refuse to stay at those types of hotels.

Welcome back, Pat!
What was the best part of your trip?

As for your comments, this situation reminds me of the phone bill situation in the US. Just this year lawmakers finally eliminated a provision which allowed the phone companies to add some small line charge per month based on a law passed in the 1920's, which was rooted in set up costs during that era. The fee was small, buried in and amongst other add on fees, and no one seemed to complain...until the number of add ons grew and grew over the years.
How much money do you think Ma Bell pocketed during nearly 80 years of fleecing a 100 million people a few pennies at a time?

Yes what abut that $1 per phone line charge that is supposed to be used for setting up computers in the classroom. By my estimates there should be 1 computer per child in each classroom and each child shold be sporting a new laptop to take home. ROFLMAO. Never happen. But we will still get charged the money. It wouldn't be so bad to pay these taxes if the moneu went to what it was intended for. It never does.
For all of you that donated $ to the 9-11 fund I wonder how long it will be before those people see your donation. Hmmmm. I bet they leave it in the bank long enough to collect some interest on that 1 billion and pocket the profits before distributing the "entire" amount.

Patrick -- I wasn't laughing too terribly hard when an "energy charge" was $5.00 at the Radisson East Side in NYC. The a/c in the hotel didn't work, it was late June and rained every day and night we were there. Had to keep the windows open, otherwise we would have burned up. Then, everything was damp the entire time we were there. When I complained, I was laughed at. What a crock.