Do you check your hotel bill carefully before checking out?
More than ever you should now do so religiously.
And if you have been hit with spurious charges for facilities you did not use then you should hit back.
In the US, and where the US leads the rest of the world follows, hotels are increasing imposing what are known as "junk fees" to hotel bills, often without prior notice.
Global Travel Media - an online news service - has been highlighting this plague of greed.
It reported one guest found a completely unwarranted $20 “Daily Mandatory Destination Charge” on his bill.
Hotel "resort charges" were supposed to have disappeared after the US government declared war on junk fees earlier this year.
Instead, hotels have just re-badged the charges.
In Las Vegas, for instance, if you stay at the upmarket Bellagio, you will be charged $US51.02 per night per accommodation as a "resort fee".
This includes fitness centre access, internet access and phone calls.
Given most folk have a cell phone and most would not want to use the gym that sounds outrageous.
At Caesar's Palace it is $US52.10 per night, with the added inclusion of access to the hotel pool.
Wherever you are staying, if you were not advised of the extra charges in advance then my advice would be to refuse to pay them. Demand the manager come to reception and strike those charges off, write "paid under duress" on your credit card form, or take to social media to call them out.
If a hotel room is advertised at $129 per night, that is what you should pay, not $129 plus $25 charges for stuff you did not want or use.
Randy Greencorn, publisher of ResortFeeChecker.com - in the US there is a website for absolutely everything, except perhaps rearing aardvarks as pets - has some advice.
“Hotels have gotten creative in their terminology,” he told Global Travel Media. “A resort fee is sometimes called a destination fee, administrative fee, cleaning fee, service fee or utility fee.
"Some hotels now charge towel fees, bed sheet fees and concierge fees. These are all mandatory fees on top of the room rate and taxes.”
Time to stand up for your rights people.
Or just choose a hotel that doesn't gouge you.
Image: Jukari Zamora, Scop.io
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