Stop Resort Fees - please sign my People's Petition to the President
Jan 28, 2013, 6:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: NYC - Boston - Caribbean
Programs: AA-gold, CO-gold, DL-GM, US-gold, HH-gold, SPG-plat, IC-plat, Hyatt-diamond
Posts: 7
Stop Resort Fees - please sign my People's Petition to the President
Go to: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...-room/bg8VlpLR (it literally only takes 2 minutes to sign up & there is no spam - it's the White Houses website) and sign the petition to eliminate 'resort fees' - without 100,000 signatures by February 27, 2013 it won't be vetted by the White House. I know it's a long shot - but I thought it worthy for frequent travelers to bring to the attention of our government.
We're actually close to getting the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to set up rules regulating 'resort fees' - FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in November sent the big hotels a letter about the practice. I was just charged a 'resort fee' in Vegas that was over 50% of the room rate - and was never disclosed to me by the company I booked through (and I was told I couldn't have my room if I didn't pay it - now THAT is a last minute, mandatory fee when you're checking in at 1 a.m.).
I don't think it would take much persuasion for sens'able rules to be set up (all I'm asking is if the fee is MANDATORY the hotel and re-sellers must INCLUDE the 'resort fee' when quoting a nightly rates UNLESS the 'resort fee' is OPTIONAL - then the hotel must disclose it as optional at check in).
All of you in the hotel industry don't panic because if you include a reasonably priced 'resort fee' w/ goodies people want (say wi-fi / $10 mini-bar credit / printing of boarding passes / gym / etc.) people will buy it - but the way you're doing it now is a scam.
Think of this another way: if every industry could operate like hotels than I could sell new cars for $1,000 (MANDATORY tire fee $26,250), or new homes for $10,000 (MANDATORY closing fee $472,000), or airline tix for $1 (MANDATORY ticketing fee $1,712) - well, OK the airlines are getting close to this model - BUT all those fees for boarding passes, luggage, food, blankets, and use of the oxygen mask should the plane lose cabin pressure are ALL OPTIONAL fees - for many of us flying is subsidized by those paying the optional fees that we never pay (except the oxygen mask fee - I always have a credit card handy to swipe should those oxygen masks drop & there is a fee for them).
The hotel industry is wrong with these MANDATORY fees - but only the Federal Government can do anything about it now because they've become such a revenue generator no hotel will give them up unless their competition is forced to. If we don't stand up now, within a decade every hotel in country will be $1 / night w/ a plethora of MANDATORY 'resort fees' added on top.
Thank you
We're actually close to getting the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to set up rules regulating 'resort fees' - FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in November sent the big hotels a letter about the practice. I was just charged a 'resort fee' in Vegas that was over 50% of the room rate - and was never disclosed to me by the company I booked through (and I was told I couldn't have my room if I didn't pay it - now THAT is a last minute, mandatory fee when you're checking in at 1 a.m.).
I don't think it would take much persuasion for sens'able rules to be set up (all I'm asking is if the fee is MANDATORY the hotel and re-sellers must INCLUDE the 'resort fee' when quoting a nightly rates UNLESS the 'resort fee' is OPTIONAL - then the hotel must disclose it as optional at check in).
All of you in the hotel industry don't panic because if you include a reasonably priced 'resort fee' w/ goodies people want (say wi-fi / $10 mini-bar credit / printing of boarding passes / gym / etc.) people will buy it - but the way you're doing it now is a scam.
Think of this another way: if every industry could operate like hotels than I could sell new cars for $1,000 (MANDATORY tire fee $26,250), or new homes for $10,000 (MANDATORY closing fee $472,000), or airline tix for $1 (MANDATORY ticketing fee $1,712) - well, OK the airlines are getting close to this model - BUT all those fees for boarding passes, luggage, food, blankets, and use of the oxygen mask should the plane lose cabin pressure are ALL OPTIONAL fees - for many of us flying is subsidized by those paying the optional fees that we never pay (except the oxygen mask fee - I always have a credit card handy to swipe should those oxygen masks drop & there is a fee for them).
The hotel industry is wrong with these MANDATORY fees - but only the Federal Government can do anything about it now because they've become such a revenue generator no hotel will give them up unless their competition is forced to. If we don't stand up now, within a decade every hotel in country will be $1 / night w/ a plethora of MANDATORY 'resort fees' added on top.
Thank you
Jan 28, 2013, 6:41 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
Regarding Priceline, I've been amazed they they've allowed this practice to continue. That company has a tin ear regarding customer satisfaction (hasn't hurt their stock lately!), but charging resort fees on "name your own price" rezzies is outrageous. If one hotel has a priceline rate of $75 and a $30 resort fee, and another hotel has a rate of $80 with no resort fee, the poor customer gets stuck paying $105 instead of $80. And the "honest" hotel with no resort fee loses the sale to the dishonest hotel. It's remarkable that this is legal. I guess a boilerplate disclaimer that "we can do this to you" is enough. Or at least their lawyers think so.
Jan 28, 2013, 7:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Austin
Programs: 1K MM, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, AA Exec. Plat
Posts: 403
While I like the idea of the petition, I don't know that the White House staff will be too enthusiastic to give serious consideration to this. I can only speak for what I do. When I stay at a hotel that charges this fee, I take 5 minutes of the Hotel GM's time to explain why I think this is unfair. Many times it is waived. If each person who checked in did this, the fee would eventually go away. As it is, they are getting away with robbery because not enough people are putting up a fight at the local level.
Jan 28, 2013, 7:50 pm
#6
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
If a third party booking site is not disclosing all the fees you have to pay for a hotel the issue is not with the fees but with the third party booking site.
Jan 28, 2013, 10:31 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,811
Jan 28, 2013, 11:56 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
While I like the idea of the petition, I don't know that the White House staff will be too enthusiastic to give serious consideration to this. I can only speak for what I do. When I stay at a hotel that charges this fee, I take 5 minutes of the Hotel GM's time to explain why I think this is unfair. Many times it is waived. If each person who checked in did this, the fee would eventually go away. As it is, they are getting away with robbery because not enough people are putting up a fight at the local level.
I'd love to know what you say to them!
Jan 29, 2013, 7:32 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, SW CP, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 61
Stop Resort Fees - please sign my People's Petition to the President
I think Washington has its hands full with issues that actually matter.
Jan 29, 2013, 8:33 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Mass
Programs: Independent
Posts: 4,829
What gets me is that people complain about how detached the government is from the people, yet so many refuse to have any interaction with it. That is precisely what that petition site is - about giving a means for everyday people to voice their concerns.