Resort fees, arggghhh...
 

I don't know if this topic has been addressed here. I find the search engine on this site very poor. If the topic is an old one simply point me to the old thread please and don't flame me. Thanks<BR><BR>My question, comment is "Why are so many resorts adding these fees? Don't they know that they drive consumers (me anyway) crazy?" I would much rather they increase the daily room charge than be nickeled and dimed thru-out my stay. Some of the fees you know about up front but the ones that really raise my bp are the hidden fees you only find out about later. <BR><BR>Case in point the Maui Sheraton. They charge a $10 per day resort fee. This fee is well documented and I just mentally add it to the cost of the room, but wonder why they don't do that bit of arithmatic for me. And what is included for this fee, a newspaper, an ounce of coffee grounds, and free local phone calls. Call me silly but I get all of those things for free at low-cost chain hotels. (And yes potential flamers I know the Sheraton Maui is not a low-cost chain and their room fee sans the resort fee proves it). I wonder if the proliferation of cell phones has been a prime mover for these fees (no one uses a hotel phone anymore because of the usurous surcharges so they now use the resort fee to charge us for the local calls we don't make, lol).<BR><BR>Second half of rant. The resort fee is bad enough but you know about it in advance. The same Sheraton above now charges a baggage handling fee I think I recall of $2.75 per person on both check-in and check-out. So you tip your bell-man then after you check-out you see you have been charged $22 for a family of four in addition to the tip. And what if your traveling light, only a single carry on. So sorry the fee applies to all. <BR><BR>Is this poor customer relations or is it just me?<BR><BR>End of rant

I also think the resort fee is silly since everyone is charged that amount. Why not add it to the room cost and be done with it? I think that baggage handling fee is ridiculous. How can hotels get away with charging fees that are not disclosed up front? Don't you have a contract for a certain amount when you check in? Then unknown fees are tacked on at checkout. How can they do this? This is a real question. Does someone know the answer? Maybe Olive Oyl?

How about the parking fees? If you rent a car what are you supposed to do with it? I have seen charges of more than $10 a day to park your vehicle, heaven forbid if you use valet parking, the price can quadruple.<BR><BR>You forgot to mention the fees for a chaise at the pool or on the beach...<BR><BR>Then there is the energy surcharge...<BR><BR>The list goes on and on.

We just got hit with a $12/day resort fee at the Westin in St. John in the US Virgin Islands which has become a real tourist trap in recent years. I wish they'd just include the fee in the room rate rather than tacking it on at check out so that you end up with a bad taste in your mouth.

Arrrggghhh, indeed.! Resort fees drive me psychotic! My 1st experience with that was at the Westin in Hilton Head. $6 for coffee(I didn't drink) free local phone calls ( odd definition of free) and golf cart shuttle (didn't use). The manager took her ass-chewing with applomb, apparently was used to it. <BR><BR>Thanks for the heads up on the baggage fee, I might have had a coronary incident.

If you complain about them, the hotel will take them off. It happens on a daily basis.

Yeah, some timeshares try to pull the same nonsense with a "residents fee" (or some other silly name). One time, at a time share tour on Sanibel, the guide pointed out that we'd get "free" use of bicycles and movie videos. Then she said there was a weekly fee. For what? "For stuff like the bicycles and videos," she said.