And to the list of shameless add-on fees I'd like to submit the following, courtesy of the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale:

"Porterage charge is $12.00 per person check-in and check-out. Housekeeping charge is $4.00 per room per day".

So, as I read this, the maximum they could rip you off for a one night stay, 2 adults, is actually either <$28> or <$52> depending on how you interpret "per person check-in and check-out".
That's in addition, of course, to all the other taxes and such.

When will someone add a surcharge for television and shower usage?

That's outrageous!! Porterage? Carrying your bags?? A fee for housekeeping? Unbelievable. Is this something you actually paid or read somewhere? It seems incredible that they could get away with that. It's not as if there is no good competition in Scottsdale.

If there was an add-on charge for housekeeping, I would leave a note for the maid after my stay, stating they aren't getting any tip, not because they did a shoddy job, but because I was separately charged for this service. That should cause a little internal conflict within the hotel!

The Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony PA adds 17% gratuity to the room bill. It's bad enough to be forced to tip but I'm not sure who was getting tipped. Our room was never vaccumed.

Olive:
I was making a reservation for a meeting at the Phoenician in December. Message came up on the reservations page.
I've stayed there at least a dozen times before and don't ever recall such fees.
Maybe to offset post 9/11 revenue shortfall?
How are Hyatt revenues holding up since 9/11?

Mark, It hasn't been good, but is gradually improving, bit by bit, piece of business by piece of business. It's a difficult operating climate for sure, which makes it even more startling that the Phoenician is doing this. Actually, problems began well before 9-11, with business cutbacks in travel during the recession--9-11 just exacerbated it.

Rather than raising rates to counteract the rooms revenue shortfall though, expenses have been cut in areas where they can be with no guest impact...maybe you have one less sous chef but the executive chef takes on more day-to-day, banquet staff cut backs, engineering etc. I can't imagine doing what the Phoenician is...they are good...but not that good!

Woodstock Inn in Woodstock Vt also charges porterage and housekeeping-although the porterage was lower than the Phoenician's - $3 per person. My husband wasn't aware of this and gave a generous tip on top of the "fee."

I was at a hotel in Atlantic City that charged a "Yankage" fee.

I soon discovered what that was when a Pacific Avenue whore showed up and whacked me off.

By the way, I didn't tip her since it was already included in the bill.

ttt

I've seen those junk fees, something like $8/day, several times at resorts but at least they had the decency to make it clear that these were in lieu of tips. For me it worked out to be about the same amount I would have spent on tips, but without the trouble of having to make sure I had enough small bills to tip maids, bellmen, doormen.
I would have been pretty steamed if I learned about the fees after tipping, though. I recall one doorman (at arrival) refusing a tip at such a resort