Plus sounds like it is clearly there

It is there, but not clearly there and not expected.

You are all assuming that the OP used a traditional, old fashioned travel agent. This may be the case.

But many companies require the use of an in-house travel department or have a contract that requires employees to use Wagon-Lits, Carlson, etc to book travel. My clients paid my travel expenses, and some of them required me to use their travel agent, by whom they were direct billed.

You can't fault people for not making their own travel arrangements if that is not permitted.

Back to the "admin" fee": did you ever get a description of exactly what the "admin" was for? Sounds very fishy.

>>You can't fault people for not making their own travel arrangements if that is not permitted.>"One of the consulting world's foremost management gurus."

Apparently I am one of the few forum members who hasn't been billed for a $28-a-night "administration fee" while staying at a hotel in the downtown of a major US city.

I detest and disapprove of such a charge, and I'm surprised that most of us find no fault in the charge but in the one who protests it.

HTtY

I agree, HTtY. Sure, if I were the OP I'd take it up with whoever booked my room, but the issue is how obnoxious such a fee is.

I think we consumers should push back against this annoying nickel and diming, lest hotels go even more the way of car rentals and airlines.

<the issue is how obnoxious such a fee is>

<we consumers should push back against this annoying nickel and diming>

Good luck with that one, NewbE and HTtY... and PJM!!!

While onerous, the fees were not hidden and the travel agent was made aware of them when he/she booked the room directly at the hotel's website. The OP posted the same ranty rant on trip advisor and received a lengthy response from the hotel, a small portion of which follows.

As you and I spoke over the phone and over email yesterday; I must remind you that the hotel did not commit any 'Devious Activity'. Your travel agent booked the room directly on our website which detailed out all applicable fees and taxes. The travel agent also received a confirmation email detailing all charges again after booking. At check out, the hotel extended the courtesy of refunding you the admin fees but other than this, no other credit was ever applied and taken away from your credit card and it is physically impossible to do this without any sort of trace in our credit card merchant system.

I suspected the credit on the OP's card which he believed was the hotel's tacit "apology" was actually the incidentals hold being released.

Thanks obxgirl. If what the hotel wrote is true, the OP had received a satisfactory resolution to his/her complaint. Also, I have been reminded that it pays to speak up, and I have learned to be on the lookout for a fee that I didn't suspect existed.

HTtY

I agree that the OP subtracts from his credibility by leaning on the "devious activity" part of his complaint.

But I disapprove of a hotel's advertising one rate and then boosting their bottom line by tacking on additional fees which are not optional--this is a bogus practice when the hotel is just a hotel and not a resort. And while it doesn't rise to the level of fraud, it's a practice clearly intended to lure people into booking a room at a rate that seems low--until the total charge becomes clear. This is not a consumer friendly practice, which is why if and when I see it I intend to make my views clear to the hotel.

Typical poster who just joins to post a negative rant. This type of activity does not generate a lot of creditability with me especially if I think it has been hyped a bit to make it look worst than it is. It is what it is.

If there is a beef with anyone... it's the Travel Agent he should be scolding, not the hotel, not Trip Advisor, not Fodor's.

this is a bogus practice when the hotel is just a hotel and not a resort.

I think the practice is just as bogus when it IS a resort!

sf, actually, I don't disagree with you! I guess it's just that those stupid resort fees have been around longer than the "admin fee" the OP refers to.

>>it's the Travel Agent he should be scolding

I am glad this was posted, because it is one of my pet peeves. Hidden charges is one. The other is the nickel & diming. It all comes down to the bottom line, whether it be for a hotel room or a rental car (and with the latter . . . don't get me started!).

The hidden ones, as mentioned by the OP, may be found in the small print, like having to click on a link to find the gory details of additional costs, and others, not so easy to find assuming they can be found if one hunts.

The nickel & diming are all of the extras -- internet fees (especially per device!), parking, bottled water, coffee, use of pool.

Last week we were down in San Diego at a convention, at the Hilton Bayfront. Fortunately, the convention provided a free web password we could use, but only in the hotel room itself. There were 2 bottles of water set out for our "enjoyment" at $3.50 a bottle. $22/night for parking ("discounted" rate). Discounted, but still extortionate rate of $218/night. Oh, and since this property is a bit of a distance from any bars/restaurants, the cost of food at the restaurant and drinks at the bar were ridiculous.

On the other hand, on a trip to Fort Worth 2 weekends ago, a stay at the Residence Inn got us at $130/night, a 1 bedroom suite, full kitchen, 2 tvs, parking and breakfast included, and all the free internet service we desired.

Most hotels charge something per day. When a hotel does not qualify as a resort, it cannot charge a resort fee, so it uses a different name for that charge. This hotels calls it "facility fee" on their website.

All additional charges are disclosed at the time of reservation, so legally the hotel is under no obligation to reverse them. You can dispute the charges with your credit card company, or keep following up with the hotel - you may win. Or not.

I'm an attorney working in a private firm. I think we should start this practice - bill by the hour for our time and then add an admin fee to cover everything else - secretary salaries, phone bills, shampooing the carpets. I'm guessing that would go over really well with our clients

If you snuck it in after providing service and with the final bill -- sure. But hotels itemize it/tell you up front.

How interesting that some people enjoy paying additional fees--as long as they're disclosed, of course.