Oh no, say it aint, so!!!! Please check out this list and your upcoming travel itineraries!!!
Article from HotelChatter.com
Whee!! Summer is officially here and you've got the urge to book a flight+hotel (or two or three) for a summery getaway. But while we've all begrudgingly accepted that airlines are extra fees-obsessed (baggage fees, leg room fees, change fees, security fees, early boarding fees, etc.), we're disheartened to see that more and more hotels are acting like airlines these days by charging big fees for little extras.
Here are five of the top offenders so far:
5. Fontainebleau: The good news is that it looks like this popular Miami Beach hotel has dropped their $8 baggage fee in case you want to store your luggage after check-out but before your flight home. The bad news is they are charging you $150 for incidentals when you check-in. Yup, they automatically charge you $150 before you even step foot in your hotel room.
Now, if you don't charge anything to your room during your stay, the charge will be released at check-out but will take five to seven days to appear back in your account. If you don't have a credit card at check-in, you will be asked to fork over $600 in cash. Then you will be refunded the money via a check in the mail sometime after you check out. Seriously. You can read for yourself here.
4. Kimpton Hotels: Lately, Kimpton has been emailing its Kimpton InTouch reservation-holders with an option of upgrading their room choice for $19, if there's availability. The name of the program is called eStay Upgrade Program which sounds as if it was a leftover idea from a United Airlines marketing brainstorming session.
Kimpton calls it a Win/Win incentive since the guest gets to experience a nicer room for a nominal fee (remember, if it's available) while the hotel gets some additional revenue on a room that would otherwise go empty. We understand that but can you make the name of the program sound less like an airline standby program (that never actually lets you fly standby)?
3. Thompson Beverly Hills: Drinks atop this Beverly Hills hotel are nice, especially on a clear day but is it worth the automatically added service charge? No. Perhaps if the service was quicker and also up front about the charge (a simple, "Thanks for visiting. Here is your bill and don't worry, a service charge has already been added in for your convenience") then perhaps we wouldn't have minded.
2. Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa: This hotel may be popular for its location to Legoland in San Diego but it certainly doesn't win us over with its $12 resort fee and $50 early check-in fee if you arrive before 4pm and want to get situated immediately (as one TripAdvisor reviewer was shocked to learn.) Oh and that ocean view room will cost an extra $40.
1. Caesars Entertainment Group: Formerly Harrah's Entertainment Group, Caesars runs some of the major casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City like Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas. Yet while they tout their "No Resort Fees" policy all throughout Sin City, they actually charge a processing fee for reservations made over the phone. Last we heard, it was about $10 for each reservation. This is totally an airline move as evidenced on Airfare Watchdog's airline fee chart which lists airlines that charge for reservations made over the phone.
hotelchatter.com
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