Mandatory $10 Daily Facilities Charge - Starts 1/1/13 at Le Parker Meridien NYC

So the Starwood marketing team's Le Meridien promo has me thinking about giving the Le Parker Meridien New York another shot. When going through the booking process, I noticed the following note in the Special Conditions:

"Special Conditions
Mandatory Service Charge Beginning January 1, 2013

Beginning January 1, 2013, a mandatory Daily Facilities Service Charge of $10.00 plus tax per room per night will go into effect. This includes:

•Wired or Wireless High Speed Internet Access for multi-devices in guestrooms, the lobby, restaurants and the bar. *
•Unlimited use of gravity fitness Center.
•Unlimited use of the penthouse pool.
•Unlimited toll free and local calls from your in room phone.
* Internet access does not apply to meeting rooms or pre-function areas."

I'm wondering what this means for Platinums. With the $10 plus tax, we're likely up over $11 per night in extra charges. Looking at the "benefits":

- Internet already complementary for platinums
- Fitness center already complementary for platinums (Edit: thanks to BigBopper for pointing out below that this is no longer a guaranteed platinum benefit) (2nd Edit: per yvr76, fitness center benefit has not been eliminated for Platinums, just a T&C oversight per William - post #30)
- Use of pool, ok I guess maybe a charge for that
- Unlimited toll free and local calls, when probably 95%+ of Platinums have a mobile phone

Seems a lot like a resort fee, without the resort. Plus at least with the resort fee properties are compelled to provide an alternative amenity to Platinums.

Anyone else seeing a similar "Daily Facilities Service Charge" at other non-resort properties? If any platinums are seeing and paying for it, are you at least getting a tangible benefit?

William, any commentary from SPG on the above?

Note: Per FSU in post #37, a similar fee spotted at the Westin Chicago Northwest

Yup it has arrived, the hotel version of a resort fee. Big .

As regulars here know, I have been a HUGE supporter of this property, and this has been one of my favorite places to stay in the past.

However, this charge is very very disappointing. Not the $ amount specifically, but the whole stealth fee concept. And a very slippery slope for a city center hotel to start charging this.

Apparently fitness center access is no longer a Plt benefit as I posted in the Alt amenity for resort fee thread. It's disappeared from the T&C's and William has stated that alternative amenities are only offered where the fee includes internet access (as this will)

Good point and I've updated the original post to reflect. I will note though that my firm's negotiated rate at this property includes both internet and fitness center access, so will be interesting to see how this shakes out. I'm sure there will be others at large companies in the same boat.

Given that the $10 fee for fitness/pool access would previously have put people off and kept numbers down this is negative on another front too. Those forced to pay for these facilities will probably use them more so they will be more crowded

Ridiculous.

Hopefully now that there's some regulatory scrutiny over the resort fees, there will be an end to all of this before "facilities charges" spread to all city hotels.

An interesting piece on CNN about resort fees:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/28/travel...ing/index.html

Let me get this straight....Horrible HVAC system (too hot in the winter/too cold in the summer); dated rooms with worn furnishings; dark, dingy hallways; indifferent to surly staff and a poor breakfast option for Platinums. Now this? Take your money elsewhere. There are so many better options than this property in Manhattan.

You've got to be kidding me.

Resort fees are absurd enough when applied to resorts. But to have what is essentially a resort fee at a city center hotel is ridiculous. If the experience with the resorts is any indication, the Plat "alternative amenity" will not be offered or will be paltry compared with the fee

Many of us were not a fan of this property anyway -- just one more reason to keep away.

Hope this trend does not continue -- ridiculous to add these fees in the first place and really a slap in the face to the most loyal customers who already get most / all of these benefits for free

This is garbage and I'm disappointed to hear this. Would you just raise your damn daily rates if that is what you want?! I hate fees above and beyond taxes, heck I don't love taxes but there is nothing you can do about that. I will definitely avoid any hotel that charges this. Resorts I resent as well and thus far have only tolerated the St. Regis Monarch Beach 15 dollar a day charge for plats when they had the 50% off free nights promo.

They should be subject to the Alternative Amenity program since the fee includes the internet (this program appears to be a grab to get cash from everyone who doesn't sign up for internet).

Since I know this hotel well, I should say for the record that the Alternative Amenity *does not* include flicking a booger at the customer across the front desk while sneering menacingly. Sorry to disappoint the staff of the LPMNYC.

Incredibly sleazy.

-David

And if these are like the resort fee, then you will NOT earn points on the $10 "facilities charge".

This is getting grosser.

Total garbage. Bye bye LPM.