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

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.

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).

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.

Is this poor customer relations or is it just me?

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.

You forgot to mention the fees for a chaise at the pool or on the beach...

Then there is the energy surcharge...

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.

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.