Resort fees now even more confusing

[dewey089]

I did not think that resort fee mathematics could get any more ridiculous, but look at this crazy system.
Apparently from reports from customers, we book on expedia.com or hotels.com the resort fee is collected upfront by the broker, but just the opposite is spelled out in the booking form.
Some folks are reporting not being charged a resort fee at the counter and thinking they got away without paying it because they did not notice how high the tax and fee charge was at the broker.
Others, like me, actually skipped using hotel.com last time I planned a trip because I thought they had a hidden booking fee.
While it is nice to have the cost "upfront," who would know that was the resort fee?
I just took a look on hotels.com to book the Gold Spike. It is confusing. Only the mathematics reveals that the resort fee is collected by the broker at the time of booking.
Directly under the mathematics is:

The following mandatory hotel-imposed fees are charged and collected by the hotel either at check-in or check-out.
Resort fee: US$ 7.95 per room, per day
Hotel resort fee inclusions:
Use of pool
Use of fitness center or health club
Internet access
Self parking
The above list may not be comprehensive. Mandatory hotel-imposed fees may not include tax and are subject to change.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
Deposit: US$ 100 per stay

Then if we hit book, we again get it:
The following mandatory hotel-imposed fees are charged and collected by the hotel either at check-in or check-out.
Resort fee: US$ 7.95 per room, per day

Hotel resort fee inclusions:
Internet access in guestroom
Use of pool
Use of fitness center or health club
Self parking


Expedia is even more ridiculous. If that is the resort fee buried in the "tax recovery" fee area, then they are cutting their throat as well. For a $39 room that tax comes up at $12. And the popup resort fee box says that the resort fee will be collected by the hotel at check-in or check-out.
Amazing!

It is commendable that hotels.com wants the information clearly included on the booking form, but why cut their own throat by not including it in the price that is used to rank hotels from low to high? And why not at least put the word "resort" in the fee category?

It is simply amazing to me how confusing this whole practice has made the simple act of booking a room.

[dewey089]

Re: Resort fees now even more confusing

I had a nice conversation with Hotels.com and walked them through the problem. They saw the contradiction in pricing and will pursue it. Hopefully, I'll get an answer sometime soon.

[bboy1234]

Re: Resort fees now even more confusing

So i booked a trip to Vegas on xp for the 24th-29th of Dec will the hotels collect a resort fee or did i already pay it? Expedia when i booked said it would be collected by hotel.

[dewey089]

Re: Resort fees now even more confusing

Examine the details of your booking. If you paid them a resort fee, you will see more than taxes in the mathematics. It is generally collected by the hotel, but for the Gold Spike folks found that it was billed upfront and packaged as part of the tax recovery and fees item.
Call the hotel, tell them your itinerary number and ask them if they are expecting you and who collects the resort fee and when.
Then ask if there is any way to get it waived.
There is not really reliable established patterns around this crazy business, so you have to take each hotel and each booking individually and try to get what you have agreed to pay in writing.
So far I have not heard of anyone getting charged by the booking agent and the hotel but the woman I talked to at hotels.com was worried about that.
Hotels.com is checking into this, but they were surprised with what I showed them. So for a good while don't look for established patterns from them. Check each detail of your own reservation.
It has always been a good idea when booking with a discount broker to call the hotel and see if they know you are coming. They may not know just yet, but in a week or so (they can tell you when Expedia sends them the bookings) they will know. Sometimes paperwork gets lost and then you have a hec of a time trying to call Expedia from the check in line and get them to call the hotel and sort it all out. Better to do that from home than from your cell in a crowded hotel lobby when you are tired and just want to be given a room. Confirm your arrival and departure date and what sort of room you booked and while doing that, ask about the resort fee.

[Ben Jammin]

Re: Resort fees now even more confusing

Make it simple. Just don't stay anywhere where they charge a stinking resort fee, and don't they try to justify them. It's a scam, for things we all used to get for free. That was called, "Customer Service".