Hotel Booking Tip: Better ask about Hidden Fees!

With the economy off and gas prices up, people are shopping around for the best hotel deals. My advice is to be very careful. Don't just call and ask for the room rates. Ask if there are additional fees other than tax.

In many cases the true daily cost will be the room rate plus a "resort fee" or other hidden charges AND they won't tell you if you don't ask. I do not like this trend. It's not a "bait and switch" situation but it's not totally honest either. It makes the consumer think they are getting a better deal and/or a much lower rate than the hotel down the street. Upon arrival, it may be too late to go somewhere else.


The most common hidden daily charge is a Resort Fee. You have to look for the fine print on a confirmation letter, web site, or hotel rules to find out what it is and 99% of the time it is not negotiable and must be paid along with the room rate. These fees range from $10 to as high as $60 per day ($60 is at a hotel less than a mile from Pines and Palms). So if you were quoted a room for $279 per night for example, when you add the resort fee (say $30), you get a real nightly rate of $309 per night and a total extra cost for a week of $210.


Another hidden fee could be for parking, common in big cities but not something you would expect in the Keys. Bringing a boat? Not only will you be charged a daily dockage fee but sometimes a fee to launch your boat and park your trailer. Want your room cleaned daily? Look out for daily housekeeping fees. What's next? Some hotels are now experimenting with added energy fees.


This thing bothers me because at our place we do it the old fashioned way. Everything is covered in the daily rate: coffee, daily newspaper, housekeeping, energy, dockage, towel service, parking, etc. You are not forced to pay for extras like kayaks, bicycles, snorkeling equipment, fishing gear, etc., stuff that you may not use.


You gotta compare apples to apples. One place might seem to have lower rates but don't forget to add in the resort fee and other charges to find the best deal.


Now you know... the rest of the story.