Hidden Hotel Fees
What kind of hidden fees are commonly found on hotel bills?
You can be very surprised by a hotel bill because it can be chock full of hidden fees, fees that you didn't know about when you booked your hotel room. For example, many hotels charge an occupancy tax. That's on top of sales tax that you may already be charged. You may also be charged a fee for using the telephone in your room; local calls may be exorbitantly high, domestic long distance can be sky high and, of course, international can be through the roof. You may be charged a fee for using the Internet or you may be charged a fee for restocking the mini-bar. That's a new one, a $3.5 charge sometimes that's tacked onto a bill if you've taken something out of the mini-bar which is on top of what you've taken out of the mini-bar. So you need to be really careful and take a look, and ask about those fees even before you book the hotel.
What are "resort fees"?
Resort fees are fees that are charged above and beyond what your regular room fee is, and they're often charged for the gym, the spa, the pool, etc. Whether you use any of those facilities or not, you are charged for those. Sometimes the resort fee is as much as $15 a day. That is per day, each day that you're there, so they can really add up.
Will the hotel waive the fees if I do not use the services?
A hotel won't waive the fees if you don't ask. I think the important thing to do is, if you see a fee on your bill that you're unhappy about, or for a service or amenity that you did not use, ask in a reasonable way if that fee can be waived. Very often hotels will accommodate that, but not always. You won't know unless you ask.
How can I make sure I don't end up paying hidden fees?
Be very familiar with what the fees are before you book a hotel, and that involves asking, and sometimes it involves grilling hotel personnel or reservations agents and asking very specific questions. How much are the filing fees? How much is the gym fee? How much does it cost me to have x, y, z amenity? It really pays to ask. If you forget and you're already in the hotel, look at the guest services book. There's usually one on the hotel desk, and it will indicate whether there is a fee generally associated with that. If you still don't know what the fees are, go down to the front desk and ask.
