Hotels Still Packing on Hidden Resort Fees
Last summer we wrote that airlines had to stop hiding fees and reveal the true cost of getting on a plane. And late last year, the Federal Trade Commission sent nearly two dozen hotel chains letters warning about tacking on deceptive fees.
According to a columnist at The Chicago Tribune, rather than removing fees, some of the chains receiving the letter apparently decided to add more. He says some Las Vegas hotels decided to add “resort” fees after getting the letter, although others are improving the way they list fees. Here’s an example of an offending hotel he cites…
The worst case I’ve seen was at the Lodge at Tamarron in Durango, Colo., where a TripAdvisor contributor reported the cost of a two-night room, nominally $170, escalated by a $35 cleaning fee, $40 resort fee, $10 pool and spa fee, and a $5.10 processing fee. Another potential visitor I know, an attorney, arranged a two-night stay there through Hotwire, only to find after committing that the price would be hiked by a cleaning fee of $60.
The columnist launched a petition at regulations.gov which calls for the government to force hotels to include all fees in the initial display price. As of this writing, it only has five comments in support. Want to get around fees until the government steps up its game? Check out the links below.
This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Hotels Still Packing on Hidden Resort Fees'.
