Hidden Hotel Fees: The Rise of the “Say What?!” Surcharges

Hotel surcharges used to mean one of two things: taxes or supplemental add-ons you chose to pay extra for. Not any more. The trend of charging additional fees—whether hidden or not—for previously standard inclusions is on the rise. It’s now the norm for hotels to rack up a slew of hotel fees onto that seemingly inexpensive per night base rate, leaving you with a check-out bill that could make you feel cheated.

Along with “for your convenience” Resort Fees (as Vegas’ Luxor reservations website rationalizes it), hotels are getting creative with hidden hotel fees like:

• Automatic Gratuities,
  
• Early Departure Fees,
  
• Daily Parking Fees,
• Visitor Parking Fees,
  
• Facilities Usage Fees,
  
• Fitness Room Fees,
• Mini-Bar Restocking Fees,
  
• Package Delivery Fees,
  
• Turndown Charges,
  
• Pet Fees (both 1-time and nightly),
• Safe Usage
• Energy Surcharge
• even an “Under-25 Fee”—a $54 surcharge for guests 24 and under (at the Grand Oasis Cancun).
  

The list goes on. These hidden hotel fees are leaving guest in a huff as the costs add up, especially when they are listed in very fine print—or not listed at all.

These hotel fees aren’t going away anytime soon, and hotel employees are even getting training to withstand travelers’ peeved demands to remove charges from their bills. The best you can do is call ahead of time to ask for full disclosure about all the hidden fees that you’ll be charged. (Get a name of who you’re talking to, ideally.) A hotel’s website may or may not disclose fees, and even then, they may not list every single one that your bill will get hit with.

The immediate response to this backlash from travelers would be for hotels to offer an all-inclusive, no surprises, catch-all rate. The problem with this? Hotels are currently offering what hotel guests are looking for: a guaranteed lowest-rate. So until it becomes the industry standard for hotels to offer an all-inclusive rate, be prepared to see these hidden hotel fees increase and the “Oh, my” gasps to grow when receiving that check-out bill.

The Sheraton Chicago is luring frustrated travelers with a “Great Stay with No Hidden Fees” hotel package deal. The base rate includes all Internet, local in-room calls, valet parking, and use of the fitness room. It may seem like a boring deal, but not when all the aforementioned freebies could equate to $50/day. Maybe the Sheraton’s onto something…